APA Leadership Foundation Partners with API Cities Caucus To Combat Hate Crimes

Image courtesy of Asian Pacific American Leadership Foundation

APALF's statement on the partnership to combat hate crimes:

Asian Pacific American Leadership Foundation (APALF) joins Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in celebrating AAPI Heritage month. As we recognize our AAPI community’s contribution and culture, our community continues to live in fear and with anxiety as violence against our community escalates. We would like recognize the leadership of the League of CA Cities Asian Pacific Islander Caucus for their dedication to combatting violence against our community by joining in as an Executive Producer partner of The Race Epidemic documentary.

To address violence and stem the hate against AAPIs, APALF produced The Race Epidemic, a documentary about the history of hate and violence against our AAPI community. APALF has been and will continue to promote and screen this documentary in cities across California to spur discussions of race and politics. Along with the screening, APALF has organized and hosted educational workshops to engage individuals who have recently become energized to take action.

Joining APALF in screening the documentary and hosting the training is the League of California Cities Asian Pacific Islander Caucus (LOCC API Caucus). Working together, APALF and LOCC API Caucus will activate and prepare individuals to take leadership positions and be a voice for AAPIs in their local communities.

“This documentary aligns with the Caucus’s efforts to combat the violence against the AAPI community and to advocate for the empowerment of our community,” said Stephanie Nguyen, Council Member of City of Elk Grove and President of the League of CA Cities API Caucus. “The Caucus and our membership of AAPI city elected officials – envision seeing a new generation of leaders who are motivated to combat the aggression against our community.”

A new generation of individuals are just learning about the long history of racism, discrimination, and violence that AAPIs have endured in this country. The goal is for The Race Epidemic to energize the movement to combat racism and hate that undermines the potential of the AAPI community. It is not just a film, but a deeper conversation to catalyze advocacy and leadership within and for the AAPI community. As a result, the aim is to increase the number of AAPIs who serve in leadership positions.

“The partnership with the League of Cities API Caucus is a crucial part of APALF’s long-standing mission of preparing AAPIs to serve in leadership positions,” said James Lau, executive director of APALF. “AAPI elected officials are on the front lines of fighting against AAPI hate and are in positions to make a change.”

Together, APALF and LOCC API Caucus will work together to host the screenings and training to reach a wider audience and energize new leadership who will lead efforts to combat hate against our AAPI community.