API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 2003: Assemblymember Honda presented ACR 56 establishing May 2003 as APIA Heritage Month.

November

Only one API (Mike Honda) was serving in the Legislature when Assembly Member George Nakano (D-Torrance) was elected to the Assembly in 1998. The two served together until Honda was elected to Congress in November 2000. The November election also brought two more APIs to the Legislature with the election of Assembly Members Wilma Chan (D-Oakland) and Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge). This increased the number of APIs in the Legislature to three.

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 1999: Assemblymember Nakano presented ACR 59 establishing May 1999 as APIA Heritage Month.

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 2000: Assemblymember Nakano presented ACR 161 establishing May 2000 as APIA Heritage Month.

May

With the number of API legislators quickly increasing, then-Speaker Robert Hertzberg officially sanctioned the formation of the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus in January 2001 with Nakano as the Caucus' Inaugural Chair.

In May 2001, Assembly Member Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) was elected to the Assembly in a special election, increasing the Caucus membership to four.

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 2001: Assemblymember Nakano presented ACR 58 establishing May 2001 as APIA Heritage Month.

November

In November 2002, Assembly Member Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) was elected to represent the 12th Assembly District, bringing the Caucus membership to five.

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 2002: Assemblymember Chu presented ACR 203 establishing May 2001 as APIA Heritage Month.

Assembly Member Nakano served as chair of the Caucus from 2001-2002 and was succeeded by Assembly Members Wilma Chan and Carol Liu as co-chairs of the Caucus in 2003. In 2003, the Caucus established and advocated for budget and legislative priorities for the first time in its history. As a result of the state's fiscal crisis, many key programs serving the Asian Pacific Islander communities were proposed for elimination or reduction. The Caucus advocated for these programs and was successful in their effort to help preserve programs such as the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, Food Assistance Programs for Immigrants, and acupuncture as a Medi-Cal optional benefit. The Caucus also successfully authored and won bi-partisan passage of Assembly Joint Resolution 30, which called for the apology and resignation of Congressman Howard Coble (R-North Carolina) for his remarks about the Japanese American Internment.

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 19, 2003: Assemblymember Liu presented ACR 101 establishing May 2003 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Taiko Dan.

February

On February 12th 2024, the API Caucus hosted a member retreat to continue its advocacy work with the adoption of budget and legislative priorities for 2004. Budget priorities for 2004 included preserving cash and food assistance programs for immigrants, cash benefit program for Filipino veterans, and higher education funding.

March

In March 2004, Assembly Member Judy Chu succeeded Assembly Members Chan and Liu as chair of the API Caucus.

April

On April 15th 2004, the API Caucus collaborated with the Latino Caucus and the California Liberties Public Education Program to show the film, “Stand Up For Justice”, highlighting the story of Ralph Lazo, a 16 year old teenager of Mexican-Irish descent who voluntarily accompanied his Japanese American classmates to the Manzanar Concentration Camp. Lazo spent 2½ years at Manzanar and later became a college counselor. Lazo will never be forgotten by his Japanese American friends for his friendship and belief for standing up for justice.

April 20, Tuesday, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., room 2114. API Caucus meeting with Treasurer Phil Angelides to discuss State budget (Angelides’ request)

April 28, Wednesday. Asian Pacific State Employees Association Scholarship and Installation Dinner. API Members’ resolution being provided for 3 honorees (Christopher Cabaldon, Dean Lan, Jean Chong)

On April 29th 2004, the Tri-Caucus (API Caucus, Black Caucus, and Latino Caucus) hosted a hearing on “California Civil Rights in an Era of National Security” to create a public record of the impact of national security policies on communities of color in California, assess threats to civil rights in an era of national security, and explore policies to increase protections for all California residents.

May

May 4, Monday. Brown vs. Board of Education (50th Anniversary) hearing. Co-sponsored by Black, API and Latino Caucuses.

June

The Caucus also held its first annual API policy summit and dinner, "Speaking in One Voice" on June 7, 2004. The all day conference brought API leaders together from around the State to assess the state of Asian Pacific Islander American affairs and develop an agenda for the future. The summit culminated in a dinner honoring Dr. Wen Ho Lee and four community legislative heroes for their contributions to the API community.

November

In November 2004, Assembly Member George Nakano left the Assembly due to term limits, but the Caucus maintained its membership of five with the election of Assembly Member Alberto Torrico (D-Newark).

February

February 9th, the AAPILC hosted the Annual Lunar New Year Celebration at Frank Fats.

March

In March 2005, the Caucus members elected Assembly Member Judy Chu and Assembly Speaker Pro-Tempore Leland Yee to serve as Caucus co-chairs.

In March 2005, California Ethnic Caucuses co-sponsored the California Pan Ethnic Network Legislative Briefing.

April

In April 2005, APISCAN Legislative Visits & Reception

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 9, 2005: Assemblymember Chu presented ACR 62 establishing May 2005 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Ruthe Ashley, Lou Diamond Phillips, Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu, Judge Tammy Chung Ryu, Dr. Tony Vang, and C.C Yin.

June

June 6 2005, Second Annual Policy Summit.

July

July 2005, CASIC Interns Conference at the Capitol.

August

August 2005, OCA Reception at the Capitol.

September

In September 2005, Assembly Member Ted Lieu was elected to the 53rd Assembly District in a special election – bringing the membership of the Caucus to six.

March

In March 2006, Assembly Member Alberto Torrico was elected to serve as chair of the Caucus. In November 2006, Assembly Members Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park), Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward and Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) were elected to the Assembly, while Assembly Members Judy Chu, Carol Liu and Wilma Chan left due to term limits. Assembly Member Leland Yee was elected to the Senate, keeping the Caucus membership at six.

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 15, 2006: Assemblymember Torrico presented ACR 147 establishing May 2006 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Hamid Khan, Elaine Kim, Yen and Chieu Le, Pat Morita, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, and Lonnie Wong.

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 14, 2007: Assemblymember Torrico presented ACR 50 establishing May 2007 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Lai Lai Bui, Alice Bulos, Kal Penn, Dr. Anmol Mahal, Phillip Shinn, Hideo Johnny Yamada, Alexis Wong.

January

In January 2008, Assembly Member Ted Lieu was elected to serve as chair of the Caucus. In February 2008, Assembly Member Warren Furutani (D-Gardena) was elected to the Assembly in a special election. His election increased the Caucus membership to seven as well as reaching a historic high of ten APIs to serve concurrently in the Legislature.

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 12, 2008: Assemblymember Tran presented ACR 135 establishing May 2008 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Pervaiz Lodhie, Lilliam Nakao, June Pouesi, Dr. Parampal Gill, George Kee Cheung, and Joey Quinto.

