Message from the State Chair
Dear Fellow Democrats:
I truly hope you are doing well including your loved ones. It is such an unprecedented time and on a daily basis we are saturated with COVID-19 information, hearing of xenophobic crimes affecting our community, and having to deal with the blatant ignorance and stupidity of our President that is directly affecting immigrants and our community. Having to balance the health of ourselves and our loved ones should be our first concern, but this Administration only creates a space filled with anger and the desire to fight back at the polls in November.
The CA Democratic Party Asian Pacific Islander Caucus Executive Board has continued to meet by phone every month to discuss issues of importance. We praise the work of Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Center for their tremendous work with their STOP AAPI HATE national campaign. If you or anyone you know has experienced a hate crime because of the crisis, please report it at the link above. From this data, we can formulate a plan of action how to address these crimes and future policies to help us.
Furthermore with our deep roots as Democrats to activate, again we will not tolerate the hate our community is experiencing. We don’t assimilate, WE RISE UP! Call out discrimination when we see it! Asian Americans for Advancing Justice and Hollaback! have joined forces to conduct bystander intervention training when we see these crimes occur. The CDP API Caucus, CDP Secretary Jenny Bach and the CYD API Caucus are all encouraging you to join us for their May 2nd training to learn the correct tools on how to address discrimination and to kick-off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Register below and also join us on several virtual meet-ups as we regroup, reflect, and take action for the months ahead.
Lastly, California is only slightly ahead of the national average in our US Census response rates at almost 54%. Please take the time to take the US Census Survey, inform others and especially those in college. If not listed, write-in your API ethnic group so that you can be accounted for. Our federal programs, funding for our communities and congressional districts depend on the outcome of this survey.
Thank you all and be well.
Democratically yours,
Melissa Ramoso
State Chair, Asian Pacific Islander Caucus
California Democratic Party
and the Executive Board
Asian Pacific Islander Caucus 