16. How to Create Real Change by Getting Involved with Local and State Immigration Policies – Shiu-Ming Cheer from the California Immigrant Policy Center

On the 16th episode of Immigration Today! Angeline Chen interviews Shiu-Ming Cheer. Shiu-Ming is the Deputy Director of Programs and Campaigns at the California Immigrant Policy Center. They are a constituent-based, statewide immigrant rights organization that promotes and protects safety, health and public benefits and integration programs for immigrants. They are one of the few organizations that effectively combines legislative and policy advocacy, strategic communications, organizing and capacity building to pursue its mission. Shiu-Ming graduated from U.C. Berkeley and from the Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law.  Shiu-Ming has received awards for her community and legal work from the National Lawyers Guild – LA and the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition.

In this podcast, Shiu-Ming goes into detail about how she became involved in immigrant rights as a young college graduate. She migrated to America at the young age of 2 and has over 25 years of experience in immigrant rights and social justice issues. The California Immigrant Policy Center came about because of draconian anti-immigration laws in 1996 that made it impossible for immigrants to access public health benefits. The Center has had victories such as playing a huge role in securing driver's licenses for everyone regardless of immigration status. They also pushed for the CA Values Act in 2017 (SB 54) which prevents state and local law enforcement agencies from using their resources on behalf of federal immigration enforcement agencies. All of this has been influential to the progression of support that other states begin to show toward immigrants.

If you are listening to this episode, you can make a difference in the way these policies play out at your local level. If you are a registered voter or simply a citizen in your city, you have the power to call on your local and state representatives and urge them to support policies that protect immigrants. You can also engage any organization that accepts volunteers for direct action such as the California Immigration Policy Center itself. Please follow CIPC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Most importantly, consider donating here or sign up for the email alerts on their webpage.

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