ACA5 Gives Californian’s Chance to Fix Sins of the Past and Share the Promise of the Golden State with All Our People

Press Contacts:
Katie Smith, Director of Communications, 323-997-2194
Ronald Simms Jr., Communications Manager, 202-270-0936

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California State Senate voted to approve ACA5, giving California voters the opportunity to remove the ban on equal opportunity, Proposition 209, allowing them to express their views about remedies for gender bias and racial disparity this November. John Kim, Executive Director of Advancement Project California, issued the following statement in response:

“This is a historic moment for California. Now, voters will have a chance to meet our current moment by reinstating affirmative action and removing the ban on equal opportunity imposed by Proposition 209. With yesterday’s, vote the people of California and our legislators have shown that they want to fix the sins of the past and build a better world where all Californians have an opportunity to thrive.

As an Asian American father, I am proud to endorse ACA 5. Many within my community worry the bill will cause harm to AAPI representation in university enrollment and other opportunities, but the reality is repealing Proposition 209 will not take away from any specific minority group; rather, it will enhance opportunities for those have been deprived of them for many generations.

Advancement Project California, along with our partners including PICO California, USC Dornsife, and California Calls, produced RACE COUNTS, a comprehensive tool that tracks racial disparities across the state. Our RACE COUNTS research shows that 76 percent of White households earn incomes above the cost-of-living-adjusted poverty rate, compared to 43 percent of Latinx households in California. Whites are roughly twice as likely as Blacks, American Indian/Alaska Natives, Pacific Islanders, and Latinxs to be employed as an official or manager. This is not an accident; it reflects the institutionalized lack of opportunity.

California has a reputation as a progressive antidote to the right-wing, racist forces in this country, yet we must also acknowledge that racism is still deeply embedded in our economy and public systems. We must now provide justice to those who have been wronged for generations and create a better and more just state that works for all people.

#

Advancement Project California is a multi-racial, multi-generational racial justice organization with expertise in research, advocacy, and policy. We work with partners and communities to expand educational opportunities for California’s children, create healthy and safe neighborhoods, ensure communities of color have a voice in our democracy, strengthen movement-building, and shift public investments toward programs that benefit all Californians—not just the privileged few.

For more information, visit www.advancementprojectca.org. Follow us on Twitter @AP_California.