New Mexico Asian Family Center

CONTENTS

1. Principle

2. Systems Of Oppression

3. Theory of Change

4. Organization

5. Our Message

PRINCIPLES

OUR SERVICES ASPIRE TO BE: • HEALING CENTERED •SURVIVOR CENTERED •TRAUMA INFORMED • CULTURALLY INFORMED • HOLISTIC • FAMILY FOCUSED •ROOTED IN BELIEF OF THE PERSON

• OUR COMMUNITY ALWAYS COMES FIRST: WE ARE STEWARDS OF THEIR TRUST AND WE PUT THEM ABOVE AND BEYOND ANY OUTSIDE RELATIONSHIP.
• WE REQUIRE CONSENT TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY.
• WE START FROM A PLACE OF TRUST AND RESPECT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
• HOW WE REPRESENT OUR SELVES MATTERS BECAUSE WE ARE TRUSTED MESSENGERS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
• WE CENTER CREATING SPACE FOR THE API COMMUNITY BUT WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT OTHERS AS ABLE.
• OUR RELATIONSHIPS SHOULD BE RECIPROCAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL - NEVER TRANSACTIONAL.

RELATIONS

• WE MUST ASK: WHAT RISKS ARE WE WILLING TO TAKE?
• OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES MUST ALIGN WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS, WITHOUT COMPROMISING SAFE SPACE.
• SAFETY FOR OUR STAFF IS TOP PRIORITY.
• OUR SERVICES MUST BE MISSION-ALIGNED, AND OUR TEAM MUST HAVE THE CAPACITY AND SKILLS TO DO IT.
• WE START WITH WARM REFERRALS TO THOSE WHO HAVE MORE CAPACITY AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL’S NEEDS.
• WE MUST WORK TO HOLD SYSTEMS ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICES TO THE API COMMUNITY.

SERVICE

PRINCIPLES

POWER

• WE ALWAYS OPERATE FROM A PLACE OF POWER.COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT SHOULD HONOR AND UPLIFT THE VOICES OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED.
• WE RELY EQUALLY ON COMMUNITY WISDOM AND DATA ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND AND SOLVE ISSUES OF EQUITY.
• WE MUST REGULARLY ASK OURSELVES WHAT WE STAND TO LOSE - OR NOT - WHEN DECIDING ON POLICY SOLUTIONS.
• WE ALWAYS INCLUDE A POWER ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY IN OUR DECISION MAKING.
• WE BUILD LEADERS AS WE BUILD POWER.
• WE HOLD OUR ELECTED LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE.

CULTURE

• OUR CULTURE IS NEVER FOR CONSUMPTION.
• WE ALWAYS COMPENSATE PEOPLE FOR THE TIME THEY TAKE TO SHARE OUR CULTURE.
• WE SHARE CULTURE WITH PARTNERS WE TRUST AND SHOW UP FOR US.
• WE ONLY ENGAGE IN CULTURE TO UNIFY, NEVER DIVIDE.
• WE ENGAGE IN CULTURE ONLY TO EXPAND AND UPLIFT THE NARRATIVE WE WANT, AND DISMANTLE THE FALSE NARRATIVES.
• WE SUPPORT AND FOSTER SPACES THAT ALLOW FOR CULTURE AUTHENTICITY AND SAFETY.
• WE RELY ON COMMUNITY - BASED KNOWLEDGE WHEN ENGAGING IN CULTURAL WORK.

COMMUNITY

• WE HONOR HISTORIES AND KNOWING WHAT CAME BEFORE US.
• WE INVEST IN HELPING PEOPLE DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL & COLLECTIVE POWER.
• WE REGULARLY EVALUATE AND ASSESS OUR PRIORITIES SO AS TO NOT COMPROMISE OUR CORE WORK (AND PLAN AHEAD TO AVOID DOING SO.)
• DECISION-MAKING SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT & COMMUNICATED IN A TIMELY WAY, AND WE SHOULD HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION

UNDERSTADNING THE ORIGINS OF THE PROBLEMS WE EXPERIENCE HELPS US FOCUS ON ADDRESSING THEM AT THE SYSTEMIC LEVEL WHILE HELPING OUR COMMUNITY DEAL WITH THEIR IMPACTS.

