The following Executive Director’s report was submitted to the Commission at its January 20, 2018 board meeting at the Together Center in Redmond. The report covers a time period from November 19, 2017 to January 20, 2018. View in PDF Format.

1. FINANCIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE & COMMISSION UPDATES

  • Budget: The Commission is operating within its fiscal year budget of $253,000. Our projected ending balance on June 30 is $11,621. It’s anticipated that these funds will be used to begin work on the Commission’s Needs Assessment. Other fund sources total $15,728.
  • Board Meetings: The Commission will convene next on March 17 in Vancouver, WA. Visit the website for more details.
  • Ruth Woo Fellow: The Commission is recruiting currently enrolled college and graduate students for the Ruth Woo Fellowship in the Governor’s Olympia office. Applications are due by Feb. 12. More details are available on the Commission’s website.
  • 2017 Legislative Report Back: About 50 community members attended the event co-hosted by APIC and CAPAA on Dec. 7 at Asian Counseling and Referral Service. Legislators and the public were able to discuss results of the 2017 session and hear a preview of issues that may impact AAPIs for the 2018 session.

2. ACHIEVING STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Commission advises and collaborates with policy- and decision-makers in government and community-based organizations to achieve its 2015-18 Strategic Plan. Activities include examining and defining issues, informing and empowering stakeholders, and formulating and advocating solutions.

Education: Close the educational opportunity gaps that impact Asian Pacific American students.

  • Early Learning Advisory Council: The Council met on Dec. 5 to discuss policy development and review its 2018 work plan. The next meeting is on Feb. 6. CAPAA appointed Susan Yang, Executive Director of Denise Louie Education Center, to the Council.
  • Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee: The EOGOAC met on Dec. 19 and Jan. 16 to discuss its 2018 report and OSPI’s support model. Frieda Takamura and Sili Savusa, who is now serving as co-chair, are CAPAA’s representatives. The next meeting is Feb. 20.
  • Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: The AAPI English Learner Data Disaggregation Grant Advisory Committee met in Tacoma on January 17 to hear and discuss regional updates, district work plans, and OSPI’s research work.

Health & Human Services: Identify health disparity issues specific to the Asian Pacific American community and support identification and promotion of solutions.

  • Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention: In January, members heard presentations about tribal epidemiology and tribal health.
  • Department of Health: The Commission was notified that the Healthy Youth Survey Planning Committee did not approve changes proposed by CAPAA for the 2018 survey.
  • Health Care Authority: The Community & Equity Accelerator Committee convened in Seattle to hear committee updates on data disaggregation, workforce, and Foundational Community Supports.
  • Health Equity for COFA communities: In early December, the Commission was invited to a meeting at Auburn City Hall and the Washington Coalition on Medicaid Outreach meeting in Federal Way to discuss health equity for COFA communities. In mid-December, the Governor released his 2018 supplemental budget proposal, which included $2.6 million for the COFA premium assistance program. Chair Tufono attended a Spokane Marshallese Community Health Forum to hear community concerns and share CAPAA’s efforts to improve their health equity.
  • Strategic Prevention Enhancement (SPE) Policy Consortium: Staff provided a briefing to the multiagency committee about CAPAA’s priorities related to health and well-being.

Economic Development: Support Asian Pacific American business owners and those seeking to start and maintain a business with the knowledge, tools, and resources required to be successful.

  • Business Diversity Subcabinet: An interim progress report on activities to date and next steps will be released soon.
  • Department of Commerce: The Commission connected department staff to ethnic media to discuss the potential to promote programs and services that may benefit the community. The Minority Business Roundtable convened by phone in January to hear department and community updates.

3. COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AND PROMOTE SOLUTIONS

The Commission meets with community leaders, community-based organizations, and coalitions to hear about issues and concerns and promote solutions. When necessary, casework and policy issues are brought to the attention of the Governor’s Office, federal agencies, state agencies, legislative members, and municipalities.

  • Asian Pacific Directors Coalition: Staff and state legislators met with community leaders to provide a preview of the 2018 legislative session.
  • Asian Pacific Islander Coalition: APIC chapters convened to share their 2018 legislative agenda with community members. A group of APIC and API leaders will meet with the Governor and lawmakers on January 23 for APA Legislative Day.
  • Meeting with UW Regent Blaine Tamaki: Community leaders met with the new UW regent to discuss community concerns about issues such as the Khmer language studies program, Oceania studies, and more.

4. CONNECTIONS WITH STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The Commission maintains relationships with state agencies and also local and federal governments to learn about programs and services that may impact AAPIs. The Commission advises and makes recommendations to government agencies on the development and implementation of policies, plans, and programs to support the unique needs of AAPI communities.

  • Department of Enterprise Services: Commission staff met with Small Agency Financial Services staff for a quarterly meeting to discuss the budget outlook and other issues.
  • Governor’s Office: The Governor released his 2018 supplemental budgets, which included funding for capital projects requested by API communities, 2020 census outreach and preparation, and about $1 billion to fulfill the McCleary court ruling. On January 9, the Governor delivered the State of the State and outlined a series of measures he hopes legislators will act on in the 60-day session including school funding, youth apprenticeship opportunities, a capital budget, access to democracy, carbon tax proposal, and more.
  • Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises: Staff met with OMWBE to review CAPAA’s participation report and supplier diversity plan.
  • Task Force on the Use of Body Worn Cameras: The Task Force concluded its work in December and issued a final report. Joanne Alcantara and Sokha Danh, who were appointed by the Commission to voice API perspectives, submitted a joint a minority report expressing concerns about the task force’s composition, accessibility, and process, and the ability for the task force to hear the breadth of community concerns and adequately reflect those perspectives in the final report. The letter urged the Legislature to adopt a minimum set of elements on the use of Body Worn Cameras (BWCs), promote police accountability by limiting officer discretion on the use of BWCs, and support officer training on BWC policy. View the final report: leg.wa.gov/JointCommittees/UBWC/Documents/UBWC-FinalRpt.pdf