July 2023 Newsletter

Meet Our New Caucus Board Members Get to know our newest board members! 

Gurpreet Kaur, Legislative Director Gurpreet Kaur has more than seven years of experience in the California State Government including in and around the Legislature. She has worked as Legislative, Policy and Regulatory Analyst and is proficient in legislative research and analysis as well as the Rulemaking process. Gurpreet is well-versed in initiating legislative proposals and resolutions as well as working with authors/legislators and stakeholders in ensuring that interests are advocated and protected.

Marilyn Cachola Lucey, Treasurer Marilyn is Deputy District Director for an Assemblymember and has been active in community organizing and legislative advocacy with organizations such as ACLU and ACCE, using her training as an OFA Fellow. She strives to ground her professional and community work explicitly in anti-racism, anti-ableism, and cultural humility. As a current board member for her region’s PFLAG affiliate, she leads their legislative advocacy efforts to protect and extend LGBTQ+ rights. In 2020, she worked for the Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign in California, and co-directed the East Bay Victory 2020 for Biden-Harris virtual field operations. She volunteers with Bay Area Action Coalition to train and support field teams, and execute field strategy for Democratic state and federal candidates. She is an appointed commissioner to Contra Costa’s Commission on the Status of Women and Girls First 5 Children and Families Commission. She is serving her second term as Assembly District 16’s elected delegate to the California Democratic Party executive board.  She lives in the San Francisco East Bay with her neurodiverse family. Her lived experience as an immigrant continues to motivate her to advocate for the protection of human rights and to organize communities to elect leaders who champion justice for the global majority.

Malia (“Lia”) Aiavao, Northern Secretary Lia Aiavao firmly believes in the power of representation and has spent her political career working to uplift the voices of historically overlooked communities. She knows that by amplifying voices, perspectives, and experiences, meaningful change can be achieved.  As a biracial woman of Samoan descent, Lia has seen firsthand how Polynesian and Pacific Islander communities have been left behind and forgotten. She knows that engagement in the political process, community organizing, and support for Polynesian and Pacific Islander candidates are vital steps toward ensuring that specific needs are met — and she’s committed to bringing people together to make that happen. In 2018, Lia served as Field Director for Catherine Stefani’s successful campaign for San Francisco Supervisor, managing all aspects of the voter contact, volunteer management and outreach programs. She then went on to work as a Northwest Finance Associate with Kamala Harris for the People where she coordinated with top-raising National Finance Committee members and helped organize high-dollar and grassroots fundraising events. Lia is now an award-winning Deputy Media Director with an Oakland-based political consulting firm working with progressive candidates who are fighting for marginalized people and our future leaders of tomorrow.

Dr. Andrew Murphy, Southern Secretary Dr. Andrew Murphy (he/they) is an experienced leader in education, government, and policy. His previous roles include serving as a public school teacher, community organizer, union leader, nonprofit Executive Director, and Policy Deputy for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, where he was the primary author of the “Everyone Counts” resolution, a civil rights achievement that instituted data disaggregation policies for all students and employees of color in the nation’s second-largest school district. Andrew is an elected California Democratic Party Assembly District Delegate and currently serves as President of the Asian Democrats of LA County and as a Board member of the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley and the Korean American Democratic Committee. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Louisville, a Master of Education from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, a Master of Korean Studies from Seoul National University as a Korean Government Scholar, and a Doctorate in Education from Loyola Marymount University.

For the rest of the board, bios for our entire board are available at https://aapicaucus.com/about-us/executive-board/

California Democratic Party Executive Board Meeting in Visalia Friday, August 18 to Sunday, August 20 The AAPI Caucus will be meeting in person as part of the conference. We’re planning a special event for you to meet and hear from AAPI leaders in the Central Valley. Online registration for the Summer Executive Board Meeting closes on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at 5:00 pm. The party encourages everyone to register online for easier credential pickup on-site. Non-EBoard Members or non-standing Committee Members wishing to be credentialed to attend the Executive Board General Sessions can request an EBoard Observer Pass. Caucus meetings, Standing Committee meetings, training, and organizing actions during the Executive Board meeting are open to all Democrats. Registration, Tentative Agenda, and more: https://cadem.org/executive-board/

The California Democratic Party is updating the party platform Give input now! Suggestions and comments on the party platform can be provided in three ways: Online Testimony Form 2024 Testimony Submission Form on the Platform Committee Website The deadline for submitting testimony online is Saturday, August 19, 2023 at 5:00 PM Online Testimony Hearings Sunday, August 6, 2023, @ 11:00 AM Planks Accepting Testimony: Education, Children, Culture and the Arts, Women Register Here: https://cadem-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lfuqsqzkiGdHew6nUNNNZadfH2t5Jzdzw#/registration Wednesday, August 9, 2023, @ 6:30 PM Planks Accepting Testimony: Energy and Environment, Sustainable Communities, Rural Register Here: https://cadem-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvf-uspjktGdFcmif-RZ17ivSr3dyuAnRz#/registration In Person at the Executive Board Platform Committee Meeting Date: Friday, August 18, 2023 at the E-Board Meeting in Visalia Planks Accepting Testimony: Veterans and Military Families, Seniors, Health Care, Immigration, Preamble

Notice of Upcoming Vote on Caucus Bylaws Amendments The California Democratic Party Rules Committee has asked us to make the following amendments to our bylaws to meet the current Party policy on standard Caucus bylaws. This will be voted on at our meeting on either August 18 or August 19 during the Visalia E-Board conference. Details of the changes will be sent in a future newsletter before the meeting.

Upcoming AAPI Events Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) Summer Soiree Friday, August 18, 2023, 6-10pm, San Gabriel, CA https://www.causeusa.org/2023-summer-soiree Asian Democrats of Los Angeles County’s Inaugural Awards Gala Sunday, August 20th, 2023, 4-6pm, San Gabriel Grapevine Arbor (324 South Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776) http://bit.ly/ADLACAwards AAPI Leadership Summit by Asm. Evan Low and the AAPI Legislative Caucus September 7 and 8, 2023, Sacramento, CA https://aapileadershipsummit.org/home