SACRAMENTO – The California Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (AAPILC) commends the Governor’s recent actions to advance equity and tackle disparities. Governor Gavin Newsom recently issued an Executive Order on Equity, which reaffirms the state’s commitment to address racial disparities within government departments, by “directing state agencies and departments to take additional actions to embed equity analysis and considerations in their mission, policies, and practices.”
The Executive Order also establishes California’s first Racial Equity Commission. The Commission is tasked with producing a Racial Equity Framework that will include resources and tools to promote racial equity and address structural racism. The Commission will also provide direct assistance to state agencies as they review and update their policies and practices. The Racial Equity Commission was a result of Senate Bill 17 and the hard work by AAPILC’s Chair, Senator Richard Pan, and racial equity organizations. Senate Bill 17 was a policy priority of the AAPILC that was introduced in 2021.
In 2022, the AAPILC deepened its partnership with Stop AAPI Hate by authoring two critical bills to continue fighting anti-Asian hate, and would also like to thank the Governor for signing the following two AAPILC priority bills.
AB 2448 (Ting) - Requires the Civil Rights Department, formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, to create a pilot program that would recognize businesses for creating safe and welcoming environments free from discrimination and harassment of customers.
SB 1161 (Min) – This measure is a starting point and requires the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University to develop a survey tool that transit operators can administer to develop data-driven initiatives to help prevent street harassment on public transportation systems.
This legislation stemmed from reports by Stop AAPI Hate highlighting a sharp rise in harassment against Asians taking place on public transit and in other public spaces like grocery stores, with Asian women more likely to be targeted. This legislation addresses situations like the incident in New York City where an employee refused to assist an elderly lady being beaten outside their place of business.
“Dismantling systemic racism to achieve equity is difficult work, and I applaud Governor’s
Newsom’s leadership in beginning to confront these challenging issues in state government in his Executive Order. I also want to thank advocates who sponsored SB17, a bill I am proud to have authored, to hold state government accountable for equity. I appreciate the partnership from the Administration to incorporate elements of SB17 in the Executive Order, particularly the establishment of the Racial Equity Commission to craft a racial equity framework. As Chair of the Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I have witnessed how often inequity is justified by racist tropes such as the Model Minority Myth and the devastating impact of inequity on American health and lives. Governor Newsom’s Executive Order, and signing of AB 2448 and SB 1161 are important steps toward a more fair and just state government for all Californians,” said Dr. Richard Pan, Chair of the California Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.