Program areas at Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment
The CAUSE Leadership Academy CLA for Students is a nine-week internship program for college students who are interested in civic engagement, public policy, and Asian Pacific American APA community issues. Through CLA, students are exposed to thought leaders and policymakers while gaining a deeper awareness of the civic issues facing the APA community in California. Interns leave the program with a better understanding of how to engage in local politics and affect the change they want to see in the world. Traditionally, the program consists of four elements: The Internship, Civic Leadership Workshops, Civic Engagement Project, and an Annual Capitol Summit. Graduates of this program have gone on to run for political office and become leaders in politics, business, and nonprofits.
The CAUSE Leadership Council and Network is an invitation-only, membership program and platform for millennial leaders to channel skills, expertise and passion for the purpose of cross-sector advancement and the empowerment of APA communities. Through opportunities for key connections, knowledge-sharing, and dialogue, members are committed to creating space for and driving our collective APA community forward.
CAUSE elevates Asian Pacific American voices through Voter Outreach, Training, & Education VOTE Initiatives by continuing to provide in-language access and educate APA voters about issues that impact their communities. In 2020, CAUSE held two events with then-Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, to provide information to the APA community, the fastest-growing sector of voters, about mail-in voting and COVID-19 safety protocols. This initiative also included Cross Cultural Dialogues focused on a series of Multiethnic Statewide Community Polls conducted in partnership with Hispanas Organized for Political Equality and Los Angeles Urban League, in consultation with the Los Angeles Times. The poll captured perceptions of race relations and identity, responses to COVID-19 efforts, and insights into issues including elections, immigration, police brutality, and hate crime.