NCAPA Weekly Roundup | Feb. 15 - 22, 2016 - National Council of Asian Pacific Americans

News and Updates

The time is now for an AAPI Supreme Court Justice: NCAPA and our AAPI community want to see history made with a nomination of the first AAPI Supreme Court Justice, and we also will support consideration of whomever the President nominates. Read a compilation of editorials, statements and more on the NCAPA website at bit.ly/AAPIJustice.

Reflecting on the Day of Remembrance: On Friday, we reflected on the anniversary of Executive Order 9066 that led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans. Read our statement with quotes from JACL Executive Director Priscilla Ouchida and National Director Christopher Kang. The following are reflections from NCAPA members:

Day of Remembrance – Real History, Real People: A Reflection by JACL Executive Director Priscilla Ouchida
Fighting Fear on the Day of Remembrance by Kendall Kosai of OCA
My Family’s History - Why I am an Asian American advocate by Heather Skrabak of AAPCHO
Remembering Injustice by Advancing Justice | AAJC

APIAVote holds Nevada mock caucus training: On Wednesday, APIAVote held a practice training in Las Vegas to prepare for the upcoming Republican and Democratic caucuses. The training was attended by 103 people.

NCAPA newsletter features Q&A with new chair Quyen Dinh: In our February newsletter, we highlighted our commitment to stand against anti-Muslim hate and spotlighted our new chair Quyen Dinh in a Q&A. Encourage those you know to sign up for our updates!

WHIAAPI Lunar New Year Event: Our director Christopher Kang spoke on a panel at the WHIAAPI Lunar New Year Event last Tuesday. The panel focused on the importance of arts and storytelling in our Asian American identity. Watch the full event on the White House YouTube account.

NCAPA in the News

The case for an AAPI Supreme Court Justice: NCAPA and its members published several op-eds regarding the vacancy on the Supreme Court, including Christopher Kang’s piece in MSNBC. See the full list at bit.ly/AAPIJustice.

Asian-American organizers say their votes helped Clinton secure Nevada win: Asian Americans made up four percent of Saturday’s Nevada caucus-goers, and this NBC Asian America article talks about how AAPI organizers helped bring the numbers up. NCAPA member APIAVote’s mock caucus training is mentioned in helping with education and turnout.

Take Action!

Newest:

Share your family reunification story: NCAPA’s immigration committee is collecting stories to help immigrant families by advocating for the Reuniting Families Act. Please share widely the story collection form: http://bit.ly/RFAstories

Stop Profiling Immigrants: NQAPIA’s action alert encourages you to sign a petition to tell DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson to #StopProfilingImmigrants. Learn more here.

Ongoing:

#AAPI4SentencingReform: Join us, SEARAC and APALA in urging the Senate to support the Sentencing Reform and and Corrections Act at http://bit.ly/AAPI4SentencingReformand follow the conversation on Twitter with #SentencingReform and #AAPI4SentencingReform.

OCA questionnaire on undocumented student access to higher education: OCA is gathering stories from undocumented students regarding obstacles they faced in accessing higher education. The stories will be used for Hill visits to push priorities in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act as well as in a social media campaign. Please share the questionnaire: https://ocanational.site-ym.com/?Undoc_Student_Access

NAKASEC - Stand with Adam: Sign the petition to #FreeAdam Crasper, a Korean adoptee placed in deportation proceedings.

Survey on AAPIs with disabilities: Alice Wong of the Disability Visibility Project is giving a talk at a law symposium about AAPIs with disabilities, and is collecting stories for her presentation. Please share the following survey widely: http://goo.gl/forms/gZvs2FvQ1O

Ongoing campaigns:

APIASF - “We Are Not The Same” or #NotTheSame celebrates the unique stories of AAPI students and challenges stereotypes.

NCAPIP - Screen at 23 focuses on the importance of screening for diabetes in the Asian American community, as our communities are at risk for type 2 diabetes at the body mass index of 23.

