SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (AAPILC) released its 2021 Progress Report today, which highlights several major accomplishments in a year marked by historic crises but also triumphs and transformations.
Despite the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and a disturbing rise in Anti-Asian hate crimes, the AAPILC effectively advocated for our communities in historic fashion. The Caucus was proud to work with more than 150 community organizations to advocate for the needs and interests of the AAPI community and successfully pass the historic $166.5 million API Equity Budget. The record investment in California’s AAPI communities will help track and prevent anti-AAPI hate crimes and discrimination, increase anti-bias education, and invest millions of dollars in ethnic media organizations.
The Caucus celebrated its 20th Anniversary last year and adopted a new name, officially becoming the California Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. The AAPILC also unveiled a new logo and will soon go live with a redesigned website.
Caucus members authored and assisted in the passage of several key pieces of legislation, and as pandemic restrictions loosened, the Caucus helped the community regain some sense of normalcy by maintaining our cultural traditions and celebrating Lunar New Year and APIA Heritage Month. Individual members of the Caucus were especially excited to join Disney in celebrating with community members this fall the release of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Marvel’s first major film to feature an AAPI superhero as the star. AAPI communities across the state gathered to attend screenings sponsored by the Caucus.
Finally, The Caucus was proud to see three AAPILC members — Attorney General Rob Bonta, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ed Chau — move on from the state Assembly to take on new leadership positions where they will continue to pave the way for future generations of leaders.
Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) and Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) — the Chair and Vice Chair of the AAPILC, respectively — issued the following joint statement on the 2021 Progress Report:
“We are incredibly proud of the AAPILC’s many accomplishments in 2021, in particular our partnership with the community to secure $166.5M in funding addressing the unprecedented rise in anti-Asian hate crimes,” said Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) and Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley). “Our unity is stronger than ever and our fight has just begun. Together, we will continue to advocate for AAPI equity.”