Building Solidarity at the 2024 SOMOS Puerto Rico Conference

The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) participated in the 2024 SOMOS Puerto Rico Conference, themed "Navigating Change Together: Fostering Collaboration for a Sustainable Future." Held from November 6th to 10th, the conference aimed to unite Latinx communities and increase public policy awareness across New York State and beyond.

Through meaningful discussions and workshops, CPC joined leaders and advocates to strengthen our mission of community empowerment and raise awareness of initiatives that benefit AAPI, Latinx, and marginalized groups statewide.

On November 7th, Mitch Wu, CPC’s Director of Queens Community Services, moderated the workshop Unity in Diversity: Addressing Anti-Asian Violence & Building Solidarity with the Latinx Community, sponsored by Assemblymember Chris Burdick. The discussion focused on key policy changes needed to tackle anti-Asian violence and ways to ensure these changes uplift Latinx and other marginalized communities. The panel featured Amy Latorres, CPC's Director of Education and Career Services, along with Senator Jeremy Cooney, Assemblymembers Grace Lee and Amanda Septimo, Maria Lizardo of Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, and Carola Bracco of Neighbors Link. 

On November 9th, CPC, alongside the New York State Assembly APA Taskforce, The Asian American Foundation, and nearly 40 organizations, hosted the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Reception. It brought together over 600 attendees from business and labor leaders, lobbyists, and nonprofit organizations, and over 50 federal, state, and city legislators. Topics covered included the State’s AAPI Equity Budget, City Council’s AAPI Community Support Initiative, Just Pay for Human Services Workers, Fair Pay for Home Care Workers, and discretionary funding for AAPI organizations.

Thank you to everyone who joined our workshop and helped make the AAPI Reception a success!

Elected Officials: Former Congressmember Carolyn Maloney | State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli | State Senators Jamaal Bailey, Samra Brouk, Jeremy Cooney, Mike Gianaris, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Robert Jackson, Brian Kavanagh, and Zellnor Myrie | Assemblymembers Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn, Alex Bores, Landon Dais, Harvey Epstein, Jessica González-Rojas, Anna Kelles, Grace Lee, Dana Levenberg, Marcela Mitaynes, Jenifer Rajkumar, Karines Reyes, Jonathan Rivera, Jo-Anne Simon, Tony Simone, Michaelle Solages, and Yudelka Tapia | Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy | Executive Advisor of Empire State Development Jenny Low | Public Advocate Jumaane Williams | Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson | Former Queens Borough President Sharon Lee | Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine | Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez | Councilmembers Diana Ayala, Gale Brewer, Selvena Brooks-Powers, Tiffany Cabán, Amanda Farias, Shahana Hanif, Crystal Hudson, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Farah Louis, Lynn Shulman, Sandra Ung, Julie Won, and Susan Zhuang | Former Council Member Peter Koo | Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez | Judges Cassandra Johnson, Evelyn Gong, and Wendy Li

Community Partners: APA VOICE: Voting and Organizing to Increase Civic Engagement | Apicha Community Health Center | The Arab-American Family Support Center | Asian American Bar Association of New York | Asian Americans for Equality | Caribbean Equality Project | Chhaya Community Development Corporation  | Chinatown YMCA | Chung Pak LDC | CMP New York | CACF: Coalition for Asian American Children & Families | COPO | Educational Alliance | Flushing YMCA | Grand St. Settlement | Hamilton-Madison House | Henry Street Settlement | Homecrest Community Services, Inc. | Immigrant Social Services | Korean American Civic Empowerment | Korean American Family Service Center - KAFSC | Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc. | Mekong NYC | MinKwon Center | Museum of Chinese in America | Sakhi for South Asian Survivors | Sapna NYC | South Asian Council for Social Services | South Asian Youth Action - SAYA | University Settlement Society of New York | Womankind | YWCA of Queens 

Sponsors: Catholic Charities of New York | Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies | FPWA | Human Services Council of New York - HSC | LiveOnNY | New York City Employment and Training Coalition| The New York Immigration Coalition | Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth | United Neighborhood Houses | UJA-Federation of New York 

ABOUT CPC
The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) is a social services organization that creates positive social change. Founded in 1965, CPC is the nation's largest Asian American social services organization and aims to promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities of New York City. CPC is the trusted partner to individuals and families striving to achieve goals in their education, family, community, and career. 

關於華策會
華人策劃協會（簡稱“華策會”）是一個致力於創造正向社會變革的社會服務機構。華策會成立於1965年，是美國最大的亞裔美國人社會服務機構，旨在促進紐約市華裔美國人、移民及低收入社區的社會權益和經濟賦權。華策會是為個人和家庭實現其教育、家庭、社區及職業目標而努力的可信賴機構。

ACERCA DE CPC
El Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) es una organización de servicios sociales que crea un cambio social positivo. Fundada en 1965, CPC es la mayor organización de servicios sociales asiático-americanos del país y su objetivo es promover la capacitación social y económica de las comunidades chino-americanas, inmigrantes y de bajos ingresos de la ciudad de Nueva York. CPC es el socio de confianza de personas y familias que se esfuerzan por alcanzar objetivos en su educación, familia, comunidad y carrera.