In Case You Missed It

Washington Post - Asian Americans, growing in number, struggle to emerge from political shadows: This article describes local efforts to increase civic participation for our communities.

NPR Code Switch - Photos: 3 Very Different Views of Japanese Internment: An NPR story on All Things Considered features perspectives from photographers Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams and Toyo Miyatake.

Other Announcements

New:

Nominate an honoree for AAJC’s American Courage Awards: The American Courage Awards reception is an annual event hosted by AAJC, honoring individuals, groups, and corporations in recognition of their commitment to AAPI civil rights. Honorees will receive their awards at AAJC’s 25th Anniversary Celebration on the evening of Thursday, October 6, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Nominate an honoree here. (Deadline: Tuesday, March 1)

Nominate a Champion of Change for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders: WHIAAPI and the White House will honor Champions of Change for AAPI Art and Storytelling who have raised the visibility of diverse AAPI experiences and created dialogue around issues the community faces. See the nomination blog and form here. (Deadline: Wednesday, March 9)

Ongoing:

Call for volunteers for NAKASEC: NAKASEC is seeking volunteers who are interested in engaging with the Korean & Asian American communities in Northern Virginia. Civic engagement volunteers will assist with naturalization clinics, voter registration and education activities, precinct walking, phone banking, and general voter outreach in the community. Immigrant rights volunteers will assist with DACA outreach, education, and application assistance and, potentially, for DACA+ and DAPA as well.

Call for proposals for “Know Her Truths: Advancing Justice for Women and Girls of Color” Conference in N.C.: The Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University invites proposals for a national conference focused on the lives of women and girls of color by March 1. NAPAWF’s Miriam Yeung serves on the advisory committee for the initiative this conference is a part of. Learn more.

3rd Annual Art as a Voice Call for Submissions: The Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project is looking for poetry, music, visual art, craft or objects from one’s own cultural identity as part of their annual Art as a Voice event to speak out against abuse. If you have questions or submissions, contact Marie Ramos at [email protected] by April 14. The event will take place April 21, and they are also looking for volunteers..

SABA North America Foundation Grant Applications (Deadline: March 1): SABA North America is committed to increasing the capacity of community-based organizations to respond to the legal needs and uphold the civil rights and liberties of the South Asian community and marginalized communities across North America. To foster this work, the SABA North America Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, awards grants of up to $5,000 in the following areas: Domestic Violence, Immigration Rights, Hate Crimes, Discrimination and Racial Profiling, and Community Access to Justice.

Appointments Project: The White House Presidential Personnel Office (responsible for presidential appointments) is continuing to develop slates for principal, assistant to principal and functional positions. NCAPA and APAICS continue to work with PPO in diversity outreach and are seeking individuals who are interested in an appointment positions for various levels, roles and background experience for agencies (e.g. speech writers, digital background, policy, etc.). Please help us to identify ideal appointment candidates who are AAPI. Once candidates complete the online application at https://apply.whitehouse.gov/, they should fill out this form, which will go to NCAPA and APAICS: http://goo.gl/forms/8Lnjv3G4oB

NAPABA Pro Bono General Counsel Program: This program provides AAPI organizations pro bono legal advice and counsel that they cannot afford. Get the application for organization and application for attorneys.

NCAPA Events

Tuesday, Feb. 23 @ 11:00 a.m.: Stop the Raids rally in front of White House with NAKASEC and SEARAC
Saturday, Feb. 26 - Tuesday, March 1: JACL/OCA Leadership Summit
Saturday, Feb. 27: NAKASEC Naturalization Clinic in Fairfax, VA
Wednesday, March 2 @ 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: NAPAWF - Rally to Protect Abortion Access. At U.S. Supreme Court.
Thursday, March 10 - Sunday, March 20: CAAMFest 2016 in San Francisco
Friday, March 11 - Saturday, March 12: CNHA Small Business Fundamentals for Native Entrepreneurs in Kapolei, HI
Wednesday, March 30 - Thursday, March 31: Advancing Justice Convention in Los Angeles