Here is a comprehensive report of CAPAA Commissioners’ activities between the months of January and March 2016:

Commissioner Cabusao:

  • January 27: Attended an Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC) Yakima Civic Engagement Leadership meeting.
    • Disaggregation of our API students and voter populations were discussed. The group identified that research is needed on school admission forms and procedures so that we can understand better the present system/procedures as well as take a look at the data schools are tracking. Two committees were formed:
      • The Student Registration Process Committee will go on-site to meet school administration in Yakima and other school districts to better understand their registration forms and procedures.  The research will also involve where and how their data is entered.
      • The State Student Data Research Committee will search the Dept. of Education database and other data sites to locate where and how our API students are listed.
    • Voter Registration and Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaigns will be on-going.  A GOTV calendar will be kept so we will know where we need to be!
    • Participated in the above group discussion on how we can engage our API community to become registered voters and the significance of voting as a right so their voices can be heard and also exercise their civic duty.
  • February 4: Attended an APIC Yakima Civic Engagement Leadership meeting. The group discussed how to identify API students in the Yakima Valley School Districts and comparing API data in the state database. Increased the group’s awareness on how CAPAA supports these activities as part of the commission’s strategic plan.
  • March 17: Attended APIC Roundtable Leadership Discussion and handed out business cards. The Student Registration Process Committee and the State Student Data Research Committee reported on the progress of their respective research.  The Assistant Superintendent and a principal from the Wapato School district were also present to provide information on their registration process, how the student’s ethnicity is identified, etc.  The group asked how we can help our challenged API students improve their school performance. The Assistant Superintendent and one of the principals who for the first time attended the meeting were informed of the mission of CAPAA. Invited them to the CAPAA meeting in June.

Commissioner Dickinson:

  • January 22: Attended Asian Bar Association of Washington Board Retreat in Fall City, WA.
  • January 24: Met with Judge from Utsunomiya District Court, discussing issues of courts/law and the judiciary in Japan, and how they send visiting judges to study abroad to learn about other judicial systems. Judicial College, Bellevue WA.
  • February 5: Met with NAPABA leaders (National Asian Pacific American Bar Association) in San Diego.
  • February 11: Attended Asian Bar Association of Washington monthly board meeting.
  • March 6: Keynote speaker at JACL Nikkei Appreciation Luncheon in Spokane. Honored our Issei and Nisei elders. Spoke about CAPAA and our legislative priorities.

Commissioner Dinh:

  • January 20: AAPI MH panelist at S. Seattle college, represented CAPAA
  • February 20: Workshop presenter at MH Summit at UW. Represented CAPAA.
  • March 6: Meeting with Vietnamese community leaders regarding issues and needs of VN community. Represented CAPAA.
  • Ongoing: Research and review existing literature on AAPI Health and MH needs, continue working on community needs assessment.

Commissioner Finau:

  • February 10: Guest speaker at a University of Washington Medical Anthropology class. The topic was on cultures throughout the South Pacific’s different systems of meaning to describe and respond to illness, relationship to cultural beliefs and practices in connection with health.
  • March 8: Keynote speaker at Tukwila School District Student Leadership Diversity: Cultural Appreciation vs Cultural Appropriation. Conference joined by high schools in their league – Renton, Lindberg, Cleveland, Tyee, Highline, Evergreen, and Hazen.
  • March 15: Speak at Bethel School District’s Diversity Partnership community meeting to promote greater understanding of multiculturalism throughout the school system.

Commissioner Gaur:

  • March 3: Met with the Executive Director, Michael Itti, to discuss strategies to implement the CAPAA strategic plan.

Commissioner Gurung:

  • Meetings with Nepalese Small Business owners
  • Informed the community about the World Language Credit program and helped them to understand Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying.
  • The community started a Nepali Language School in the University District.
  • March 5: Meeting with Executive Director, Michael Itti, to discuss CAPAA strategic goals.

Commissioner Khamshitsang: No activities to report.

