Celebrating Seven Years of Resilience and Progress with PIVOT!
/February 21, 2024
Dear Supporters and Friends,
As PIVOT marks its seventh birthday on February 21, 2024, we reflect on the remarkable journey we've traveled together and the impactful work we have accomplished.
Over the past seven years, PIVOT, our Vietnamese American progressive organization, has been steadfast in our commitment to advancing progressive candidates and policies that benefit Vietnamese Americans and all communities.
Some examples of our accomplishments in the past seven years include:
Growth in the numbers of Vietnamese Americans and allies who are active in PIVOT from 27 in 2017 to over 400 now.
VietAm Vote, a program to engage and empower Vietnamese American voters. Our digital advertising routinely reaches over 500,000 potential voters each election cycle.
PIVOT Fellows: this program develops and supports young Vietnamese Americans to work with local organizations to engage voters. Since 2020, we have funded 15 Fellows in Arizona, California, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In 2020, the fellows made over 2 million voter contacts.
VietCOVID and VietAm Health, a rapid response program to address COVID-19 prevention that is being expanded to other health topics. This work has been funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health.
Vietnamese language resource and media team: this provides our communities and partners with access to rapid and culturally appropriate Vietnamese language materials to reach Vietnamese Americans who do not speak or read English
Policy advocacy: we have advocated independently and with partners for immigrant and refugee rights, women’s rights, voting rights, health equity, gun control, and climate change.
Candidate support: we have a robust and successful program to support Vietnamese American and other candidates for local, state, and federal offices.
We have also taken a proactive stance in combating disinformation campaigns that target our communities. In an era where misinformation spreads like wildfire, our dedication to countering false narratives and promoting truth has been paramount. Our VietFactCheck project, a bilingual program to fight disinformation on social media, receives over 10,000 pageviews and 5,000 visitors per month. This project has been nationally recognized as a model for other targeted groups, demonstrating the importance of resilience and unity in the face of digital threats.
We recognize that 2024 will be critical for our growth as an organization and for our country. The democracy that we and our parents came to this country for is under severe threat. Racism, particularly anti-Asian hate, the proliferation of guns, the restriction on women’s rights, and the climate crisis threaten all of us and our families’ future.
As refugees and children of refugees, we are undaunted by the challenges. We understand the significance of America as a welcoming place where everyone can come and achieve their full potential. We also know firsthand the labor and risk taking needed to be free. In the face of adversity, we must continue to uphold these ideals and fight for our democracy and a more inclusive society.
As we celebrate our seventh anniversary, we invite you to join us in reaffirming our commitment to progress, unity, and justice. Your support has been instrumental in our journey thus far, and we are deeply grateful for your continued partnership.
Together, let us pivot towards a brighter future, where every voice is heard, and every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
With gratitude,
Tung Nguyen, PIVOT Founder and Board President
Want to get involved in PIVOT? See our ongoing elections work to see what you can do to help or make a donation today to support this valuable work.