January

In early 2009, Assemblymember Ted Lieu was reelected to serve as chair of the Caucus. In January 2009, Assembly Members Mariko Yamada (D-Yolo) and Paul Fong (D – San Jose) along with Senator Carol Liu (D – Altadena), who previously served as one of the founders of the API Legislative Caucus as an Asssemblymember, were sworn in as State Legislators. As a result, the membership of the Caucus increased to 10 APIs, and became one of the largest Caucus in the State Legislature. The "Connecting the Dots" API Policy Summit was held in May and merited a visit by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke. October saw the election of Assemblymembers Warren T. Furutani and Mary Hayashi to lead the Caucus as Chair and Vice Chair respectively.

Since the establishment of the API Caucus, its members have authored and supported a wide array of legislation benefiting the API community, including in the areas of civil rights, language access, health disparities, hate crime prevention, consumer protection, and cultural preservation. Members serve in key leadership positions in the Assembly that allow them to have maximum influence on the State's policymaking process and its subsequent impact on the API community.

During its eight year history, the Caucus has worked to fulfill its mission of representing and advocating for the diverse interests of the API communities throughout the state. Other Caucus activities have included: serving as a resource to the community and assisting with advocacy efforts, convening the annual API Policy Summit, holding joint briefings and hearings with other ethnic Caucuses and community groups on issues of common interest, and supporting the activities of the Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs.

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony, May 14, 2009: Assemblymember Fiona Ma presented ACR 70 establishing May 2009 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Hieu Tai Tran, C.C. Yin, Faith Bautista, Alan Wang, Lim, Ruger & Kim LLP, Sarah Kim-Lee, and Samuel So.

September

September 2, 2009: The end of session breakfast reception held at the California State Capitol Eureka Room honored Assemblymember Ted Lieu for his leadership as Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus since 2007. The reception also served to announce and celebrate the commencement of Assemblymember Warren Furutani as the incoming Chair and Assemblymember Mary Hayashi as the incoming Vice Chair.

October

Tongan Music Presentation, October 9, 2009: The Caucus worked with Catherine ‘Ofa Mann, Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs Commissioner, in organizing a performance by the Royal Corp of Musicians of the Tonga Defense Services on the California State Capitol, West Steps. The presentation involved a marching band and traditional Tongan dancing with proclamations by the Governor’s Office, Senate Pro Tempore Steinberg’s Office, and Assembly Speaker Bass’s Office. Clothing donations were collected for those affected by the 2009 tsunami that affected Samoa and the surrounding area.

December

API Policy Pre-Summit Meetings (Legislative Brainstorm), December 2009: The Caucus, along with its API Policy Summit Co-Conveners including Asian Pacific Islanders California Action Network (APIsCAN), Asian American Education Institute (AAEI), Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE), and Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Affairs, organized and facilitated API Legislative Brain Storms meetings in Northern and Southern California to provide a space for community organizations and leaders to provide policy ideas directly to elected officials of the California State Legislature. Participants explored issues such as disaggregated data, K-12 curriculum, and language access.

January

Korean American Day Floor Ceremony & Reception, January 11, 2010: Assemblymember Mary Hayashi presented ACR 96 which established January 13, 2010 as Korean American Day. In addition, Korean American leaders were introduced on the Floor. The Caucus organized a breakfast reception to honor the resolution and community leaders.

February

Dream Act Summit, February 3, 2010: The California Legislative Tri-Caucus organized a summit to raise awareness about the plight of undocumented students and to promote the DREAM Act as an effective, bipartisan solution. Distinguished panelists included representatives from the legislative caucuses, scholars, educators representing K-12 and higher education, community activists and students.

March

API Census Roll Out, March 12 – 13, 2010: The API Legislative Caucus, lead by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada, built partnerships with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the United States Census Bureau, and Asian Pacific Islander Counts to hold press conference across the state of California with the goal of increasing APIA participation in the US Census. Local, state, and federal government entities were represented at each of the press conferences as well as community organizers.

April

The 3 E’s - Equity, Economy, and the Environment, April 30, 2010: The California Legislative Tri-Caucus in partnership with the Verde Consulting Group and the Climate Protection Campaign organized a staff briefing on The 3 E’s - Equity, Economy, and the Environment: Climate Policy that’s Fair to Everyone. The briefing focused on how to build a sustainable community without hurting communities of low income.

May

Floor Ceremony and Reception Honoring Hiroshima, May 3, 2010: The API Legislative Caucus honored the legendary Japanese American jazz band Hiroshima on the Assembly Floor as one of the honorees for APIA Heritage Month for excellence in the arts and humanities.

API Policy Summit, May 3 - 4, 2010: The API Legislative Caucus partnered with the Commission on APIA Affairs, APIsCAN, AAEI, and AACRE to convene the Asian Pacific Island Policy Summit at the Sacramento Convention Center. Bringing in over 280 community leaders and activists, the API Policy Summit featured workshops addressing the issues of civil rights, education, health & human services, and housing & community development.

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony & Reception, May 10, 2010: Assemblymember Paul Fong presented ACR 157 establishing May 2010 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Andrew Ly (Business), Jonghwah “JP” Park (Business), Anil Yadav (Business), Marily Mondejar (Civil Rights), Sithea San (Community Development), Michael Chang (Education), Jerry Kang (Law), and Catherine ‘Ofa Mann (Public Service).

CA Immigrant Day, May 17, 2010: Working with the California Immigrant Policy Center and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the Tri-Caucus served as sponsor and provided partial logistical support for their annual California Immigrant Day. The event brought in immigrant leaders from across the state to the California State Capitol so that they can advocate on their issues.

Assemblymember Fiona Ma continued her leadership in addressing Hepatitis B in the APIA and great community by organizing a briefing at the California State Capitol on World Hepatitis Day on May 19, 2010.

June

Arizona Immigration Laws Press Conference, June 23, 2010: Community leaders joined with the California Legislative Tri-Caucus to stand against SB 1070, a new Arizona law that require citizens to carry immigration documents and provide the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Opponents stood together to rebuke the law since it opened invitation for harassment and discrimination to people of color regardless of their citizenship status.

August

Reception honoring Dave Low & Jai Sookprasert, August 9, 2010: The API Legislative Caucus and community leaders in the APIA and labor community came together to honor Dave Low, Director of Government Relations to the California School Employees Association (CSEA), AFL-CIO, and Jai Sookprasert, Assistant Director of Government Relations to CSEA, AFL-CIO. Held at the Scandal Lounge at the Citizen Hotel, API Legislative Caucus leaders were joined by the Chair of Assembly Labor Committee Sandre Swanson in honoring these two APIA leaders for their new positions with CSEA.

