The Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) is encouraging efforts to promote mental health awareness in Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Mental health is essential to overall well-being, yet research shows that APIs are less likely to seek help for mental health issues due to social stigma, linguistic and cultural disconnects, and lack of access to health care. CAPAA encourages community conversations to promote dialogue and to raise awareness about mental health issues among APIs in observance of Mental Health Awareness in Communities of Color Month. The Commission believes that reducing the stigma around mental health issues is key in increasing the number of APIs who seek treatment. [...]

The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs welcomes Olyvia Salter as a Ruth Woo Fellow for 2018. The fellowship is a unique opportunity for currently enrolled students to learn about policymaking in government and to gain experience working in the Governor’s Office. Fellows will learn about the late Ruth Woo’s commitment to social justice and meet mentors connected to her legacy. Olyvia is a junior at the University of Washington Tacoma majoring in Law and Policy with a minor in Human Rights studies. After recently traveling to Banjul, The Gambia for winter quarter and interning for Fatoumatta Naji, a member of the Gambian parliament, Olyvia applied for the fellowship opportunity, [...]

The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs issued the following statement regarding today’s Supreme Court decision on a travel ban impacting Muslim-majority nations and the federal government’s use of Hirabayashi v. United States as the basis for its legal argument in a recent case. “CAPAA joins Gov. Inslee in expressing our commitment to a state that upholds the values of diversity and inclusion and is welcoming to all people. We express our disdain regarding today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upholds the president’s travel ban policy. “The Commission believes the use of national security to exclude and discriminate against a group of people based on their country of origin, culture, [...]

Today is day 36 of the 2017 legislative session. Nearly 2,000 bills and resolutions have been introduced. Legislators are busy this week holding public hearings on bills to meet two upcoming deadlines on February 17 and February 24 for bills to be approved by policy and fiscal committees. Legislation CAPAA is tracking the following proposed legislation that may be of interest to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. To participate in the legislative process, visit our website or call 1-800-562-6000 to leave a message for your elected officials. For more information, visit www.leg.wa.gov. Civil Rights & Justice Compliance with the federal REAL ID act (HB 1041 Clibborn / SB 5008 [...]

Updated April 17, 2017 The UW’s American Ethnic Studies Department was successful in its search process and will bring on two new faculty. AES will begin the process to request authorization to conduct a third faculty search next academic year. Updated February 17, 2017 The Department of American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington is in the process of hiring two tenure-track faculty specializing in Asian American Studies (AAS). The AAS Search Committee has invited seven semi-finalists for campus visits to meet with students and community members. The Commission urges participation during these campus visits to ensure public input is included in the hiring process. Last year, in response to [...]

"A champion fighter for social justice and equity, Alan Sugiyama helped define the Asian American civil rights movement in Seattle in the late 1960s and 1970s. From education, to the media, and government, he fought to ensure Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were included in all aspects of our community. As a student leader, the first Asian American elected to the Seattle School Board, and chair and a member of the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition, he held administrators, police chiefs, and mayors accountable to serving the unique needs of our communities. "Al was a visionary in tackling systemic disparities, particularly in the lack of representation and upward mobility for AAPIs [...]