Hello APIC SPS friends,

As you may know, every year the Asian Pacific Islander Colation (APIC) hosts an annual A&PI Legislative Day in Olympia, bringing community members from around the state to meet with legislators. We will be continuing this tradition but in a virtual format on Feb 2nd - 3rd, 2022. 
 

• 2022 APIC Legislative Agenda: https://bit.ly/APILegislativeDaysAgenda

• Lobby Training #1 (you only need to join one): Tuesday, January 25th from 3-4 PM. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/APILegDaysLobbyTraining1

• Lobby Training #2 (you only need to join one): Wednesday, January 26 from 5 PM-6 PM. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/APILegDaysLobbyTraining2
  
  
  Join us as we make our voices heard and our power felt. Register at https://tinyurl.com/apilegislativedays 
   

1. On December 3rd, Washington Supreme Court will not exercise its authority to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative district maps, leaving in place the work of the bipartisan redistricting commission. The court had met its legal obligations by voting on a map framework before midnight (on November 15th) without the revealing the map publicly.
2. On January 3rd, RJW raise concerns how the 14th and 15th Districts were split in Yakima County. Majority of Yakima’s County’s Latino population is located in the 15th District. Andrew Hong (statewide coordinator for RJW) explained that Yakama Nation should kept intact with the Yakima Valley due to their long history and shared organizing, interests, political priorities, economy, and agriculture.

Since 2014, Advancing Justice | AAJC has organized this multi-day leadership development program for student advocates focused on advocacy, communications, and civic engagement around issues impacting Asian American communities, from college campuses to Capitol Hill. Through interactive workshops, hands-on trainings, and discussions with leaders on Capitol Hill, participants build advocacy and communications skills and gain a deeper understanding of how they can impact policy decisions.

Over the years, we have partnered with AAJC and had the privilege of convening exemplary young advocates from a myriad of diverse communities and spanning all regions across the country. We are thrilled to announce our 9th Youth Leadership Summit cohort.

The Multicultural Service Center of South Sound

• Provide information, resources, and culturally competent services
• Provide advocacy opportunities for members and partnering member organizations.
• Conduct cultural and educational events.
• Promote and support exchanges between ethnic cultural groups in the South Sound area.

As we all welcome the new year—and the clarity and hope that comes with—its important that we take a moment to reflect on the year past and the accomplishments we made as the country endured the second year of a global pandemic.

Reflection is essential to both celebrate our wins and understand what can be improved to better serve our community. The perseverance and resilience our community showed in the face of a multitude of challenges arising from Covid-19 was both heartening and inspiring. Across Washington, our Asian, Pacific Islanders, Native Hawaiian, and Desi communities banded together to protect our family’s health and security. As an APIC chapter and Puget Sound community, APIC-SPS didn’t falter in the face of heightening concerns. As Washington endeavored to meet its vaccination goals, we stepped up and organized two of our own community vaccine clinics and partnered on two others, focusing on getting our most vulnerable community members vaccinated and protected against COVID. We also undertook an extensive emergency relief grant program, which helped distribute nearly $50,000 to the local community helping those adversely affected by the pandemic.

As many of us experienced over the past couple years, the challenge to form/maintain social connections and relationships due to a lack of in person contact led to a loss of communication, kinship, and involvement. That is why one of our major goals this year is to increase youth engagement and strengthen inter-ethnic dialogue, unity, and collaboration. Will you join us?

We share a vision where trust and collaboration are at the forefront of our work for the future . APIC-SPS has—and will continue to be—an agent of positive change, with our strength and power arising from inclusivity and solidarity. If the pandemic has shown us anything, our ability to depend upon each other for support is essential for our continued success. So, as we enter 2022, we ask you—who make up the APIC-SPS community—to join us and our work to make the South Puget Sound a welcoming place for all immigrants, refugees, and citizens.
—by APIC SPS Communication intern Kelsey Monaco