API Internship Day, August 10, 2010: The API Legislative Caucus organized a daylong event for APIA high school and college interns who were working in either a capitol or district office at the California State Capitol. Interns were given a tour of the building and observed presentations by Members of API Legislative Caucus, Third House lobbyists and advocates, and APIA Capitol staffers. Organizations involved with the internships include: Asian Pacific Islander Public Affairs Association (APAPA), California Asian American Student Internship Coalition (CASIC), Chinese American Political Association (CAPA), Citizens for Better Community (CBC), Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL), and Vision New America (VNA).

API Policy Pre-Summit Meetings (Legislative Brainstorm), December - January 2010: The API Policy Summit Conveners continued its work in providing access to APIA community members to elected officials by organizing API Pre-Summit Meetings. Community leaders outlined what issues there were seeing on the ground through their respective non-profits and community organizations, and worked on possible solutions that can be made to address the issues on a policy level.

The Caucus partnered with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the United States Census Bureau, and Asian Pacific Islander Counts to hold press conferences across California with the goal of increasing APIA participation in the US Census.

Assemblymember Mike Eng took the lead in partnering with the University of California Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Multi-campus Research Program in developing and distributing a report on the state of APIA education in California.

The API Legislative Caucus assisted the Asian Pacific Islander Task Force on Problem Gambling in advocating for more cultural competency and multi-lingual services from the Office of Problem Gambling. After facilitating several meetings and numerous communications, OPG started a new initiative to provide more translated materials regarding problem gambling. In addition, OPG is contracting out with NICOS Chinese Health Coalition to provide Mandarin and Cantonese language service via the problem gambling hotline. Finally, OPG has started incorporating cultural competency into their training programs.

The University of California Regents voted in a new admissions policy for the 2012 school year. Assemblymember Paul Fong took the lead in providing a voice for community members with concerns regarding the possible negative affects the policy would have on diversity. As a result, the API Legislative Caucus held numerous meetings with the University of California, Office of the President (UCOP) to hold the UC accountable for the lack of community outreach and input on the new policy. In addition, the API Legislative Caucus made a formal request for more data regarding the changes which, according to community leaders like Pat Hayashi, Henry der, and Ling Chi Wang, show that API’s would negatively be affected by the new policy changes. Briefings for staff and legislators were organized by the Caucus.

California Program on Access to Care Ethnic Health Assessment Briefing, August 10, 2010: The California Legislative Tri-caucus worked with the California Program on Access to Care (CPAC) on a briefing on their new reports that sheds new light on health disparities in the various communities in California. The Asian Pacific Islander Health Forum worked closely with CPAC on the data in relation to the APIA community. A reception followed the briefing.

Assemblymember Warren Furutani and Assemblymember Mary Hayashi were reelected as the API Legislative Caucus chair & vice-chair, respectively. Additionally, the API Legislative Caucus created a Parliamentarian position on the Caucus board, which is responsible for maintaining the Standing Rules of the Caucus and shall serve as an advisor to the presiding officers and members on Caucus procedures. Assemblymember Furutani appointed Assemblymember Mariko Yamada to serve in the role. A special election brought Ted Lieu into the California State Senate, joining Senators Carol Liu and Leland Yee. The Members in the Assembly also included Assemblymembers Mike Eng, Paul Fong, Fiona Ma, Richard Pan, and Das Williams.

January

In January, Caucus, along with its API Policy Summit co-conveners including Asian Pacific Islanders California Action Network, Asian American Education Institute, and Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs, organized and facilitated API Legislative BrainStorm meetings in Northern and Southern California to provide a space for community organizations and leaders to provide policy ideas directly to elected officials of the California State Legislature.

March

Mona Pasquil Reception, March 3, 2011: The API Legislative Caucus held a reception at The Park Ultra Lounge to honor Mona Pasquil, the first Asian American to serve as the Appointments Secretary in the California Governor’s Administration. The reception was hosted by the Asian American Education Institute and the API Legislative Caucus Institute.

The API Legislative Caucus coordinated with the Speaker's Office of Member Services on providing web resources for Member Offices that wanted to outreach in regards to the natural disasters that affected Japan on March 11, 2011. On March 24, 2011, the API Legislative Caucus organized with Direct Relief International and the Japanese American Citizens League to unveil the Japan Relief and Recovery Fund to provide support for relief efforts in the region. During the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony in May 2011, the Caucus honored Nisei Veterans of World War II during the event. The API Legislative Caucus convened a series of informational hearings with the Commission on APIA Affairs across the state focusing on the South Asian & Muslim American community, Cambodian American youth, and the effects of place-based funding formulas on the APIA community.

May

API Policy Summit, May 2-3, 2011: The API Legislative Caucus partnered with the Commission on APIA Affairs, APIsCAN, and AAEI to convene the 8th Annual API Policy Summit at the Sacramento Convention Center. Bringing in over 270 community leaders and activists, the API Policy Summit featured workshops addressing the issues of civil rights, education, health & human services, and housing & community development. Some featured workshops addressed issues such as hepatitis B prevalence, healthcare reform, and education data of which Assemblymembers Ma, Pan, and Eng, respectively, had a hand with the organizing and presentation. In addition, participants were scheduled to meet with legislative offices so that they could advocate on bills and budget items of importance to the community. Some members of the community used this opportunity to work with legislative offices to also assist with supporting bills in policy committee. For instance, multiple organizations testified in committee that day for Assemblymember Eng’s AB 1088 regarding disaggregated data. API Legislative Caucus Members and established community activists served as featured speakers throughout the Summit.

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony & Reception, May 16, 2011: Assemblymember Das Williams presented ACR 36 establishing May 2011 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. For the first time, the API Legislative Caucus made a display case on the second floor rotunda to honor APIA Heritage Month, APIA Heritage Month Honorees, and APIA Elected Officials. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Christine K. Young (Business), Nitasha Sawhney (Civil Rights), Josie Camacho (Labor), Judge Lucy Koh (Law), Phil Yu (New Media), Efren Gorre (Public Service), Albert and Anna Wang (Public Service), and Nisei Veterans (Historical Impact Recognition). A highlight included a group of Nisei Veterans who participated in the floor ceremony. Following the Floor Ceremony, members of the community celebrated the honorees at a reception in the California State Capitol, Willie Brown Conference Room.

CA Immigrant Day, May 24, 2011: Working with the California Immigrant Policy Center, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, and the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Center, the Tri-Caucus served as sponsor and provided partial logistical support for their annual California Immigrant Day. The event brought in immigrant leaders from across the state to the California State Capitol so that they can advocate on their issues.

