Here is a comprehensive report of CAPAA Commissioners’ activities between the months of March through June:

Commissioner Aragon

  • Assisted Michael Itti in drafting correspondence to legislators to urge them not to supplant funds from marijuana revenue that initiative intended to support community health clinics and youth marijuana prevention activities as part of the 2015-2017 biennial budget.
  • Worked with Michael Itti and the Commission on Hispanic Affairs to provide feedback to the Governor on activities to promote racial equity.
  • Worked with Michael Itti and Health Disparities Council on model language to include in policies developed by the Governor’s Office to promote racial equity.
  • Participated in the Adverse Birth Outcomes subcommittee of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities to develop strategies to improve the health of mothers and newborns in the Asian Pacific Islander community and other communities of color.
  • Incorporated social determinants of health and cultural competency lectures to include guest speakers from the University of Washington and Swedish Medical Center while teaching a course in Nursing in the 21st Century at Seattle University.
  • As Executive Director of the WA Center for Nursing, developed cultural competency training for nursing faculty in September for Eastern Washington (Heritage University) and Western Washington (Pacific Lutheran University).
  • Attended the Filipino Nurses and Health Care Professionals Association annual gala and nursing scholarships awards.

Commissioner Dash: TBA

Commissioner Cabusao

  • Chaired the Annual Filipino American Community Anniversary Dinner at the Filipino American Community Hall in Wapato on March 28, 2015 which was another big success. The event is one of the two major fundraising events that the organization hosts yearly. It was well attended by other Filipino American Organizations from the state, i.e. Spokane, Tri Cities, and Seattle.
  • Attended a DACA (Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals) and DAPA (Deferred Action on Parents of Americans and Lawful Residents) held at the Filipino Community Hall on April 29, 2015. Several attendees came to inquire about this immigration program which was presented by an immigration lawyer.
  • Attended the Barrio Fiesta held at Central Washington University which was sponsored by the Filipino American Student Association (FASA). The Batang Wapato Dancers from the Filipino American Community in Wapato came to perform at this event.
  • Currently working with a representative from the Latino community who is helping WA Charters with outreach and charter awareness in the Yakima so that the API community will also have access to information on Washington charters.

Commissioner Dickinson

  • Planned and attended the Asian Bar Association of Washington (ABAW) and Q-Law (LGBT Bar Association) Eastern Washington Outreach event in Spokane. Over 100 people in attendance.
  • Attended Washington State Bar Association’s Board of Governor’s meeting as the Asian Bar Association of Washington President and the Minority Bar Association’s liaison.
  • Attended the National Asian Pacific Bar Association’s (NAPABA) Meeting in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Dinner with award recipient Leighton Oshima and prior Attorney General of Hawai’i, David Louie.
  • Attended Japan Week’s Sukiyaki Dinner at Highland Park Methodist Church.
  • Ran Asian Bar Association of Washington’s April meeting.
  • Attended Q-Law dinner and Loren Miller Association dinner as Asian Bar Association of Washington Representative.
  • Attended CLE on Diversity and Inclusion in the Profession in Philadelphia, PA.
  • Attended NAPABA’s Solo Small Firm meeting—involved in membership committee for that organization.
  • Interviewed students for Spokane County Bar Association’s Diversity Scholarships and attended awards luncheon to present awards for diverse law students.
  • Ran mentoring event for API students at UW School of Law with ABAW and KABA (Korean-American Bar Association of Washington).
  • Attend CAPAA Nominating Committee meeting.
  • Attended American Bar Fellows Luncheon regarding Human Rights. Panelists Included:
    • Teng Biao: Eminent Chinese human rights lawyer and intellectual, visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School, and former Professor at the China University of Politics and Law.
    • Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena: Sri Lankan lawyer, journalist, and human rights defender. Named one of the eight bravest women in the world by Amnesty International Australia.
    • Ambassador David Scheffer: U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Expert on United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials, The Mayer Brown/Robert A. Helman Professor of Law and Director for the Center on International Human Rights at Northwestern University School of Law.
  • Please join ABAW (Asian Bar Association of Washington) in doing the Walk for Rice on June 27! Go to www.walkforrice.org for more information.

