August 24, 2020 to August 28, 2020
This year, every day has been historic. The results from our August 11th primary showed that when women run for public office, they win. Last week, Joe Biden announced his pick for vice president, Senator Kamala Harris. No matter your political affiliation, I hope seeing women and women of color in different leadership positions at all levels of government bring hope that makes your heart flutter. This month also marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and women’s constitutional right to vote.
Every night on television I hear political commentators mention “Asian American” which is rare. They are describing Senator Harris’ background, but it still makes me feel included. It also reminds me how invisible Asian Americans are in our school curriculums and thus in the media. Did you know that before Andrew Yang and Kamala Harris ran for president, several other Asian politicians had run for president? Two were from Hawaii. The first was U.S. Senator Hiram Fong who sought a presidential nomination from the Republican party in 1962. Second was Congresswoman Patsy Mink who served 24 years and in 1965 was also the first woman of color elected to the House in Congress. She ran for president in 1972. In 2016, Bobby Jindal, at that time Governor of Louisiana, sought the Republican nomination for president.
All this to say that Asians play important roles in politics, past and present and have been vying for top positions throughout American history. And yet, the American public knows very little about it. This is one of the reasons why CAAL supports mandatory ethnic studies in K-12 public schools. In partnership with other organizations, we define ethnic studies as the critical and interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and indignity with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of people of color within and beyond the United States. It is not enough to make ethnic studies an elective or lift up one or two leaders of color when this country is built on the backbones of BIPOC.
Let’s not bathe in this historic moment without learning and embracing the social justice movements that make it possible for us to be here. Let’s live up to our ancestors’ sacrifices and make them proud!
In solidarity,
KaYing Yang
Director of Programs and Partnerships
CAAL ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
Economics Work Group
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 (4:00 PM to 5:30 PM)
Please register here in order to receive the meeting information.
State of Asian Minnesotans: Visibility and Survival in the Age of Covid-19
Thursday, August 27, 2020 (3:00 PM – 4:30 PM)
Featured Speakers : Chao Yang, Hedy Tripp, Ia Xiong, and Ignatius Bau
In this session, community leaders and experts will come together to discuss the barriers that shape healthcare disparities for Asian Minnesotans, including the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19, and how communities are responding. Hear from health policy and public health experts and community voices on addressing the health, well-being and survival of our communities in this moment of COVID-19. To receive the Zoom link, please register here.
Stronger Together Fund
Submit your completed application to us no later than Friday, September 25, 2020 at 5:00 PM CT by completing this online form. Please make sure all requested information is complete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
For general questions, technical assistance, and accessibility needs, please contact Kara Carmosino at kara@caalmn.org. If you would rather be interviewed for this application rather than complete it, please contact Kara.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES & EVENTS
We Love St.Paul/We Love Midway Grant
Applications open until funds run out. There is no deadline. Grants range $1,000-$25,000
Immigration Fee Increases and Fee Waiver Changes Fact Sheets
The fact sheets can be found in English, Somali, and Spanish with Karen translations coming soon. The Immigration Law Center of Minnesota strongly encourages individuals who believe they meet the criteria to apply for naturalization and lawful permanent residence to meet with an attorney and assess whether they can file applications before these changes go into effect.
Report Discrimination and Bias
If you experience or witness discrimination based on race, where you come from, your immigration status, or anything else, call Minnesota’s Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or submit this online form. The helpline is staffed by investigators from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Translation/interpretation services are available.