About Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA)

Chinese for Affirmative Action was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice.

At the grassroots level, our community building work nurtures the ability of immigrants to participate fully in civic life. These activities include direct services, leadership development, and civic engagement with limited-English proficient newcomers and immigrants on issues that impact our community. At the systemic level, CAA leads advocacy, communications, and movement building work to improve public policy and shape public discourse. We produce community-based research, publish policy analyses and recommendations, influence opinion through media, organize to engage elected and government officials, and nurture a range of progressive coalitions.

In 2014, CAA helped to launch the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) network that focuses on long-term movement building, capacity infrastructure, and leadership support for Asian Americans committed to social justice. Including CAA, there are currently 11 partnering member groups with unique strengths. Fiscal sponsorship, administrative, and operational support is provided centrally for all of these groups so they can focus on their core programs.

In 2020, CAA was one of the founding organizations of Stop AAPI Hate (SAH), a U.S.-based coalition dedicated to ending racism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAs & PIs). SAH strives to advance the multiracial movement for equity and justice by building power for our communities, working in solidarity with other communities of color, and advocating for comprehensive solutions that tackle the root causes of race-based hate.

Position Overview

The Advocacy Manager plays a critical role in driving policy and other social change through effective campaign management, community engagement, coalition building, stakeholder engagement, and both in-person and online/offline advocacy.

In addition, this role manages the civic and voter engagement and lobbying efforts, by designing and implementing voter contact and base-building programs that mobilize AAPI communities to register, volunteer, and vote.

The Advocacy Manager identifies change opportunities, helps develop and leads the organizations participation in key campaigns, and manages partnerships with a diverse set of community and coalition partners, sometimes across multiple states or nationally. The Advocacy Manager also supports narrative change efforts to shift public perception and attitudes.

This position integrates issue advocacy with civic and voter engagement strategies, including volunteer recruitment and management, identity-based and in-language outreach, and cross-team coordination to ensure successful execution and evaluation of campaigns.

This role advances core civil rights issues including language access, immigrant rights, economic justice, education equity, and community justice. The Advocacy Manager also manages advocacy efforts related to our leadership in Stop AAPI Hate (SAH), including multi-state and federal anti-hate policy reform and defending Constitutional rights.

The Advocacy Manager collaborates closely with the Policy, Programs, and Communications teams, and the Legislative Director, on CAA’s broad strategies to advance our policy advocacy goals and long-term vision, as well as with Data contractors to execute targeted outreach and voter engagement programs.

Key Responsibilities

Advocacy and Campaign Leadership and Management

• Develop and manage high-impact advocacy and civic engagement campaigns in collaboration with CAA and SAH staff and partners to advance organizational goals, build community power, and secure policy wins
• Build and facilitate diverse and effective coalitions and lead coordination with partner organizations on shared advocacy goals and strategies
• Identify strategic opportunities for both issue advocacy and voter engagement, integrating online, offline, and field tactics
• Build and manage diverse and effective coalitions and lead coordination with partner organizations and other stakeholders on shared advocacy and civic participat…