JANUARY 13, 2008                                            CONTACT: Alice Siu / 650.799.6899
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Naomi Tacuyan / 202.460.2644

LAS VEGAS, NV—In heeding Asian American and Pacific Islander community leaders call constant call for increased outreach to Nevada’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population, the Democratic party has responded with a rally addressing local and national AAPI issues. The rally, with Nevada’s very own Senator Harry Reid and Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (NV-01), and Congressman Mike Honda, will be held today at Las Vegas’ Chinatown.

“We’ve conducted outreach to both the Democratic and Republican parties to make them aware of the AAPI community’s presence and growing political participation,” said Vida Benavides, chair of APIAVote. “The Nevada caucuses are historic in that the unprecedented AAPI vote could sway the caucus outcome, and it is important for parties to understand that we are not going away—our voice as a community will only get stronger.”

A once emerging AAPI community in Nevada is now a key electorate in Nevada. AAPIs are the fastest growing population in Clark County, Nevada. Asian Americans comprise 8% of the county’s population, while Pacific Islanders are now 1% of the county’s population.

There are approximately 130,000 Asian Americans and 17,000 Pacific Islanders in Clark County. AAPIs reside in Spring Valley, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Summerlin, Southwest Nevada, Las Vegas, Henderson, and Winchester.

Nevada Democratic State Party Rally Information
WHAT:        AAPI Press Conference and Rally
WHO:        Nevada Senator Harry Reid, Nevada Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (Dist. 1),
California Congressman Mike Honda (Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC))
WHY:        Sen. Reid and Reps. Berkley and Honda will address AAPI issues in a
press conference and rally leading up to NV’s Presidential Caucus
WHEN:    Monday, January 14, 2008, 4:00pm to 7:00pm
WHERE:    4255 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV

For Republican AAPI and minority outreach efforts, please contact Julie Herford, Outreach Director for the Nevada Republican Party at 702.258.9182. For information regarding caucus involvement with your party, please contact the following:
    Nevada Republican Party     www.nvgopcaucus.com    phone: 702.258.9182
    Nevada Democratic Party    www.nvdemscaucus.com     phone: 702.737.8683
    
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is a national non-partisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the electoral and public policy processes at the national, state and local levels. For more information, please visit http://www.apiavote.org.