CALIFORNIA ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS

The last two Summits held by the California Asian Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus launched a statewide API movement that brought API leaders from across California to the State Capitol to advocate for key issues facing the community. This year, the Caucus partnered with leading statewide API organizations such as Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE), Asian Pacific Islanders California Action Network (APIsCAN), Asian Pacific State Employees Association (APSEA), California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Institute, and the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs to jointly convene the 2006 Summit.

“This year’s Summit was an unprecedented partnership between the Caucus and leading API organizations,” stated Assembly Member Judy Chu (D- Monterey Park), Co-Chair of the API Legislative Caucus, “It truly signifies the growing strength of our API communities.”

The Summit featured a joint hearing of the API Joint Legislative Caucus and Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs. Legislators and Commissioners heard testimony from community members and experts on a range of issues from civil rights to education and health access. The hearing not only created a public record of current issues impacting the API community, the information was also shared with a broader statewide audience via its broadcast on the California Channel. Summit attendees also participated in a variety of other activities ranging from policy roundtable discussions to workshops on leadership development and legislative advocacy. The Summit concluded with participants conducting legislative visits to their Assembly Members and Senators to advocate for API legislative and budget issues identified during the Summit.

The Summit also featured a Gala Dinner that paid tribute to API legislators leaving office in 2006, Assembly Members Wilma Chan, Judy Chu, and Carol Liu, for their contributions to the state and the Asian Pacific Islander community. Of the seventeen APIs who have served In the California Legislature, only four have been women. The first was March Fong Eu elected in 1966. Assembly Members Chan, Chu, and Liu made history when they were elected to the legislature in 2000 and 2001. During the six short years they served in the Legislature, these trail blazers made more history with their legislative accomplishments and unprecedented leadership roles. In addition to the tribute, the 300 plus dinner guests were also given a special welcome by legislative leaders, Senate President pro Tempore Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.