Asian American, progressive activists rally for California’s Prop 50 in Little Saigon

Asian-American community advocates gathered Thursday in Little Saigon to show support for the Nov. 4 ballot proposal that would redraw California’s congressional districts in greater favor of Democrats.

During a news conference hosted by progressive group OC Action at the offices of the Nguoi Viet Daily News in Westminster, speakers said allowing the GOP to expand its slight majority in the House of Representatives would enable the Trump administration to continue attacks on Medicare, immigrants, communities of color and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

“Those cuts weren’t about balancing the budget … ” Angie Nguyen, a home care provider represented by United Domestic Workers of America, said. “Our communities are hurting, and our Asian communities are among the hardest hit.”

The best defense, she and others in attendance said, is voting yes in the statewide special election on Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to President Trump’s effort to convince Texas to redraw its maps in hopes of adding to the Republican majority in Congress.

A coalition of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community groups have organized as many as 2,400 volunteers to promote the measure in phone calls and door-to-door campaigns.

Opponents of Prop. 50, the Election Rigging Response Act, criticize it for undermining a relatively recent bipartian effort to draw fair boundaries, but supporters say it’s needed to offset Republican electoral tampering in Texas and other states.

OC Action executive director Jonathan Paik rallies communities of color and workers in support of Prop. 50 in Westminster on Thursday.

(Eric Licas)

Texas’ new congressional map is being challenged in court by plaintiffs who claim it intentionally gives minorities less power at the ballot box. And, in Missouri, opponents of an updated map favoring Republicans are pursuing a referendum that would bring the matter to a statewide vote.

As of Monday, the California ballot initiative became the 10th most expensive in state history, drawing a combined $122.3 million from parties lobbying on either side of the issue.

An early poll shows Prop. 50 leading, with 51% of respondents saying they’d vote yes, compared to 34% who’d vote no. A significant cohort, 15%, remains undecided.

If approved, California’s new congressional map would remain in effect until 2030.