Advocacy Is What Advocacy Does
APIsCAN is the first coordinated, collaborative, grass-roots, community-driven social justice and public policy effort to directly address the disparities in California’s legislative, budget, and state department system.
In that tradition, APIsCAN has sponsored the only legislation (AB 116 – Nakano) of its kind in California which established the first Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.
APIsCAN is the first to lead our diverse communities in the Universal Preschool movement and in the hard to categorize, but clearly troubling issue of problem and pathological gambling.
APIsCAN continues to be a policy catalyst for our APIA brothers and sisters contending with HIV/AIDS, mental health needs, drug and alcohol addiction, and refugee resettlement. APIsCAN is able to respond because we are a dynamic network, not a static entity. We can lead, initiate, train, educate, assist, reinforce, and support as appropriate.
Equally important, APIsCAN responds to the needs, challenges, social justice, and public policy issues of today while continuing to collaborate with like-minded advocacy organizations who strive to not only maintain, but elevate all aspects of life for Asians and Pacific Islander Americans.
Social Justice and Public Policy
Commission on APIA Affairs (CAPIAA)
The Commission was established by legislation, AB 116 (Nakano). CAPIAA is charged with advising the Governor, Legislature, state agencies, departments, and commissions on issues relating to the social and economic development, rights and interests of the API communities.
APIs are the fastest growing and most diverse ethnic group in California, representing 4 million residents and over 12% of California’s population. CAPIAA was created as a citizens’ commission to serve as a statewide voice for the interests and concerns of the API communities.
CAPIAA consists of thirteen members appointed by the Governor and the Legislature. CAPIAA does not have any fiscal impact on the State as it does not receive any state funding and is supported entirely by private sources.
Useful CAPIAA Links
- Help save the Commission
Make your voice heard along with APIsCAN’s to advocate for the survival and continuation of CAPIAA. - A Fact Sheet on the Commission.
SBC/AT&T Merger Hearing Testimony
APIsCAN is one of the founding coalitions that helped create the Community Technology Foundation and recently testified at public hearings sponsored by the California Public Utilities Commission on the SBC and AT&T merger proceedings.
2005 Special Election Education Campaign
In this rapidly changing political and policy environment, APIsCAN serves as a conduit for sharing information on critical policy issues that impact API communities. For example, during the November 2005 special election, APIsCAN co-sponsored a community education campaign to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate information to API communities on Propositions 73, 76, 77 and 79.
Universal Preschool
APIsCAN believes that all 3-5 year olds deserve equal access to voluntary preschool. American-born, immigrant, and refugee children must have the same opportunities to begin their education as other citizens.
Preschool does not replace family teaching. Preschool simply helps to prepare children for kindergarten and is usually for only part of the day so that the child can continue learning from family members. Preschool helps teach social skills as well as self-confidence and thinking skills.
Research shows that children who attend quality preschool are better able to learn to read and to do their best in school. These children are: less likely to be placed in special education or to be held back a grade; higher achievers on standardized tests of reading and math; better behaved in class; and more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.
Le Nguyen, Coordinator for the Indochinese Youth and Community Center (IYCC) oversees a tutoring program at the center. He has observed that, “the youngsters who have gone to preschool can read and write more easily, understand math and science concepts, and speak English more proficiently than their friends who have not attended preschool”.
Law enforcement officials observe that preschool sets the foundation for future school success which typically helps to prevent crime and improve public safety.
Family members often struggle with the decision to send their 3-5 year old to someone else. But a well-trained teacher can nurture as well as teach. APIsCAN is playing a role in helping California decision makers ensure that our linguistic and cultural needs are addressed in preschools. There will be opportunities in the next few years to participate in shaping local Preschool systems, or to enroll in credentialing programs to become a preschool teacher.
Universal Preschool Links
- Preschool California is a statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve publicly funded, quality preschool opportunity for all California children whose parents want to enroll them.
- A
Universal Preschool Glossary by Norman Yee, President of the San Francisco Board of Education and longtime children’s advocate.
- Norman Yee also recounts a a Preschool Story.
Problem Gambling
According to the group, Americans spend more on gambling than they do on groceries, wagering upwards of $600 billion annually. While most people can gamble without negative consequences, approximately one percent of the population meet the criteria as pathological gamblers and another estimated two to five percent can be identified as problem gamblers.
Pathological gambling is recognized as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association. Among other traits, it is characterized by a continuous or periodic loss of control over gambling and/or a preoccupation with gambling. The problem is believed to be a paricularly sizable one within the API community ‐ large enough that the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs has adopted it as one of its priority issues for 2005. The Commission has taken the initial steps of convening the Asian Pacific Islander Problem Gambling Task Force, comprised of community leaders and APIA Commissioners. The Task Force will work to address problem and pathological gambling within the API community with an emphasis on ensuring culturally and linguistically competent services are available.
Dr. Timothy Fong, Co-Director of UCLA’s Gambling Studies Program, is a leading expert and has found that:
Recent research suggests that the percentage of pathological gamblers among Asians may be higher than in the general population (up to as high as 20%). Much more work is needed to understand the precise impact that problem gambling has on Asian families and communities.
“I applaud the Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs for convening this new task force,” said Assembly Member Judy Chu. “For too long, problem gambling has not been recognized by our community for its devastating effect on families, such as debt, unemployment and even suicide.”
Commission Vice Chair and APIsCAN Director, Diane Ujiiye, stated that the Commission adopted problem gambling as a priority issue because “problem and pathological gambling contribute to by-product issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse, alcoholism, and unemployment that adversely affect whole families and communities. The Commission is spearheading efforts to persuade the State’s Office of Problem Gambling to fund API community groups statewide to address this concern.”
Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund
- Letter of inquiry to John Chiang, California State Controller, on the impact of future distributions from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund (SDF).
- Response letter from John Chiang, California State Controller, on the future allocations from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund (SDF).