CPC Policy and Advocacy 2018 Year In Review

As we begin 2019, we wanted to reflect on some of the work that CPC has done over the last year to advance our communities through policy and advocacy, thanks to your partnership!

The Policy and Public Affairs division of CPC was established as part of the Advancing our CommUNITY strategy to address the persistent needs and emerging trends in our communities, and we help to achieve this strategy through transformative public policy change.  This past October, the Policy division celebrated our first birthday, but in the short time we have been a part of CPC’s mission, we have already done a great deal, thanks to the hard work of the entire CPC staff. 

Here are just a few of the things that we did in 2018 to advocate for and advance our communities.  We look forward to working together in 2019!

CPC stood with immigrant families

In a year when immigrants were under attack by the federal administration, CPC showed up to stand with all immigrants. We participated in a historic family separation march, rallied against the detention of a community member, and released a statement on the travel ban on Muslims.

CPC hosted our first ever city advocacy day

Part of advocating for our community is making sure we are heard and seen!  Over 150 CPC staff and community members convened on the steps of City Hall for a rally and press conference. CPC staff attended trainings and prepared to meet with over 30 elected officials, advocating for budget priorities that are important for our staff and our communities. 

CPC fought for better social services

In order to better serve our communities, we need to make sure that our programs are fully funded, staff are well-compensated, and we have the resources we need. We rallied for better salaries, testified on program funded, and called for the city and state to cover the full cost of providing human services.

CPC advocated for education and access for all New Yorkers

For many immigrant New Yorkers, education and employment access starts with adult literacy classes at CBOs like CPC.  We fought for increased funding for adult literacy programs, hosted the New York City Council as they announced a historic investment, and fought for better college access and affordability.

CPC raised discretionary funding for our programs

New York City Council discretionary funding allows us to enhance our services to community members. CPC staff rallied, testified, and met with elected officials to raise over $1 million in discretionary funding, over $250,000 more than the year before. CPC thanks our partners in the New York City Council for their generous support!

CPC partnered with elected officials to advance our communities

Our partners in office at the city, state, and federal level are so important! From hosting site visits at our community centers, to legislative meetings at the U.S. Capitol, we are excited to continue to working with our partners in office in 2019!

CPC got out the AAPI vote

The 2018 election represented a historic turnout for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters, and CPC worked hard to do our part in turning out the vote, from registering new voters, to language accessible candidate surveys, to hosting candidate forums, to working with our partners at New York Civil Liberties Union, Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and Asian American Legal Defense Fund, to calling AAPI voters across the country!

CPC fought back against the proposed public charge rule

As the public charge rule threatened the future economic security and immigration status of our community members, CPC fought back through rallies and direct action, staff trainings, press briefings, community education forums, and submitting public comments.

CPC advocated to make sure all New Yorkers count in the 2020 Census

With resources and representation at stake in the 2020 Census, CPC has been working hard to ensure that our communities count.  We joined the Steering Committee of the New York Counts 2020 Coalition led by NYIC, joined the Brooklyn Complete Count Committee and the AAPI Complete Count Committee, and have been actively fighting against the inclusion of the citizenship question. 

CPC organized for healthcare for all New Yorkers

One of the biggest priorities CPC staff and community members identified is healthcare, and we have been fighting for healthcare for all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status.  We helped get a New York City Council Resolution passed in support of it, helped organize a rally and hearing, and put on a public forum for immigrant-serving organizations.

CPC fought for a better transit system

Another major issue that staff and community members identified was transportation. CPC staff have been working with the Fix the Subway coalition to call for investments in our transit system.

CPC weighed in on emerging issues

Being a leader for our communities also means being a thought leader. In 2018, we began issuing statements on emerging issues, from asylum access to LBGTQ rights to anti-blackness in the AAPI community. We spoke out about issues impacting our communities in the media from the Guardian to the Gothamist to the Village Voice.