June

Capitol Academy, June 27 – 28, 2011: The API Legislative Caucus co-sponsored the non-partisan candidate training program known as Capitol Academy. The program is an intensive three-day leadership development program for APIA local elected officials interested in seeking higher office. Launched in 2006, the Academy is designed to provide participants with insight into the inner workings of the State Capitol’s network. Participants have the unprecedented opportunity to gain an insider’s view of the Capitol by shadowing a legislator-mentor in their day-to-day activities as well as meeting with senior political and policy experts in areas ranging from understanding the legislative and state budget process to learning effective communication and media skills.

July

API Internship Day, July 11, 2011: The API Legislative Caucus organized a daylong event for APIA high school and college interns who were working in either a capitol or district office for the California State Legislature. Interns were given a tour of the building and observed presentations by Members of API Legislative Caucus, Third House lobbyists and advocates, and APIA Capitol staffers. Organizations involved with the internships include: Asian Pacific Islander Public Affairs Association (APAPA), Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment (CAUSE), Chinese American Political Association (CAPA), Citizens for Better Community (CBC), Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL), and Vision New America (VNA). The day ended with a networking reception at Ambrosia Cafe.

August

Unheard Voices Hearings, August 20, 2011 – Artesia, and August 27, 2011 – Mountain View: The API Legislative Caucus co-convened two informational hearings with the Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander American Affairs regarding the South Asian & Muslim American communities. The informational hearings explored issues such as hate crimes, bullying, and civil liberties relative to the aftermath of 9/11. The Southern California event was sponsored by the South Asian Network, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and South Asian Americans Leading Together. The Northern California event was co-sponsored by the Sikh Coalition, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the Asian Law Caucus.

Sun Yat-Sen Exhibit, August 29, 2011: Assemblymember Fiona Ma worked with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office on an exhibit featuring Sun Yat-Sen in the Capitol Basement Eureka Room. The exhibit was on display from August 29th to September 12th. Assemblymember Ma also organized an opening reception for the event on August 29th.

September

Crossroads: The Intersection of API & LGBT Civil Rights, September 17, 2011: The API Legislative Caucus co-sponsored API Equality-LA’s 2nd convening of API and LGBT leaders called Crossroads. This town hall explores the important issues that affect both communities, and serves as a capacity building program to teach APIA focused organizations how to work on issues affecting the LGBT community. The event featured speakers on the topics of bullying in schools, the FAIR Education Act, and immigration reform. There was also an opportunity to network and develop plans for strengthening coalitions and taking action together.

October

Placed Based and Regional Approaches to Funding Informational Hearing, October 21, 2011: The API Legislative Caucus co-convened an informational hearing, with the Commission on APIA Affairs and APIsCAN, on place-based and regional approaches to funding at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. “Place-based” is defined as a theoretical framework that includes a) building upon the local infrastructure, b) saturating an area with resources that should result in measurable outcomes and c) facilitating a community-driven investment in the regional plan. Organizations such as the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team and the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council testified on how the new formulas tend to hurt APIA communities in the Los Angeles region. Practitioners including First Five LA, LA County Department of Public Health, and County of LA Department of Health Services discussed their use of the formulas.

November

State of Cambodian American Youth Informational Hearing: On November 15, 2011, the Public Informational Hearing on the State of Cambodian American Youth was held at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park Community Center in Long Beach. This hearing was sponsored by the California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, California Commission on APIA Affairs, California Legislative Women’s Caucus and White House Initiative on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders and Co-Sponsored by Khmer Girls in Action (KGA) and The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). This hearing served both as an opportunity to release Khmer Girls in Action’s groundbreaking report, “Step Into Long Beach: Exposing how Cambodian American youth are under resourced, over policed and fighting back for their wellness”, as well as bring to attention the issues faced by Cambodian American youth and provide policy recommendations to elected officials. KGA and SEARAC organized youth panels for the hearings and made policy recommendations.

Assemblymember Warren Furutani and Assemblymember Mary Hayashi continued to serve as the API Legislative Caucus chair & vice-chair, respectively. Additionally, Assemblymember Yamada continued in her role as Parliamentarian. The API Legislative Caucus partnered with the Commission on APIA Affairs, APIsCAN, and AAEI to convene the 8th Annual API Policy Summit at the Sacramento Convention Center. Bringing in more than 270 community leaders and activists, the API Policy Summit featured workshops addressing the issues of civil rights, education, health & human services, and housing & community development. In June, the API Legislative Caucus held an API Caucus Film Festival at the historic Crest Theatre in Sacramento. The festival played two award winning documentaries, Vincent Who? and The Manzanar Fishing Club, about critical historical issues that shaped today's APIA community. The Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus commemorated the 30th Anniversary of the death of Vincent Chen with Asian Pacific Americans for Progress through a Nationwide Digital Town Hall. Assemblymembers Mike Eng, Warren Furutani, Mary Hayashi, and Fiona Ma departed the Legislature at the end of year.

February

Policy Briefing On Mental Health And Multicultural Communities, February 6, 2012: The Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and the Black Legislative Caucus are co-sponsored a policy briefing with The Racial & Ethnic Mental Health Disparities Coalition (REMDHCO), regarding mental health disparities for racial, ethnic, and cultural communities.

Emerging Issues in the Filipino and Pacific Islander Communities, at the King Hall Law School, Filipino Law Student Association Culture Week, February 22, 2012: Discussion on which issues are unique to the Filipino/Pacific Islander communities as compared to the other Asian communities (i.e., labor, immigration, health, education).

May

API Heritage Month Floor Ceremony & Reception, May 14, 2012: Assemblymember Richard Pan presented ACR 149 establishing May 2012 as APIA Heritage Month. Following the presentation, the API Legislative Caucus honored leaders in the APIA community at a ceremony on the Assembly Floor. The API Legislative Caucus made a display case on the second floor rotunda to honor APIA Heritage Month, APIA Heritage Month Honorees, and APIA Elected Officials. Honorees were recognized for excellence in their respective fields. Honorees included: Martin Yan (Excellence in Culinary Arts), Ted Fang (Excellence in Public Service), Khmer Girls in Action (Excellence in Civil Rights), Tania Israel (Excellence in Mental Health), Leroy Morishita (Excellence in Higher Education), Cora Oriel (Excellence in Journalism), and Lois Takahashi (Excellence in Ethnic Studies). Following the Floor Ceremony, members of the community celebrated the honorees at a reception sponsored by the API Legislative Caucus Institute in the California State Capitol, Willie Brown Conference Room.

