Khmer Girls in Action

KGA is hiring Seasonal Canvassers to support our fall campaigns! Please apply, if interested!

KGA Part-time Seasonal Canvasser Application We have a chance to begin re-shaping the future of our city and state through voter outreach, education and mobilization. We are currently seeking canvassers to work in civic engagement program. The canvassers will be responsible for contacting thousands of voters through a large-scale Phone Banking...

✨We are now accepting applications to our YWEP/YMEP program!✨

🪷 What is YWEP/YMEP? 🪷
The program is a school year round program for Southeast Asian youth to create and learn about positive change in their community.

❓Who can apply for YWEP+YMEP ❓
* High school freshmen and sophomores
* Cambodian/Southeast Asian Youth
* Living in Long Beach

🍄 APPLY ONLINE and learn more: LINK IN BIO or www.tinyurl.com/applykga25

❕deadline: sept 20th ❕

As AAPI Heritage Month kicks off, support KGA by donating to the nationwide giving campaign, Give in May, which directly funds AAPI organizations that provide vital resources and support to our beloved communities. This year, the funds that we raise will directly go towards our biggest fundraiser yet - our first-ever Capital Campaign.

With the March 2023 purchase of a multistory building, KGA is realizing a longstanding youth vision to create a “Youth Movement and Education Center.” The center will support the development of youth and new leaders and become a hub for arts, healing, community programs, and social justice campaigns. More than a gathering place, the hub enables a cross-section of community organizations to strategize around incubating innovative projects for social progress- ultimately strengthening local and regional infrastructure to build power. This endeavor achieves KGA’s long-held dream for a youth-led space to transform our communities and movements.

By donating and spreading the word, you can bring us a step closer to achieving our vision with our new space!

Khmer Girls in Action stands unremmitingly in solidarity with the ongoing national student movements across college campuses as they urgently demand divestment from weapons manufacturing, the abolition of policing, and the end of the genocide in Gaza currently being carried out by the violent settler-colonial project of Israel and the United States government. 

We urge our community members to tap into local organized efforts and use our resources and gifts to support the movement. Please see the succeeding slides after our statement to see opportunities where you can take action. 💛

We’re hiring a Development Coordinator to help raise funds to build power in our community!

Check out the full job description on our website using our linktree and share with your network!

If this role aligns with your experiences and how you want to serve our community, please send a resume, cover letter, and at least three references to [email protected] with the subject line “Development Coordinator – your name.”

This position will remain open until filled; early applications are strongly encouraged!

Sursedey Chnam Thmey! Thai, Lao, Burmese, and Cambodian New Year is one of our favorite holidays because it centers on family, unity, joy and resilience across our Southeast Asian communities. Our Ma’s and Yey’s who are often the keepers of our communities pass down cultural heritage by preparing delicious home-cooked meals, gathering our extended families together, and sharing rich traditions to live on through the next generations.

This time of year is one of the few moments when our community comes together to celebrate. In light of this, we remind each other of why we continue to organize, advocate, and develop generations of leaders. As we enter into this election year, it is crucial that we advocate for our folks in our Southeast Asian communities to show up to vote and become civically engaged. When we vote, we not only decide on leaders and policies that reflect our values, but we also center refugee voices and experiences.

This year, we have the opportunity to protect our communities. We can hold accountable the corporations who are responsible for the conditions our people face and make them pay their fair share in taxes to improve the communities they have displaced. We can show our solidarity with the Palestinian people who are actively experiencing a genocide in their homeland and hold our elected officials accountable to shape local and larger policies that denounce our country’s complicity. When we show up in numbers and when our communities are whole and resourced, we can heal, thrive, and live with dignity!

Today, April 3, is Equal Pay Day for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women. Equal Pay Day shatters the “model minority” myth and stereotype that AANHPI communities are well-off and financially secure.

For AANHPI women, it takes 459 days to “catch up” – an extra 93 days — to what white, non-Hispanic men earn in 365 days. AANHPI women, on average, earn only 80 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women are overrepresented in frontline and low-wage positions, especially in the retail, restaurant, and personal care industry. Unequal pay exacerbates the barriers they face in their everyday lives, including the ability to provide and care for themselves, their children, and extended family members. Join us today to raise awareness on how unequal pay affects AANHPI communities.

📣 Calling all KGA alumni!!! 📣

As KGA is in the process of creating our first mural for our new building, we would love to get your input through filling out our Alumni Outreach Survey. We would love to hear from you, see how you are doing, and reconnect with you!

On our survey, you can RSVP for one of two Focus Groups we are having during this month of March:

* Alumni Only Day *
Friday, March 15th, 2024 | 5:30PM - 8PM
Dinner Provided
- OR -
* Community Day *
Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 | 11:30AM - 2PM
Lunch Provided

Please note: Space is limited! Everyone who RSVPs will receive confirmations on their reservation on March 14th. Not everyone who RSVPs will be confirmed for the focus group.

