In light of the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and Manuel Ellis, compiled upon the countless other Black lives lost at the hands of state-sanctioned violence, the world is experiencing an awakened civil rights movement declaring, “Black Lives Matter.”

As API’s, we know what it means to be unfairly targeted and discriminated against – but by any measure, black communities have experienced it first and worst. We know what it is to live with disparities in income, education, business opportunities and access to services – but black community gaps are still more astounding. When we center the issues confronting the black community in America, we confront systems of oppression that threaten the livelihood and well-being of everyone.

As members of diverse Asian and Pacific Islander communities, what has allyship meant to us? How have we shown up for each other in advocacy, while respecting the nuance of our distinct histories and experiences? How can we show up in support of black neighbors calling for visibility, solidarity and justice?

As allies, CAPAA staff and Commissioners commit ourselves to understanding how we personally benefit from and uphold systems of oppression and will have time at our upcoming board meeting for shared thought and discussion regarding current events. As community members, we commit to doing the difficult but necessary work of understanding white-skin and light-skin bias, anti-blackness, and racism in our own communities. And as a Commission, we commit to supporting and facilitating dialogue internally, in the API community, and with other racial groups via the Ethnic Commissions. As institutional actors, we recognize our role to educate, activate, and advocate for civil rights, social justice, and equal protection under the law.

CAPAA has launched an anti-blackness resource page on our website. Give it a look: https://capaa.wa.gov/combatting-anti-blackness/

We look forward to staying in close contact.

Sincerely,

Lisa Dickinson
Chair

Toshiko Hasegawa
Executive Director
toshiko.hasegawa@capaa.wa.gov
206-377-9583

Join us at our June Public Board Meeting

The Commission will convene its June Public Board Meeting on Saturday, June 27th. Based on guidance from the Department of Health related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) response, the meeting will be held remotely via Zoom video conference call. A dial-in option will also be available for those who are unable to access the meeting electronically.

Members of the public should sign up to provide public comment by contacting Rosa Mai at <rosa.mai@capaa.wa.gov> in advance of the meeting with the following information: name, phone number, e-mail address, and affiliated organization. Written comment may also be submitted in advance of the meeting to <rosa.mai@capaa.wa.gov>.

The link to participate and dial-in information will be available along with the meeting materials to the general public on CAPAA’s website prior to the meeting. Requests for special accommodations should be received by staff no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2020.

Thank you for your understanding. CAPAA’s first priority is the well-being of the public. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly.

Kip Tokuda Grant Open for New Applicants

The Kip Tokuda memorial Washington civil liberties public education program  (WCLPEP) grant is now open for applicants for the 2020-21 fiscal year. This is the second year funding for a two-year project in which there is $25,000 remaining to distribute to worthy organizations and individuals.

The Kip Tokuda Memorial program is created to do one or both of the following:

1. Educate the public regarding the history and the lessons of the World War II exclusion, removal, and incarceration of persons of Japanese ancestry through the development, coordination, and distribution of new educational materials and the development of curriculum materials to complement and augment resources currently available on this subject matter; and
2. Develop videos, plays, presentations, speaker bureaus, and exhibitions for presentation to elementary schools, secondary schools, community colleges, and other interested parties.

The resources and materials created through the grant are intended to ensure that the World War II exclusion, forced removal, and incarceration of individuals of Japanese ancestry will be remembered, and the causes and circumstances of this and similar events will be addressed and understood.

For more information, visit https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/resources-subject-area/social-studies/social-studies-civil-liberties-grant-program

LGBTQ+ APA Resources

June is Pride Month! Governor Jay Inslee issued a Proclamation declaring June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit, and Intersex Pride Month in Washington.

We know that APAs who identify as LGBTQ+ face compounded challenges based on their identity, from cultural barriers to linguistic to religious to many more. In order to better serve our community, CAPAA compiled resources for our LGBTQ+ community. Our communities can also reach out to the Washington State LGBTQ Commission for further resources.

You can find our LGBTQ+ Resource page here: https://capaa.wa.gov/lgbtq-resources/