June

Vincent Chin Digital Townhall, June 23, 2012: The Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus invited all Legislators and staff to A Nationwide Digital Town Hall to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the death of Vincent Chin sponsored by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress.

August

End of Session Breakfast Reception, August 28, 2012: The Asian & Pacific Islander held a breakfast reception at Ambrosia Café in Sacramento to honor the departing Members of the Caucus including Assemblymembers Mike Eng, Warren Furutani, Mary Hayashi, and Fiona Ma.

The Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, Black Legislative Caucus, and Latino Legislative Caucus invited all Legislators and staff to a Policy Briefing on Equity. Focusing on policy strategies in infrastructure investment, sustainable communities planning, and education/workforce development to achieve equity for communities of color.

The API Legislative Caucus Members elected Assemblymember Paul Fong and Assemblymember Das Williams to serve as chair and vice-chair, respectively. Assemblymember Paul Fong appointed Assemblymember Mariko Yamada to serve as Parliamentarian. The Senate had three APIA Members including Senators Ted Lieu, Carol Liu, and Leland Yee. Joining Assemblymember Richard Pan in the Assembly were four newly elected APIA Members including Assemblymembers Rob Bonta, Ed Chau, Al Muratsuchi, and Phil Ting. Assemblymember Bonta, notably, is the first Filipino American to serve in the California State Legislature. The Caucus maintained a historic high of eleven Members in the California State Legislature.

January

The year started with the first annual API Legislative Caucus Welcome Back Reception, on January 17th.

February

On February 19th, the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality and the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice conducted a legislative briefing for capitol staffers on Tuesday, February 19th from 11 am-12 pm in the State Capitol, room 437. The Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus co-sponsored this briefing to provide the most current and reliable data on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in California. In addition, the briefing will featured findings and policy recommendations in health, civic engagement, immigration, education and housing from Advancing Justice’s demographic report “A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in California.”

On February 25th, the API Legislative Caucus partnered with the historic Frank Fats for the first annual Lunar New Year Reception.

March

The California Immigrant Policy Center conducted a legislative briefing, “Taking the Lead – Moving Pro-Immigrant Policies in the Golden State,” on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the State Capitol, Rm. 444. The briefing discussed state immigration policies and will provide an update on federal immigration reform. Participating organizations and speakers included leading immigrant rights groups and coalitions from across the state. This briefing was co-sponsored by the Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, the Latino Legislative Caucus, the ACLU of California, and the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF).

April

On April 24th 2013, the API Caucus and Asian Health Services hosted a briefing titled “Addressing Medi-Cal Coverage for New LEgal Immigrants in California”, to provide an overview of the current state and needs of new legal immigrants in California as well as insight into the impacts this proposal will have on members of the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community including safety net providers and health advocates.

May

On May 13th, the API Legislative Caucus also organized the first APIA Heritage Month Gala at the Sacramento Convention Center, to coincide with the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony to honor leaders in the APIA community. The 2013 honorees were Mindy Kaling, Kevin Tsujihara, Davis Tran, Frank Wu, Iris Chang, Goodwin Liu, March Fong Yu, Sharon Hoshida, and Sammy Lee.

On May 21st 2013, the API Caucus and the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP) Asian Pacific Islander Strategic Planning Workgroup (API-SPW) held a legislative briefing titled “Mental Health & Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Communities”, to go over the findings in the CRDP API-SPW Population Report on the mental health needs of the APIA community. The report will review mental health disparities found in the AANHPI community and provide policy recommendations to address these disparities.

August

On August 5th 2013, the API Caucus hosted the annual APIA Capitol Internship Day.

Assemblymember Paul Fong and Assemblymember Das Williams continued to serve as the API Legislative Caucus chair and vice-chair, respectively. Assemblymember Paul Fong appointed Assemblymember Rob Bonta to serve as Parliamentarian.

Since the establishment of the API Caucus, its members have authored and supported a wide array of legislation benefiting the APIA community, including in the areas of civil rights, language access, health disparities, hate crime prevention, consumer protection, and cultural preservation. Members serve in key leadership positions in the Assembly and Senate that allow them to have maximum influence on the State's policymaking process and its subsequent impact on the APIA community.

During its thirteen year history, the Caucus has worked to fulfill its mission of representing and advocating for the diverse interests of the APIA communities throughout the state. Other Caucus activities have included: serving as a resource to the community and assisting with advocacy efforts, convening the annual API Policy Summit, holding joint briefings and hearings with other ethnic Caucuses and community groups on issues of common interest, and supporting the activities of the Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs.

January

The API Caucus launched the new year with a Welcome Back Reception at Ella’s Dining Room & Bar on January 7th 2014. The event was co-hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA). They recognized Charu Khopkar, the new director of the Speaker’s Office of Member Services. Khopkar was the first Asian American in this position.

February

On February 3rd 2014, the API Caucus co-hosted with the Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA), Speaker Perez, and Senate President Pro Tem Steinberg a Lunar New Year Reception at Frank Fat’s.

On February 26th 2014, the API Caucus, Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA), and the UC AAPI Policy Research Group hosted a roundtable discussion on “Meaningful Engagement with the AAPI Community”, featuring UC Riverside Professor Karthick Ramakrisnan.

May

On May 12th, the API Legislative Caucus also organized the annual APIA Heritage Month Gala to coincide with the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony to honor leaders in the APIA community. The 2014 honorees were Courtni Pugh, Diane Ujiiye, Nathan Adrian, UC Davis Professor Bill Hing, Dale Minami, and Jose Antonio Vargas.

On May 14th 2014, The Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, Black Legislative Caucus, Latino Legislative Caucus, LGBT Legislative Caucus, and Jewish Legislative Caucus held a documentary screening of “Documented.” In 2011, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas outed himself as an undocumented immigrant in an essay published in the New York Times Magazine. Documented chronicles his journey to America from the Philippines as a child; his journey through America as an immigration reform activist; and his journey inward as he re-connects with his mother, whom he hasn't seen in person in over 20 years. The screening was held at The Crest Theater.

July

On July 22nd 2014, Covered California provided a brief for legislative staff on the enrollment numbers for Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Covered California. They discussed preferred channels for enrollment, demographic data of those that enrolled, and outreach efforts to this community made by the exchange. The event is co-hosted by the API Caucus and Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA).

August

On August 4th, the API Caucus hosted the annual APIA Capitol Internship Day with APAPA, AACI, LEAD, and CAUSE.

January

On January 13th, at the State Capitol Rm 317, Chair of the API Legislative Caucus Assemblymember Bonta held the “Immigration Press Conference” highlighting immigration reform and immigration programs that positively impact APIA communities.