If you cannot make it to one of our focus groups, it’s ok! Please fill out the survey by Wednesday, March 13th, 2024 so we can hear from you regardless :)

Please visit our bio, scan our QR code, or visit: https://bit.ly/48MITYS to fill out our survey.

We are hiring an Organizing Director to lead winning campaigns that build youth and community power!

Check out the full job description in our bio or at bit.ly/KGAJobs, and share with your network!

If this role aligns with your experiences and how you want to serve our community, please send a resume, cover letter, and at least three references to [email protected] with the subject line “Organizing Director – your name.”

This position will remain open until filled; early applications are strongly encouraged!

Happy Valentine’s Day 😁

“Khmer Girls in Action in Long Beach, California, centers Southeast Asian American students — and has a history of fighting s*xual harassment and punitive discipline in schools.”

Thank you to and Nadra Nittle for this amazing piece uplifting our work!

Read the full article here: https://19thnews.org/2024/02/khmer-girls-in-action-refugees-youth-leadership/

・・・
We must uphold our nation’s values of freedom and safe haven for all families. SEARAC strongly oppose this week’s Senate bill that would expand detention and deportation, enact harmful border policies, and effectively dismantle the US asylum system.

Quyên Đinh, Executive Director at SEARAC, shared, “As refugees who came to the United States to escape war, violence, and persecution, Southeast Asian Americans (SEAAs) know firsthand the critical, life-saving importance of a functional and humane asylum system.”

You can take action at the link in our bio!

Youth Power PB Long Beach is inviting back our orientation attendees to take on a self-elected Youth Steering Committee (YSC) role to shape the rules of this year’s process! Be part of an evolving foundation for youth democracy and public budgeting in Long Beach.

KGA's office will be closed for winter break from December 19 through January 1, 2024. We wish everyone a reflective, restorative, and joyful holiday season as we head into the new year!

In the meantime, please enjoy some pictures of our youth members and staff as we closed our fall programs earlier this month!

Congratulations to our IVE canvassing team for a successful Fall 2023 phone banking campaign! We want to uplift their work informing voters in Long Beach around key issues ahead of the 2024 elections, such as addressing rising housing costs and ensuring that corporations paying their fair share in taxes.

Join us on Saturday, December 2nd from 10 AM-1 PM (updated time) at the Office of Youth Development to learn about the citywide youth participatory budgeting process called Youth Power PB Long Beach!

At this orientation, we will introduce participatory budgeting (PB) and the leadership roles youth can take on at the start of 2024! Attendees will be able to sign up for roles and get an overview of the PB timeline.

This event prioritizes youth attendees, but all are welcome! We encourage staff from youth-serving organizations who are interested to engage their youth leaders in this process to attend as well.

This week, the country will be celebrating the Thanksgiving story of pilgrims and natives feasting “peacefully”, but we are celebrating Feast of Resistance. Why do we say Feast of Resistance instead of Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving encompasses a narrative where it was a peaceful exchange between the European colonizers and indigenous people. It was anything but that–colonizers stole this land from them.

We emphasize Feast of Resistance to acknowledge the history and struggle faced by indigenous people, and to acknowledge our role and responsibility to resist and stand in solidarity with their communities, including the Gabrielino-Tongva nation and Palestinian people who have also gone through genocide, displacement, and whose histories have been erased. 

We extend massive gratitude to our guest speaker, Professor Cindi Alvitre, for teaching our youth about indigenous history and activism, as well as how to participate in a canoe dance! As we gather around with our loved ones, may we be reminded to always care for each other, and honor the land we are on so that the future generations can continue to heal, thrive, and stay rooted in community.

・・・
Join us in supporting Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of TransLatin@ Coalition. The Sisterhood Trust, a coalition of women of color social justice leaders, including our CEO Connie Chung Joe is urging to pardon Bamby and enable her immigration journey.

Bamby's leadership is unparalleled, making her one of the most important transgender, Latina female leaders in California, if not the country. This pardon will assist her in the process of legalizing her immigration status, allowing her to continue her invaluable work as an activist and advocate.

Sign the petition: pardonlabamby.com (link in bio)! 🌈 ✊🏽

Join us on Saturday, December 2nd from 10 AM-3 PM at the Office of Youth Development to learn about the citywide youth participatory budgeting process called Youth Power PB Long Beach!

At this orientation, we will introduce participatory budgeting (PB) and the leadership roles youth can take on at the start of 2024! Attendees will be able to sign up for roles and get an overview of the PB timeline.

This event prioritizes youth attendees, but all are welcome! We encourage staff from youth-serving organizations that are interested to engage their youth leaders in this process to attend as well.

