FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-, FEBRUARY 7, 2026
CONTACT: Grace Pai – gpai@advancingjustice-chicago.org, 224-289-5291
SKOKIE, IL (February 7, 2026) –
On February 7, the Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) Coalition hosted an educational, nonpartisan candidate forum for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, providing community members an opportunity to hear directly from candidates on key policy issues affecting Asian American and immigrant communities.
Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial demographic in Illinois, with 70,000 Asian American residents in IL-09 alone. Comprised of 19 Asian American advocacy and direct-service organizations across Chicagoland, the PAVE Coalition works to empower Asian American communities through civic engagement and policy change.
The forum featured seven candidates running for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District seat. All candidates who raised at least $500,000 were invited to participate. Candidates in attendance included: Kat Abughazaleh, School District 73.5 Board Member Bushra Amiwala, Phil Andrew, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, Jeff Cohen, state Senator Laura Fine, and state Representative Hoan Huynh.
Questions were posed by five community members representing HANA Center, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, Muslim Civic Coalition, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, and South Asian Policy and Research Institute. Candidates addressed community-focused priorities, including:
- Federal immigration policy
- Medicaid and Medicare access
- Language access in federal programs and services
- Addressing anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment
- Protecting and strengthening safety net benefits
More than 200 community members attended the forum. To ensure language access and broad participation, live interpretation was provided in four different languages: Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, and Korean.
“Asian Americans are not an apolitical community. However, systemic barriers, like language access, have stopped elections from being accessible to all. The PAVE Coalition’s goal is to empower Asian Americans and immigrants to make their voices heard through civic engagement and advocacy efforts.” – Anooshka Gupta, Organizing Manager at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago and IL-09 resident
With Congresswoman Schakowsky’s retirement, the PAVE Coalition saw an opportunity to have candidates directly engage with our communities and hear about the issues most important to Asian Americans in the district.
“Coming from a Korean immigrant family, I know how difficult it can be for our community’s elders to access accurate information and U.S. political processes without language support! There are almost 8,000 Korean American voters in IL-09, so the forum was a great opportunity for our community to listen, learn, and have a voice in our district.” – Hannah Jon, Civic Engagement Coordinator at HANA Center and resident of IL-09
“Except for Native Americans, everyone has an immigrant story from recent years to hundreds of years ago. Our ancestors and families came to the United States in search of better lives, opportunity, and democracy. PAVE demonstrates our united spirit and collective power in wanting to see candidates who truly represent our diverse populations across the region. We want to see forward thinking, thoughtful and effective officials represent us in all levels of government.” – Rhea Yap, Executive Director, Chinese Mutual Aid Association
The PAVE Coalition will continue to provide nonpartisan voter education and language-accessible resources ahead of the upcoming primaries on March 17, 2026. Eligible voters are encouraged to check their registration status or register to vote by February 17. In both Chicago and Cook County, all early voting sites open on March 3. On Election Day, you can vote at any of these early voting sites or your assigned precinct. For more information, visit Cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections for suburban Cook County residents and Chicagoelections.gov for Chicago residents.
Please see photos attached and below (photo credit: Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment Coalition). For additional and/or high definition photos, please reach out to Grace Pai at gpai@advancingjustice-chicago.org or 224-289-5291.
PAVE Coalition Members:
Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment
Apna Ghar
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
Cambodian Association of Illinois
Chinese American Service League
Chinese Mutual Aid Association
Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community
Hamdard Health Alliance
HANA Center
Hanul Family Alliance
Indo-American Center
Japanese American Citizens League – Chicago
Japanese American Service Committee
KAN-WIN
Lao American Organization of Elgin
Muslim Civic Coalition
Rizal Center/Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago
South Asian American Policy and Research Institute
Vietnamese Association of Illinois
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Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and grassroots organizing to achieve racial equity. Our work centers immigrant justice, education equity, and community-led democracy. Learn more at www.advancingjustice-chicago.org.