On January 21st, the API Caucus, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities and Asian Americans Advancing Justice launched a report titled “ A Community of Contrasts: Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in California, 2014.” This report compiles the latest data on a dozen Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander ethnic groups living throughout California, providing insight into the diversity of the NHPI community as well as how policymakers can address the needs of this growing group. The event featured a briefing on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, at 10 a.m. at Rm. 126 of the California State Capitol. Presenters will discuss the report’s major findings and a policy discussion featuring NHPI community leaders. Free copies of the report will be provided.

February

On February 19th, the community joined the API Caucus, the Asian & Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA), and the California Museum in previewing the “Gambatte! Legacy of an Enduring Spirit” exhibit at the California Museum. Participants explored the exhibit documenting the legacy of Japanese American citizens who were relocated to internment camps under Executive Order 9066, issued on February 19, 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Through historic images shot by War Relocation Authority staff photographers Dorothea Lange, Tom Parker and others juxtaposed with contemporary images of the same individuals taken by The Sacramento Bee photojournalist Paul Kitagaki, Jr., the exhibit reveals the legacy of strength and perseverance that allowed a generation of Californians to triumph over adversity.

April

The API Caucus and the Asian American Education Institute invited the Capitol Community to a light Reception featuring Richard Lui on Thursday, April 23, 2015, upon adjournment of Assembly Session (around 10:00 a.m.) at the State Capitol Rm. 317. The API Legislative Caucus recognized Mr. Lui on the Assembly Floor. Mr. Lui became the first Asian American male to anchor a daily, national cable news show when he solo anchored the 10am hour on CNN Headline News (2007 to 2010). He anchored Early Today on NBC and is a dayside anchor for MSNBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

May

On May 11th, the API Caucus hosted the 4th Annual Gala Awards Dinner, to coincide with the API Heritage Month floor ceremonies, at the Sacramento Convention Center. The 2015 honorees were Larry Itliong, Charles Phan, Henry T. Yang, K.W. Lee, and Erica Yew.

July

On July 13th, the API Caucus hosted the annual APIA Capitol Internship Day.

September

On September 29, 2015, The California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change presented its latest research examining disparities in voter participation during the 2014 general election in a briefing titled “California’s Latino and Asian-American Vote: Dramatic Underrepresentation in 2014 and Expected Impact in 2016.” The Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and the Latino Legislative Caucus were co-hosts for the briefing.

February

On February 8th, the Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, the Asian & Pacific Islander Capitol Association, and the Fat Family held a Lunar New Year Reception at Frank Fat’s on 806 L St., Sacramento, CA.

May

On May 9th, the Assembly held a floor ceremony for API Heritage Month, ACR 125 (Chau).

On May 9th 2016, the API Caucus hosted the 4th Annual Gala Awards Dinner celebrating API Heritage Month at the Sheraton Grand. The 2016 honorees were Shuji Nakamura, Paul Truong, David Tsai. Vince Chhabria, Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, Hudson Yang and Melvin Mar, Bill Wong. Thuy Vu, Johnnie Giles, and Cathlyn Choi.

June

On June 21st 2016, the API Caucus, APICA, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, League of California Cities, and Governor Jerry Brown hosted the API Leadership Celebration at the Sheraton Grand.

On June 28th, the API Caucus hosted the annual APIA Capitol Internship Day.

December

During December 7th - 15th 2016, the Caucus members held a retreat in Cambodia to address human trafficking issues.

Caucus member and Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development, Assemblymember David Chiu, led the development of a package of legislation to address the housing crisis. The Caucus unanimously supported the housing bond and the creation of a permanent funding source to build more affordable housing.

All four of the API Legislative Caucus priority bills that were sent to the Governor were signed into law. These measures protected immigrant rights in their homes, workplaces and schools and ensures that our students learn about our nation’s immigrant history.

Finally, the Caucus led a press conference of the six legislative caucuses to denounce the decision to eliminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Caucus continues to defend our immigrant communities against racist and discriminatory policies.

The Caucus worked with the Senate Select Committee on Asian Pacific Islander Affairs and community partners on briefings and hearings to inform the Capitol community about issues important to the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Briefing and hearing topics included: Public Charge, Status of Asian American Studies in California Public Higher Education and State of Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth.

The Caucus kicked off a series of Listening Sessions to listen to the challenges our diverse communities are confronting in different regions of our state. Six sessions have been completed starting in Southern California in Orange County, Monterey Park, Downtown Los Angeles and San Diego then moved to the Bay Area with sessions in San Jose and San Francisco. The Central Valley was the final stop. Over the year, the Caucus hosted roundtable discussions with Asian American leaders to discuss how California State Legislators can focus public attention on challenges to Asian Americans in certain industries and work on meaningful solutions. Industry discussions have included technology, health, environment, labor, business, nonprofits and entertainment.

January

January 9th, the AAPILC hosted the annual Welcome Back Reception alongside the Asian American Education Institute at Ella’s Dining Room.

January 17th, the AAPILC hosted APICA members for a New Year Celebration at Frank Fats.

January 25th, the AAPILC hosted a roundtable “Partnering with Labor Organizations for Success” with 20 organizations to strengthen work relationships on effective legislation.

February

February 1st 2017, the API Caucus hosted a roundtable on Community Engagement & Collective Impact to share ideas, strategies, and best practices, and hear from community leaders about forward-thinking approaches to working together to solve complex problems, including: Immigration, Healthcare, Housing Funding, Education, Language Access, Work Preservation.

On February 13th, the AAPILC partnered with the California Museum and Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye to honor the Japanese American Day of Remembrance.

On February 14th, the API Caucus held a roundtable on API Third House Engagement and Legislative Impact to share ideas, strategies, and best practices, and hear from leading experts about forward-thinking policy ideas.

March

On March 1st, the AAPILC hosted a Joint Caucus Retreat at Yin Ranch to discuss, identify and agree on best solutions and opportunities to work collaboratively to improve the quality of life and promote the talents of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

On March 7th, the AAPILC hosted a roundtable with Environmental Organizations such as Asian Pacific Environmental Network, CA League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund, National Resources Defense Council, NextGen Climate, Californians Against Waste Foundation, Surfrider Foundation, California Environmental Justice Alliance, Solar City, Sierra Club, Advanced Energy Economy, and Heal the Bay to brainstorm forward thinking policies.

On March 15th, the AAPILC hosted a roundtable with Leaders in Technology and Innovation with TechNet, Facebook, Lyft, Uber, Salesforce, Silicon Vikings, PayPal, AirBnB, Google, Internet Association, Microsoft, and Texas Instruments.