RSVP here: bit.ly/PB2024

As descendants of refugees and survivors of genocide, the Palestinian people’s struggle towards their freedom and decolonization hits close to home. We stand in steadfast solidarity with Palestine and condemn the atrocities of genocide, state terror, and settler colonialism carried out by Israel and loyalty from the United States military.

As a youth and women-led organization, we especially extend our hearts to the children and families of Palestine. Women and children are dis-proportionately impacted from war and violence–children comprise 44% of the Palestinian population, while youth ages 18-29 comprise 22% (2022 WHO Report). As children lose the adults in their life from state violence and instability, they are left without support needed to live safe and healthy lives. We heal when we have our communities, and that is why we are reminded of our responsibility to step up for the people of Palestine and urge for all people to rise up in support.

Liberation for Palestine is liberation for us all.

Through every tradition we have in our family and culture, there’s always a reason why we celebrate. There’s also a story we have to share where we get to honor our culture, families, and ourselves. Learning and engaging in festivities like Pchum Ben connects us to our culture, our family, and our communities and it supports us with keeping our traditions alive for generations to come.

AJSOCAL, in partnership with Taco Bell, is offering Safe House, a free legal help clinic focused primarily on eviction and landlord-tenant issues, with additional assistance offered for immigration and domestic violence services. Community members in need of help can attend housing protections workshops and meet with attorneys to receive individual legal counseling in English and Asian languages.

WHEN: Saturday, October 21, 2023, from 12:30-5:00pm
WHERE: AJSOCAL’s Downtown LA Office - 1145 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Register here at: https://www.ajsocal.org/event/safe-house or through the flyer below.

・・・
Every day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day when you live on stolen land. Today especially we honor and celebrate Indigenous relatives, communities, histories, and ancestors.

We will not be liberated until our Black and Indigenous communities are.

We must remember to honor and educate ourselves on the land we are standing on. The land that must be given back to our Indigenous kin.

🖼️ by .star.designs

Join us in wishing Brandon a very Happy Birthday ✨🎂🎉

“They say that when you turn 25, the prefrontal cortex part of your brain becomes fully developed. That’s the part of your brain that regulates our thoughts, actions, and emotions.

As I officially enter my mid twenties, I look back and see how much my life has changed and how much I’ve grown from when I first turned 20. For these upcoming years, I am continuing my journey - to be more forgiving towards myself, be more intentional with my actions, and unlearn traits that aren’t conducive towards my growth.

As a filmmaker and organizer, I also hope to improve my artistry and build community with my work. I’m super excited to see what this next year brings! I can finally rent a car now!”

Ain’t no power like the power of the youth, because the power of the youth don’t stop!

KGA is hiring part-time seasonal canvassers to work from home and help educate and empower voters about key issues happening in Long Beach!

Our program begins Tuesday, October 24 and continues through Thursday, November 16. Canvassing days are every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4-8pm. Positions will be paid at $18-20/hr based on experience!

Deadline to apply is October 12, 2023. Visit our IG bio or use the link below to apply!

How can we build life-changing schools for all students? Through the power of relationship building and bridging communities across backgrounds and histories, we can transform schools into places where children and youth, families, educators, and community partners have the support needed to thrive and transform the future of California.

🍦 Ice Cream Social was a hit! 🍦
We had so much fun meeting potential new members!
We had 9th and 10th graders from Poly HS and Wilson HS come together to play games and learn about our programs
We had KGA youth leaders share their experiences, uplifting our events and opportunities and how KGA is like a family 💖
Thank you to everyone who came out!

Next Steps!
👉🏼 If you are:
- a 9th or 10th grader
- identifies as Cambodian/Southeast Asian
- attending Poly or Wilson HS
- lives in Long Beach
Apply to our KGA leadership program! Our applications close *MON, SEPT 25th*
Application link in bio! Spread the word!

👉🏼 We will be contacting applicants about acceptances to the program in 2 weeks!

・・・
No matter your sign, registering to vote is the cosmic choice! Register to vote today using the registration link in our bio!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Text reading "Horoscopes for September 19" with "Register to vote." listed as the horoscope for every zodiac sign.

・・・
Although is over, it’s still the perfect time to plan and prepare for a healthy fall and winter season. Don’t skip vaccinations. Staying up to date with your vaccines can protect you and others from serious illnesses.

✨

Where’s all the Long Beach SEA youth who wants all that and more!?
We are now recruiting new members to join our Young Women’s and Men’s Empowerment Program (YWEP) and (YWEP)!

Our program offers a safe space to express yourself, grow your leadership skills, and learn about culture +more! We also provide academic support such as college prep and tutoring.

YWEP: meet every Wednesday after-school from 4-6:30 p.m.

YMEP: meet every Thursday after-school from 4-6:30 p.m.

Interested in applying?
Apply online at www.tinyurl.com/APPLYKGA24

🪷