CAA is calling for the state of California to invest $210 million over a three-year period to address hate incidents against AAPI communities, which have faced increased attacks since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Since March of 2020, the Stop AAPI Hate coalition, which CAA co-founded with the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) and the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University, has received more than 6,600 reports of hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — 40% of those incidents occured in California.
California must take a strong stance against this violence and provide community support, services, and prevention programs against these attacks. We are grateful that both the State Senate and State Assembly have endorsed the proposal, and call on Governor Newsom to support the API Equity Budget to help our communities recover from the trauma and devastation of anti-Asian hate and violence and address the racial inequities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The measure is sponsored by the California API Legislative Caucus and supported by a statewide coalition of over 150 leading health, civil rights, social justice, education equity, and community-based organizations.
The proposal includes budget allocations for victim services and violence prevention; language access infrastructure; economic revitalization programs; and education opportunities for AAPI students. Read on for a comprehensive review of the proposal.
- $109.5 million for victim services and prevention for the community-based organizations that provide necessary services to victims of hate incidents
- $20 million in economic development grants to revitalize Chinatowns, Japantowns, Koreatowns, Little Manilas, and other community hubs
- $20 million to help AAPI students through restorative justice pilot programs, higher education attainment for low-income and first-generation students, and supportive peer social media networks
- $10 million to help Stop AAPI Hate expand its data collection and analysis
- $10 million for a California Interpreters Corps that can help limited-English proficient residents access services
- $10 million for data equity to collect accurate data about the API community and its needs and barriers
- $500,000 for a racial bias task force, which would create a blueprint to address the root causes of racial bias and hate violence
- $10 million for an office of racial equity, that would establish accountability for advancing racial equity in state government
- $7 million in ethnic media outreach
Time is running out for this proposal to earn the support of Governor Newsom. To learn more about how you can get the word out, check out this social media toolkit, which includes information on what to share and who to contact.
