NCAPA Weekly Roundup | March 3 - 10, 2017 - National Council of Asian Pacific Americans

The latest AAPI news from NCAPA and its coalition members.

UPDATES

NCAPA, Members Condemn Recent and Rising Hate Violence

Today, March 10, at 3:30 p.m., join Members of Congress, NCAPA and partner organizations for a vigil to honor victims of hate violence in South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, and Arab American communities nationwide. The vigil is organized by NCAPA member South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).
NCAPA and its members extended condolences to the victims and families of the Olathe, Kansas, hate crime shooting, and called for justice in this tragedy.
The WKKF “America Healing Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative,” a partnership of 12 national organizations dedicated to racial equity, released a joint statement addressing the inadequacy of President Trump’s response to hate crimes. NCAPA and member APIAHF are part of this collaborative.
Muslim Advocates sent a letter, joined by NCAPA, NAPABA and SABA North America, to the Olathe Mayor calling for a full investigation.
SALDEF and SABA responded to a shooting in Kent, Washington, where a Sikh man was injured in the driveway of his home after allegedly being told, “Go back to your country.”
JACL released a statement condemning recent threats against the Jewish community.

NCAPA Urges Congress to Protect Our Health Care

NCAPA opposes the House Republican Affordable Care Act repeal proposal, which threatens access to health care for our communities. NCAPA health committee co-chairs APIAHF and AAPCHO also issued responses. Also, the National Coalition of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP), as part of a coalition of minority physician councils, sent a letter to HHS Secretary Tom Price urging him to support and maintain the Office of Minority Health.

NCAPA Condemns Muslim Ban 2.0 as Un-American

NCAPA and 12 of its member organizations denounced President Trump’s second Muslim ban executive order that continues to target Muslims by restricting travel from six predominantly Muslim nations and reduces the number of refugees accepted into the U.S. At least five states are challenging the ban. On Thursday, the NCAPA immigration committee hosted a press call about this ban with Senator Mazie Hirono and Representatives Judy Chu and Pramila Jayapal.

International Women’s Day and AAPI Equal Pay Day

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and several organizations committed to women’s equality raised awareness about the wage and gender gap for AAPI women March 7 for Asian American and Pacific Islander Equal Pay Day. On International Women’s Day, NAPAWF released its report addressing these wage disparities.

NCAPA Responds to President Trump's Address to Joint Session of Congress

NCAPA responded to the president’s address to the joint session of Congress. Though the president promised a message of unity, he delivered more of the same anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies that seek to divide us.

The Emerging Needs of AAPI Older Adults

The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) released a new report based on listening sessions conducted over the past year about the needs of AAPI older adults, including issues of invisibility and access to services.

NQAPIA Joins ACLU in Supreme Court to Defend Transgender Students and Expresses Outrage at Hearing Denial

The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) joined the ACLU to file an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Gloucester County School Board v. G.G, a case that challenges a school board’s resolution that explicitly discriminates against transgender students based on sex regarding the use of school restrooms. While the case will be returned to the lower courts, NQAPIA pledged to continue defending people of transgender experience, especially students and young people.

National CAPACD Urges HUD Secretary Carson to Support Our Communities & Neighborhoods

The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development urged Secretary Ben Carson to address critical housing challenges faced by AAPIs and other communities of color and to support enforcement of the Fair Housing Act.

Cambodian Deportation Halted Due to Groundswell of Community Support

Thanks to community support and help from the Southeast Asia Resource Center (SEARAC), long-term Minnesota resident Ched Nin was released from being detained by ICE.

APALA and OCA Denounce Racially Charged Rhetoric, including Use of “Orientals”

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) denounced the recent racist rhetoric made by Representative Mike Bost and incumbent Mundelein trustee Dawn Abernathy in two separate incidents. OCA also condemned Rep. Bost for using the term “orientals.”

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum applauds reintroduction of the Women’s Health Protection Act

NAPAWF supports the reintroduction of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), which would create federal protections against state restrictions that interfere with a patient’s personal decision-making and access to legal abortion care.

Hirono Leads Resolution Commemorating 75th Anniversary of Japanese American Internment

NCAPA supported a resolution led by Senator Mazie Hirono marking the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, to affirm the policies that discriminate basis of actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion would repeat the mistakes of the internment.

NCAPA IN THE NEWS

NAPAWF's Interim Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow wrote an opinion piece about how immigration actions under the Trump administration leave immigrant women vulnerable and unsafe. (Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Rewire)

NAPAWF’s facts about equal pay for Asian-American women debunk the harmful model minority myth. (Daily Kos)

ACTION ALERTS & RESOURCES

Stop Neil Gorsuch

Call your senators now (202-224-3121) and tell them to #StopGorsuch in his nomination to be a Supreme Court Justice.

President Trump and Attorney General Sessions: Condemn Hate Violence and Withdraw Anti-Immigrant and Anti-Muslim Executive Orders

Sign the Asian Americans Advancing Justice petition

Fair Housing: Shared Opportunity in Every Community Campaign

National CAPACD is raising awareness about housing discrimination. If you believe you may be a victim of housing discrimination, contact HUD at hud.gov/fairhousing. Support the campaign on social media using #FairHousing

NAKASEC’s Immigrant Rapid Response Plan

-Share and use this number for families with immigration questions: 1-844-500-DACA or 1-844-500-3222 (Assistance available in Korean & English)

-Know Your Rights materials and trainings in Korean and English.
-The Dream Show webisode series on YouTube shares policy updates and episodes are produced in Korean.

Share your FAFSA experience

Take SEARAC’S FAFSA Survey to help inform policymakers how to better support first-generation AAPI students with limited English proficiency in completing the FAFSA.

Track hate incidents and view their databases

South Asian Americans Leading Together | Asian Americans Advancing Justice | OCA National | Southern Poverty Law Center | Muslim Advocates

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Fox News is ‘open and agreeable’ to stories that accurately reflect Asian Americans. This is a follow-up to a meeting NCAPA attended with Fox News, led by the Asian American Journalists Association. (Erik Wemple, Washington Post)

Opinion: Can Trump’s South Asian Appointees Be Anything More Than Diversity Politics? (Deepa Iyer and Eesha Pandit, NBC Asian America)

CAPAC reissues meeting request with President Trump (Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus)

Four Asian-American Women You Didn't Learn About in School (Lakshmi Gandhi, NBC Asian America)

AAJA Joins 80 Journalism Groups In Support of Press Freedom (Asian American Journalists Association)

Asian Americans are the poorest minority group in New York City (Khier Casino, NextShark)

EVENTS

Friday, March 10 @ 3:30 p.m.: Vigil to honor hate violence victims. U.S. Capitol. (Organized by SAALT, co-sponsored by NCAPA and SALDEF, joined by Reps. Jayapal, Bera and Crowley.)

Saturday, March 11 @ 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.: Citizenship Application Workshop. Rockville, Md. (AAJC and the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center)

Saturday, March 11 @ 6:00 - 10:30 p.m.: NQAPIA Community Catalyst Awards Celebration. D.C.

Saturday, March 11 @ 6:00 p.m.: CAAMFest Opening Night. San Francisco.

Wednesday, March 22 @ 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.: AAPI Aging Networking @ ASA Hosted by NAPCA-Sponsored by AARP & Health Mart. Chicago.

Saturday, March 25: APAICS Young Leaders Summit & Community Reception. Boston.

Friday, April 21 - Sunday, April 23: Hmong National Development Conference. Milwaukee.

Friday, April 21 - Monday, April 24: National South Asian Summit 2017. D.C.

Thursday, July 13 - Sunday, July 16: 14th Annual SABA North America Convention. D.C.