SYMPTOMS

• LACK OF SERVICES FOR API FOLKS
• GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
• POLITICAL UNDERREPRESENTATION
• PREVENTABLE DISEASE

• ADDICTION
• TOKENIZATION
• POVERTY
• HOUSING INSECURITY
• UNEMPLOYMENT

• API LANGUAGE EXCLUSION
• ANTI-IMMIGRANT POLICIES
• COMMUNITY FRAGMENTATION
• FALSE NARRATIVES OF API FOLKS
• APPROPRIATION OF OUR CULTURES

CAUSES

• XENOPHOBIA
• HISTORICAL TRAUMA
• VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT
• NEGLECT OF API FAMILIES
• MONEY IN POLITICS
• GOVERNMENT NEGLECT

• COLONIZATION
• WHITE SUPREMACY
• RACISM
• CLASSISM
• STEREOTYPES
• ISLAMOPHOBIA
• COLONIZATION

• MEN’S FRAGILITY
• MEN EXERTING CONTROL
• GENDER SOCIALIZATION
• PRESERVATION OF PATRIACRCHY
• FEAR AND INTIMIDATION
• IMPERIAL WARS

THEORY OF CHANGE

A UNIFIED, VISIBLE AND THRIVING ASIAN COMMUNITY IN NEW MEXICO.

SERVICE

WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE BE EMPOWERED, HEAL FROM TRAUMA, AND ENSURE THEIR MOST BASIC NEEDS ARE MET.

RELATIONS

WE PRIORITIZE EARNING THE TRUST AND RESPECT OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS BECAUSE OUR WORK IS FOUNDED ON STRONG RELATIONSHIPS.

CULTURE

WE CELEBRATE OUR ROOTS AND IDENTITIES, KNOWING THAT OUR CULTURAL EXPERIENCES AND VALUES HELP US BUILD A BETTER FUTURE.

POWER

TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND JUSTICE, WE HELP FAMILIES ORGANIZE TO INFLUENCE DECISION-MAKERS, CHANGE LAWS, AND FIX BROKEN SYSTEMS.

COMMUNITY

WE CREATE SPACES TO FOSTER A STRONG PAN-ASIAN COMMUNITY THROUGH LEARNING, VOLUNTEERING, AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

ORGANIZATION

OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES CREATING A PAN-ASIAN COMMUNITY THAT ADVOCATES FOR AND SUPPORTS ITSELF.

NMAFC IS THE ONLY SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY IN NEW MEXICO THAT TAILORS ITS SERVICES TO THE ASIAN POPULATION

COMMUNITY BUILDING

VIOLENCE PREVENTION

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

HEALTH SERVICES

INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT

ORGANIZING AND ADVOCACY

OUR MESSAGE

NEW MEXICO ASIAN FAMILY CENTER

WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN CRISES OR NEED IMMEDIATE HELP...

NM ASIAN FAMILY CENTER HELPS THEM GET THE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO BE EMPOWERED AND HEAL.

WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO BE PART OF A GROUP THAT IS WELCOMING, SAFE, AND SUPPORTIVE...

NM ASIAN FAMILY CENTER CREATES SPACES FOR LEARNING, VOLUNTEERING AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS TO BUILD A UNIFIED PAN-ASIAN COMMUNITY.

WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO STAND UP FOR EQUALITY, JUSTICE, CIVIL RIGHTS,AND DEMOCRACY...

NM ASIAN FAMILY CENTER HELPS FAMILIES ORGANIZE TO INFLUENCE DECISION MAKERS, CHANGE LAWS ANDFIX BROKEN SYSTEMS IN GOVERNMENT.