May

On May 15th, following the floor ceremonies, the caucus hosted the Fifth Annual Gala Awards Dinner to honor the API Heritage Month Honorees: Jordan Clarkson, Charles Yu, Kelvin Yu, Vic Lee, Putu Blanco, Minh Nguyen, Marilyn Chin, Julie Su, Richard Konda.

On May 24th, the Senate Select Committee on API Affairs and the AAPILC held a Joint Informational Briefing on the “Role of Asian American Studies in California Public Higher Education”.

July

July 11th 2017, the API Caucus hosted the annual APIA Capitol Internship Day.

September

On September 15th, the AAPILC and API Immigrant Coalition held a legislative briefing on “Protecting Immigrants’ Access to Vital Services: The Impact of Public Charge on Immigrant Communities” at the Capitol Building. The legislative briefing provided information on the impact of changing public charge policy on immigrant communities, and underscored the importance of opposing government policies and practices that create unnecessary barriers to receiving public benefits based on status unrelated to need, including immigration or refugee status.

October

On October 30th, Caucus Members Bonta, Chiu, Chu, and Muratsuchi led the “Strategy Meeting with API Community Leaders Regarding Affirmative Action”, inviting Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, and Orange County Asian Pacific Community Alliance. The “APIs in the Media Roundtable” followed afterwards in collaboration with Hawkins Mikita, a social innovation firm dedicated to developing the intersection of influencers, philanthropy, and social change.

Assemblymember Rob Bonta served as the Chair with Assemblymember Phil Ting as our Vice Chair and Assemblymember Evan Low as our Parliamentarian. December 3rd marked our caucus’ leadership transition with Assemblymember David Chiu’s leadership, and the rest of our 2019-2020 officers which includes Vice Chairs Senator Richard Pan and Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, and Assemblymember Ash Kalra as Parliamentarian.

The API Legislative Caucus played a key role in the passage of the Film Tax Credit extension and advocated for accountability provisions related to diversity and inclusion. The policy package included a historic number of 18 bills, where 13 bills were sent to the Governor, 8 were signed into law, and one was enacted through the final budget.

February

On February 12th, the AAPILC and APICA co-hosted the Lunar New Year celebration at the State Capitol.

June

On June 20th, the AAPILC hosted our annual “Internship Day” in partnership with Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA), Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA), Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) and Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL). This year’s 60 participants heard from API Legislative Caucus members, learned from legislative staff and advocates and held a mock committee hearing.

May

On May 14th, the AAPILC organized the annual APIA Heritage Month Gala Awards Dinner to coincide with the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony to honor leaders in the APIA community at the Sheraton Grand. The 2018 honorees were Amanda Nguyen, Ron Wong, Dave Low, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Peggy Saika, and Maeley Tom.

Building on the momentum and success of the 2017 statewide community listening tours and policy roundtable discussions, the API Legislative Caucus held a two-day API Policy Summit from May 15-16. It featured ten skills building and policy workshop sessions, three expert panels, an API advocacy day and a strategy session. The Summit was attended by nearly 200 individuals representing organizations, businesses and schools from across California.

August

On August 8th, the AAPILC invited community members to a special screening of “Crazy Rich Asians” at the Esquire IMAX Theater.

In 2019, we hosted our biennial Listening Tour in six regions throughout California where we connected with over 300 of you representing diverse organizations, ethnicities, professions and more.

Our caucus championed legislation and budget proposals to protect immigrant communities, promote civic participation and advance education equity. We fought against harmful attacks from the Trump Administration by leading resolutions to urge the federal government to repeal any changes to the Public Charge rule that would severely threaten the health and well-being of immigrant families and to welcome refugees by increasing their admission threshold instead of decreasing them to historic lows. We joined efforts with other legislative caucuses to prioritize legislation to require ethnic studies in our high schools and state universities. Our caucus also focused on the decennial Census to ensure adequate resources, particularly for limited English proficient communities.

We also celebrated and shared our cultural heritage at the Capitol with our annual events recognizing Lunar New Year, Nowruz, Vaisakhi, Philippine Independence Day and India Independence day and so many more!

For the first time, we hosted a celebration of API women with the California Legislative Women’s Caucus during Women’s History Month and convened a roundtable discussion during Pride Month with the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and API LGTBQ leaders from across the state to discuss challenges and opportunities. March 20th, the API Women’s Celebration welcomed over 75 attendees, and celebrated 13 distinguished API Women, capitol staff honorees: Jody Fujii, Irene Ho, Jaspreet Johl, Sophia Kwong Kim, Annie Pham, Genevieve Jopanda, Mona Pasquil, Angie Wei, Tam Ma, Sonya Logman, Amy Tong, Genevieve Shiroma, and Julie Su.

We invited API members of the press from around the state to convene in Sacramento for a “Day at the Capitol” to strengthen our relationships and share information about our caucus.

We hosted a series of six listening sessions as part of our statewide Listening Tour. Over 300 community leaders participated.

March

March 20th, the AAPILC held its first Ethnic Media Day at the State Capitol!

March 22nd, the AAPILC hosted a luncheon with API Corporate Leadership to discuss increasing diversity in all levels of leadership.

April

April 1, the Joint AAPILC held a press conference regarding the challenges between the API community and the Census.

May

From May 13th - 17th, the AAPILC used the Annex Hallway to recognize the contributions of California Chinese Railroad Workers on the 150th Anniversary of the Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, recognizing May 10th as California Chinese Railroad Workers Day.

On May 13th, the AAPILC organized the annual APIA Heritage Month Gala Awards Dinner to coincide with the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony to honor leaders in the APIA community at the Sheraton Grand. The 2019 honorees were Judy Ki, James Syhabout, Stewart Kwoh, Jon M. Chu, Richard Lui, Mona Pasquil, and Lata Krishnan.

June

June 24th, the AAPILC hosted its first Philippine Independence Day Reception.

June 26th, the AAPILC hosted an API LGBTQ Roundtable at the State Capitol to discuss the challenges and needs in API LGBTQ communities with legislators and other organizations from various regions throughout California and identify areas of collaboration.

July

On July 2nd, the AAPILC hosted the annual APIA Intern Day at the State Capitol.

Throughout the year of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed racism and discrimination targeting APIs and harmful disparities within our systems. As we continued our efforts to defend immigrant and refugee communities, our Caucus partnered with stakeholders and organizations to lead several efforts to raise awareness and visibility to address our unique needs. The AAPILC Denounced Trump xenophobia and stood up against anti-Asian hate; Defended our immigrant and refugee communities under threat of deportation; Fought against the "public charge" federal rule change through legislation, an amicus brief and congressional advocacy; Worked with small business stakeholders to re-open nail salons during pandemic; Successfully advocated for increased translations of COVID-19 materials and information specific to immigrant and refugee communities; Urged the California Department of Public Health to collect additional race and ethnicity data.