Commissioner Pen:

  • Gave five presentations on “If You Don’t Have Electricity” and talked about preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. Distributed translated materials to various Asian Pacific Islander communities.
    • 115 Cambodian seniors (2/9)
    • 170 Korean seniors (2/10)
    • 85 Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino seniors (2/11)
    • 21 Samoan seniors (2/12)
    • 55 Vietnamese seniors (2/22)
  • February 13: Attended the Asian Lincoln Business District’s New Year.
  • February 13: Attended the Asian Pacific Cultural Center 18th Annual New Year Celebration at the Tacoma Dome.
  • February 13: Met with Dr. Anthony Chen, Executive Director of the Pierce County Health Department; Theresa Pan, Executive Director of the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation; Minh-Anh Hodge from Tacoma School District; East Asia business owner; Mr. Zha Liyou, Deputy Consul General of The Peoples of China.
  • February 23: Attended the grand opening of the Concerto Health Office in Lakewood.
  • March 4: Attended the Chinese Reconciliation Project.
  • Gave 5 presentations with Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson on “How to Register to Vote.” Distributed translated materials to various Asian Pacific Islander communities and helped them fill out the forms.
    • 60 Vietnamese seniors (3/7)
    • 115 Cambodian seniors (3/8)
    • 168 Korean seniors (3/17)
    • 80 Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino seniors (3/18)
    • 25 Samoan seniors (3/19)

Commissioner Sinclair:

  • February 4: Attended a Pierce County Community Health Worker’s meeting. Heard advocacy for financial support of community health workers in health care settings for mental health and chronic disease management. Discussed how some organizations and communities are supporting Community Health Workers (CHW) to reach more individuals with health needs, and how the efforts of CHWs can help reduce health disparities.
  • February 22: Shadowed Senator McCoy in Olympia and attended several Committee meetings as they discussed bills. Observed the Government Operations Committee, the Open Pathways “People of Color” panel, and the Tribal Affairs Committee.
  • March 8: Attended the King County Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) Briefing Panel Review Team. Learned that culturally tailored and appropriate mental health services and programs are needed; community organizations should receive priority in receiving funds to conduct mental health programs; and that we need to build the evidence with minority/underserved communities. Served on the team that reviewed and prioritized the MIDD II Service Improvement Plan applications that will be sent to the King County Department of Health Executive Council for consideration later this year.

Commissioner Tufono: TBA

Commissioner Vue: 

  • January – March (Sundays): Attended Hmong Association of Washington (HAW) meetings. Shared CAPAA’s purpose and how HAW can support CAPAA’s work. Learned about health concerns such as diabetes and overeating for youth, mental and physical health concerns for youth and elders. Discussed next steps on outreach, data, and plans for gathering data and sharing CARE data with API communities. Discussed how to encourage Hmong community to register and vote.
  • February 25: Attended SEAeD planning meeting. Discussed data disaggregation and next steps to organize and support EOGOAC recommendations. Event to be in April or May. Shared information and objectives of the Education committee and EOGOAC recommendations.

Commissioner Wada:

  • January 13: Attended Korean Day Celebration.
  • February 9: Reviewed the RFP for the Preventing Underage Use of Marijuana and E-Cigarette grant.
  • February 10: Attended the Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities meeting. Received a debriefing on the Seattle Race and Social justice Initiative, King County Equity and Social Justice Initiative and the Governor’s activities on cultural competency training for the Cabinet, a Race and Equity Summit to be held on April 15, creation of the Diversity Subcabinet which is focusing on increasing diversity in contracting, for the request for a formal AG opinion on how to operate within I-200.
  • February 23: Attended the Interagency LEP Workgroup meeting. Received training on Understanding Latino Cultures, and National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS Standards).
  • March 7: Attended meeting with representatives from Korean media. Distributed marijuana and e-cigarette prevention brochure and OSPI materials for LEP parents. Attendees at the meeting suggested the need for educational materials for parents to learn prevention methods for Korean youth and that OSPI should have a discussion with LEP parents on school discipline and closing the opportunity gap. They suggested OSPI to continue outreaching to LEP parents to have a better outcome for students.