Commissioner Finau

  • Green River Community College (GRCC) Pacific Islander Heritage Day 2015—April 30th: Sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Pacific Islanders Student Union. Pacific Islander students of GRCC held their annual luau celebration kickoff to API Heritage month with the support of the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Pacific Islander Student Union. Their mission is committed to the creation of a more welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment based on knowledge, acceptance and respect for all at GRCC. They work to promote intellectual discourse, leadership and social justice among students, staff, faculty and our surrounding communities.
  • UW Guest Lecture: Research on Ethnology Objects of Cultural Heritage from the Pacific Islands—May 18th: Ethnology is the branch of anthropology concerned with living cultures and the Burke Museum is particularly renowned for its collections of PI art and artifacts. This course consisted of Pacific Islander female students at UW researching the importance of the knowledge, stories and culture connected to the collections of PI artifacts preserved at the Burke Museum. The process of making the Tongan ngatu (tapa cloth) was used as a demonstration/example from its authenticity through transnational families changing or substituting the process to accommodate their needs. This helped students think about ways to decolonize museums and to emphasize how important it is to reconnect the objects in the collection to the living people and cultural context that they must be connected to, drawing ideas to inform their thinking. This underscores how essential it is to get Pacific Islanders into professor and curator roles at universities. Focusing in this all-female environment was empowering to them. The collection has so much more meaning and value when it has interpreters who can impart the meaning and importance of the knowledge and culture connected to the pieces.
  • Finding Our Way: Puget Sound Stories About Family Homelessness—May 19th: Recorded by StoryCorps. The event was held at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center in Seattle, co-presented with KUOW and Seattle University. KUOW host Bill Radke facilitated conversations about recent StoryCorps ‘Finding Our Way’ through the power of story recordings about family homelessness. Tavaesina Maiava, student at Foster High School and I (the interviewer) were one of the three stories highlighted. Tavaesina lived through homelessness and willingly shared her experiences in her own words. It was an opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of this extensive project with StoryCorps staff, and find out what we can do as a community to make homelessness rare, brief and one time.  Since 2003, the StoryCorps organization has been recording and archiving conversations. Their mission is “to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share and preserve the stories of our lives.”  Each interview is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. If you’ve heard even one of the stories, you’ve likely experienced how carefully they get to the heart of the matter. From 2014-2015, StoryCorps recorded more than 100 interviews with families experiencing homelessness in the Puget Sound area. The project was called Finding Our Way, and the work was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The recordings wouldn’t have been possible without partnership with the YMCA Seattle/King/Snohomish; the Firesteel network; Catholic Community Services of Tacoma; Seattle University’s Center for Strategic Communications; and many other organizations. www.storycorps.org – if these stories motivate you to take action, you can learn about opportunities to advocate on behalf of, volunteer with, and donate to families in crisis at Seattle University’s Project on Family Homelessness. Truly a great experience.
  • South Seattle College’s 3rd Annual Pacific Islander Luaa—May 22nd: A sponsored activity on campus and outreach programs collaborating with the AANAPISI Grant, this annual celebration is to continually promote the interests and identity of PI culture at South Seattle College campus. This opportunity enhances the students, faculties/staff and communities awareness of the participation of PI in pursuing their education. It fosters an understanding and appreciation of various PI cultures among the students of South Seattle College.
  • Rainier Educators of Color Network (RECN)—June 5th: End of the school year social, held at Tukwila Golf Course June 5th. RECN is associated with the National Education Association UniServe Programs. Its mission is to engage, educate, organize, and empower members to advocate for themselves and their profession. They use their collective power to ensure excellent public schools for students, staff, and communities. It is a division of the Washington Education Association (WEA), representing over 3,000 King County area educators – including teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty.  The link to WEA will be strengthened in order to provide the best service to members.

Commissioner Gurung

  • 04/16/2015: Attended Nepali Language School at University Height, University District.
  • 04/10/2015: Attended at University Village to meet and greet to MS Sapana Pradhan Malla, from Nepal attending United Nations Human Rights seminar in Seattle. This program was organized by Nepal Seattle Society and University of Washington Nepali Student Group.
  • 04/12/2015: Attended last day of Nepali Language School at University Height.
  • 04/14/2015: Meeting with Mr. Matrika Niroula Attorney at Law, attending Washington State Bar Association Seminar.
  • 04/18/2015: Nepal Seattle Society organized Nepali New Year 2072 BS Celebration in Kent. There were more than 250 people gathered.
  • 04/19/2015: Attended Nepali School Teachers’ meeting for next feedback program.
  • 04/26/2015: Headed to Washington DC, to meet Nepali Ambassador in DC.
  • 04/27/2015: Met with acting Ambassador Mr. Rishi Ram Ghimire, Consulate General Mr. Prem Raja Mahat.
  • 04/28/2015: Visited Baltimore Security Avenue where an apartment building with over 350 Nepalis living there was on fire. Had a meeting with Mr. Kabindra Sitaula and members from sagun.com.
  • 04/29/2015: Visited Philadelphia and met with Dr. Bishnuhari Pokhrel MD, PhD. Head of Nuclear medicine Hospital, Dr. Dinesh Shah PhD. Bio Chemist Harbor graduate, Mr. Binod Moktan, Bimal Mokatan, and other Nepalis living in that area.
  • 05/02/2015: Buddhist Temple in Woodinville—Prayer for Nepal earthquake victims.
  • 05/12/2015: Brier Fire Department—had a meeting with Chris from Claion who had been helping with the earthquake in Nepal.
  • 05/16/2015: Mountaineering Club on Sandpoint Way—fundraising event for Nepal earthquake victims.
  • 05/18/2015: Everett Community College—Spanish cultural event that collected donations for Nepal earthquake victims.

Commissioner Khamshitsang: TBA

Commissioner Lee

  • Coordinated and prepared the 65th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration.
  • Emceed the 65th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration on June 20, 2015.