May

On May 11th, the AAPILC organized the annual APIA Heritage Month Gala Awards Dinner to coincide with the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony to honor leaders in the APIA community at the Sutter Club. The 2020 honorees were Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah, Lisa Ling, Maz Jobrani, and Judy Sakaki.

The AAPILC hosted a 4-week long series of virtual town halls titled "Rise: Asian Pacific America" to respond to the rise in anti-Asian hate in May 2020. Throughout AAPI Heritage Month, nearly 1800 people registered to join our elected officials, community leaders and others to discuss where we are today, where we’ve been as a community, and where we need to go, to rise up to the challenges we face in the near and remote future.

September

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual policy summit was moved to a virtual format on September 8th - 9th: API Policy Summit: 2020 Vision for the Next Decade – #APIVision2020 (wordpress.com)

For our 20th anniversary, the Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (AAPILC) was proud to publish a new logo and name.

This year, the AAPILC successfully collaborated with more than 150 community organizations to pass the historic $166.5 million API Equity Budget addressing decades of biases and increasing hate against the AAPI community. We also successfully assisted in the passage of ethnic studies and other legislation to proactively fight systemic racism.

April

In April, Assemblymember Rob Bonta was sworn in as California’s first Filipino American Attorney General. Assemblymember Chiu made history when he became San Francisco’s first AAPI city attorney since the position was established over 120 years ago. Assemblymember Ed Chau was appointed to serve as a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge.

May

On May 26th, the AAPILC organized the annual APIA Heritage Month Gala Awards Dinner to coincide with the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony to honor leaders in the APIA community. The 2021 honorees were Daniel Dae Kim, The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization, Connie Wun, Dr. Erica Pan, Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Cynthia Choi, Vincent Pan, and Dr. Russell Jeung.

The AAPILC was proud to partner with Disney to celebrate the nation’s first AAPI Superhero. In four weeks, the Caucus hosted six movie screenings and was able to bring the movie to over 650 AAPI community members. The movie screenings took place throughout the state including Sacramento, Saratoga, North Hollywood, Arcadia, Torrance, and Tustin, and included representation from local leadership.

Since 2020, the AAPILC has engaged with over 500,000 community based actions to combat anti-Asian hate, and secured $200 million to assist and prevent hate crimes.

May

On May 9th, the AAPILC organized the annual APIA Heritage Month Gala Awards Dinner to coincide with the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony to honor leaders in the APIA community. The 2022 honorees were Tammy Cho, Dr. Ken Jeong, Dr. Charles Huang, Manguou Liaiga-Anoa’l, Dr. Peter Bretan, Brian Ha, Samara Mehta, and Shohei Ohtani.

June

In June, the AAPILC secured an additional $40.5 million to the API Equity Budget, supporting ethnic media outlets., a Language Access pilot program, the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, the UC Berkley Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies Department, the CSU Fullerton Asian Language Bilingual Teacher Education Program Consortium, and the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute at De Anza College.

September

In September, California solidified its place as a leader for AAPI representation by being the first state in the nation to pass legislation making Lunar New Year an official state holiday. Assemblymember Evan Low championed this effort ith AB 2596. This bill not only recognizes Lunar New Year as a California state holiday, but also authorizes eligible state employees to receive eight hours of holiday credit.

December

On December 5th 2022, the AAPILC hosted a Swearing In Day Legislative Reception to celebrate the three newly elected AAPILC Members: Dr. Jasmeet Bains, newly elected Assemblymember to Assembly District 35, first Indian-origin Sikh woman to be elected to the California State Assembly, and to California’s AAPI Legislative Caucus.

Aisha Wahab, newly elected State Senator to Senate District 10, first Afghan-American woman to be elected to the California Senate, and to California’s AAPI Legislative Caucus.

Stephanie Nguyen, newly elected State Assemblymember to Assembly District 10, first Vietnamese-American woman to be elected to the California Assembly, and to California’s AAPI Legislative Caucus.

February

The inaugural UCLA AAPI Policy Summit was held on February 10, 2023. It brought together researchers, students, community, government, corporate, philanthropic, and academic leaders to have in-depth conversations about topics that are timely, shed new light on issues, and formulate actionable ideas and recommendations. The summit aimed to break down silos in public policy and present research and new data.

May

On May 10th, the AAPILC organized the annual APIA Heritage Month Gala Awards Dinner to coincide with the APIA Heritage Month Floor Ceremony to honor leaders in the APIA community. The 2023 honorees were Wisa Uemura & Franco Imperial, Danial Fong and Maryann Fong, Anh Phoong, Travis Kiyota. Julia Gouw, Anne Nguyen Oliver, Dr. Albert W Young, Benny Luo, Jdy Hicks, Sameena Usman, Anni Chung, and Dr. Manbir Singh.

June

In June, the AAPILC secured an additional $40 million to the API Equity Budget, supporting victim services.

August

On August 16th, the Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA) gathered for the 11th annual Sushi Showdown, one of the largest Capitol API community events! This year’s honorees were Assemblymember Evan Low, Assemblymember Mike Fong, and Andrew Medina. Co-emceed by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen and Mona Pasquil Rogers, the night was filled with fun festivities, culminating in an epic sushi-eating contest.

On August 18th, Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains acted as the keynote speaker and co-emcee for the 2023 Summer Soirée hosted by the Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE). Assemblymembers Evan Low and Phil Ting were honored at the event, in addition to California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and Congresswoman Judy Chu.

On August 23rd, community members and the Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco attended the Kimchee Day Reception, co hosted by the AAPILC and the Koreatown Youth + Community Center at the Leland Stanford Mansion. The event celebrated the passage of Senate Resolution 45, introduced by Senator Dave Min, and Assembly Resolution 55, introduced by Assemblymember Mike Fong, recognizing Kimchee Day on November 22, 2023.

September

On September 7-8, 2023, the AAPI Caucus Foundation hosted the inaugural AAPI Leadership Summit in Sacramento. This dynamic and influential gathering spearheaded by Chair Low brought together over 250 AAPI leaders, state electeds, congressional members, and community members from all across the nation. With the attendance of delegates from the State of Hawaii, the Caucus also held a Maui Relief Benefit dinner to raise funds for those impacted by the devastating fires. The Summit's program, keynote speakers, and panelists offered valuable insights, strategies, and inspiration to address the challenges facing the AAPI community. Speakers included leaders from all sectors of industry and all levels of government. The Summit emphasized the importance of leadership, advocacy, and unity in advancing AAPI causes and contributing to the broader society.