POLICY & ADVOCACY
Rising Voices advocates at the local, state, and federal levels for progressive policy change that advances Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Michigan. We work in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities and other marginalized groups to ensure that public officials are responsive to the needs and voices of our communities.
Current Policy & Advocacy Work
TEACH MI HISTORY
Teach MI History is a statewide coalition of parents, students, educators, and community members advocating for an inclusive K-12 history curriculum in our public schools. Research shows that students learn better and feel more confident when they see themselves reflected in what they study.
At the end of June of 2025, the Teach MI History bill package was reintroduced in both the House (HB 4687-4689) and Senate (SB 453-455). The package includes three bills: a curriculum bill, a professional development bill, and an advisory board bill. The package covers seven ethnic and cultural groups in the state of Michigan:
-
Asian American and Pacific Islander;
-
Black American;
-
European American
-
Indigenous People;
-
Jewish American
-
Latin American, Hispanic American, and Caribbean American;
-
Middle Eastern, North African, and Chaldean American
While the Teach MI History coalition works to pass the bill package this year in the state legislature, we need your help to advocate in our local communities and school districts! Join us in advocating for local school board resolutions in support of an inclusive curriculum. Scan the QR code to sign our petition and join the coalition.
_edited.png)
ALIEN LAND LAWS
In May of 2025, the Michigan House passed House Bills 4233 and 4234, which are modern-day “Alien Land Laws” that echo the racist policies once used to stop Chinese and Japanese Americans from owning land in the United States. These bills unfairly target immigrants, especially Asian Americans, by banning people from seven “countries of concern”—including China—from buying agricultural land and property near key facilities (i.e. cell towers) and military bases in Michigan. Rising Voices testified against the bills before the House Government Operations committee, and held a virtual briefing in April of 2025 to inform the community on the effects these bills will have for the state of Michigan. You can watch the full recording below.
For more information on the bills, you can visit our Alien Land Laws toolkit at bit.ly/MiALLToolkit. As the bills are currently awaiting a committee hearing in the Michigan Senate, you can let your State Senator know you are against these bills and urge them to OPPOSE Alien Land Laws in Michigan by visiting bit.ly/MiALLAction or scan the QR code.
COTTAGE FOOD LAW
House Bill 4122 aims to modernize Michigan’s cottage food laws (prepared in a home kitchen) and expand economic opportunities for small food entrepreneurs. This bill raises the income cap from $25,000to $50,000, allows for online sales and third party deliveries, and lets businesses use a registration number instead of a home address to better protect sellers’ privacy.
Rising Voices has been working with local at-home bakeries to support this effort, and provided oral testimony in support of House Bill 4122 during the House Agriculture Committee hearing in March of 2025. Since then, the bill has passed through the House with bipartisan support and now awaits a Senate hearing. You can read our full testimony in support of the bill below.
.png)
ADOPTEE CITIZENSHIP ACT RESOLUTION
Rising Voices is working to introduce a policy resolution in the Michigan Legislature urging Congress to support policies that will help children of U.S. citizens adopted legally outside of the United States complete their citizenship paperwork. Many adoptees adopted from abroad spend their lives believing they are full U.S. citizens. While the Child Citizenship Act passed in 2000 was meant to fix this issue,there are still loopholes that were not completely addressed under this act. This leaves many adoptees and their families in limbo.
Most adoptees don't realize they are not U.S.citizens, until they go to apply for a passport, driver's license, etc. As they look for documents to prove that they are in fact a U.S. citizen, they realize the items proving them to be one, are nowhere to be found. This creates many unnecessary barriers for adoptees who have spent their entire lives in the United States under the impression they are citizens. The biggest obstacle some may face is deportation – without the proof of citizenship, they are labeled as living in the U.S. illegally. We shouldn't be tearing families apart due to a government clerical error. Instead we should be working to fix it.
While Rising Voices understands that this is an issue that cannot be fixed at the state level, we MUST urge Congress to take action to protect adoptees who are stateless because of this issue.
INVEST IN MI KIDS
Rising Voices is proud to be supporting Invest in MI Kids, a proposed 2026 ballot initiative to amend the Michigan Constitution so the wealthiest pay their fair share in taxes. Michigan’s flat income tax of 4.25% means billionaires pay the same rate as working families. (How is that fair?!) This proposal would add a 5% surtax on income for those making over $500,000 for individuals and over $1 million for couples. The goal is to raise $1 billion a year to invest back into our public schools.
By doing this, we can get more resources into classrooms without raising taxes on the majority of Michiganders who are already struggling to get by. Rising Voices is committed to working with partner organizations and community members to collect signatures to ensure that the proposal is on the ballot in November of 2026. Join us to learn more and how you can become a signature gatherer.
WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED
LANGUAGE ACCESS
Immigrants are the primary driving force for population growth in Michigan, especially Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, which are the fastest-growing racial group in the state and country. We are advocating for comprehensive language access at all levels of government to lower barriers to accessing public services for Michiganders with limited English proficiency. Language access is a crucial step in providing equitable access for all Americans, enabling them to participate more fully as residents and contribute to our state.
With the help of community advocacy, the Michigan Legislature passed the Meaningful Language Access to State Services Act, and Governor Whitmer signed it into law in December of 2023. This is a huge win for all immigrant communities! This landmark legislation is the first comprehensive language access law in Michigan, and it would positively impact over 300,000 Michiganders who are limited English proficient (LEP) and lift the burden off of many children of immigrants and loved ones. The law requires state agencies to provide sufficient in-person and other oral interpretation and translation of vital documents to LEP residents.
Read our joint press release with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center applauding the passage of this landmark legislation:
REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
The AAPI community’s record turnout was instrumental in the passage of Proposal 3 in 2022 which enshrined the fundamental right to reproductive healthcare under the Michigan Constitution. But we are not stopping there! Rising Voices and our coalition partners across the state are working to repeal antiquated laws and medically unnecessary abortion restrictions to ensure that people are free to make their own healthcare decisions without political interference.
LGBTQ RIGHTS
Rising Voices stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan and across the country. We work closely with partner organizations to fight alongside the queer, trans, and non-binary community in Michigan to condemn hate, discrimination, and violence in any form, as attacks come down from both the federal and state level. We must also reject any attempts to erase LGBTQ+ voices, identities, and experiences.