Commissioner Pen

March Report

  • Arranged to have Angeline Thomas from Seattle University School of Law and Zoë Myers from the Northwest Consumer Law Center in Seattle to do four presentations on Cons and Scams Prevention and about Loans—“The Good and the Bad” presentations and handed out questionnaire for residents to fill out before and after presentations to 6 Asian Pacific Islander Communities.
    • 80 Vietnamese seniors
    • 107 Cambodian seniors
    • 60 International Groups (Japanese, Filipino, Chinese)
    • 19 Samoan seniors

April Report

  • Arranged to have Jennifer Kammerzell, Tacoma City Traffic Engineer and Steve Atkinson, Tacoma City Urban Planner to do five presentations on the Transportation master Plan and Comp Plan with five main questions to 7 Asian Pacific Islander Communities.
    • 80 Vietnamese seniors
    • 103 Cambodian seniors
    • 150 Korean seniors
    • 63 International Groups (Japanese, Filipino, Chinese)
    • 21 Samoan seniors
  • Questions asked:
    • What is the most important thing to you in your neighborhood? Examples: school, park, good transit, neighbors.
    • What is one thing you would like to change about your neighborhood? Examples: crime, lack of sidewalks.
    • How frequently (1x per day or 1x per week) do you:
      • Walk to a store or park from your home?
      • Ride a bike?
      • Take a bus?
      • Drive?
    • How convenient are your transportation choices? Can you get where you want to go easily and comfortably?
    • Where is your primary grocery store and how do you get there?
  • Invited Senator Steve Conway, Governor Jay Inslee’s South Sound Regional Representative, David Westbrook, Tacoma City Councilmember Joe Lonergan, Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist, Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, and Tacoma Police Department Lieutenant Corey Darlington to speak at the Khmer New Year at Cambodian Buddhist Temple in Tacoma.

May Report

  • Provided 4 presentations and handed out information of 10 main points on Summertime Safety Tips for Children to 6 Asian and Pacific Islander Communities.
    • 80 Vietnamese seniors
    • 100 Cambodian seniors
    • 60 International Groups (Chinese, Japanese, Filipino)
    • 18 Samoan seniors
  • Worked with Michael Itti, Executive Director of CAPAA, on marijuana fact card in Khmer language version which was requested from the Department of Social and Health Services.

June Report

  • Provided 4 presentations and handed out information on Personal Safety at home, in neighborhoods, and out and about to 6 Asian and Pacific Islander Communities.
    • 60 Vietnamese seniors
    • 110 Cambodian seniors
    • 60 International Groups (Chinese, Japanese, Filipino)
    • 18 Samoan seniors
  • Friday, June 12: Attended the 2015 Asian and Pacific Islander High School Graduation hosted and held by Asian Pacific Cultural Center.

Commissioner Tufono: TBA

Commissioner Vue

March Report

  • 14th: Represented CAPAA at community forum at New Holly to share updates on the data disaggregation report to close the achievement gap.
  • 30th: Met with Tony and Joyce Yee. Updates on HB 1541 and All Students Count initiative.
  • 31st: Education Committee meeting—shared updates on EOGOAC and HB 1541. Strategic planning for disseminating information via communities.

April Report

  • 6th: Met with Muhamed, UW SEA/A recruiter. Discussed next Rising SEAs event in May and planned a few strategic ways to support SEAs and outreach. (i.e. outreach to the East side of the state, community events, etc.)
  • 16th: Represented CAPAA at the SEAeD coalition meeting. Planned next steps for the 2016 Summit. Shared updates and next steps on ways to support HB 1541 in relation to the All Students Count Initiative.
  • 17th: Invited to judge at the ASUW’s talent show.
  • 25th: Represented CAPAA/SEAeD at the Khmer New Year celebration. Disseminated data research to community members.

May Report

  • 14th: Represented CAPAA at the SEAeD Coalition meeting. Shared the Fellowship and next steps for the 2016 Summit.
  • 20th: South Seattle College Discipline Community Forum.
  • 29th: Rising SEAs keynote speaker at UW. Represented CAPAA.
  • 21st: TBIP phone conference with Michael Itti and Dr. Julie Kang. Updates and next steps. TBIP plans will be shared at the next CAPAA meeting.
  • 22nd: CAPAA phone conference.
  • 22nd: API Celebration at South Seattle College. Represented CAPAA and shared iCount data.

Commissioner Wada

  • Participated at a roundtable discussion with Jeb Bush and API business owners.
  • Coordinated a debriefing meeting with Congressman Denny Heck for Korean business owners in Lakewood area for anticipated RIF in JBLM due to the sequestration.
  • Participated at the Interagency LEP work group meeting in March.
  • Attended a CAPAA and DOH data collection effort meeting.
  • Made a presentation at the Korean Senior Center in Vancouver.
  • Had an interview by Radio Korea regarding the CAPAA role in the roundtable discussions with Jeb Bush and Congressman Heck.
  • Outreach to Korean media promoting and encouraging participation for the June CAPAA meeting.
  • Conducted a job fair at a Korean church in Lakewood.
  • Participated at a health fair at a low income senior apartment in Hilltop area where many Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Koreans reside.