On May 14, 2025, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Southern California (AJSOCAL) proudly hosted its annual AAPI Heritage Month celebration in Sacramento. The event brought together elected officials, legislative staff, and community partners across the region and state for an evening of recognition and action.
AJSOCAL officially launched its 2025 legislative campaign, Rise and Resist. At a time when AAPI rights are under attack, AJSOCAL is celebrating resilience, uplifting the community, and mobilizing for justice. During the program, AJSOCAL spotlighted key bills that protect vulnerable communities and expand access to education, housing, and opportunity:
- AB 49 (Muratsuchi): Protects undocumented students and their families by prohibiting federal immigration officers from entering a school site for any purpose without providing valid identification, a written statement of purpose, a valid judicial warrant, and approval from the school district’s superintendent.
- AB 863 (Kalra): Requires basic language access protections for tenants facing an eviction by requiring notices, complaints, and summons to be translated if the tenant’s primary language is Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean.
- AB 865 (Gonzalez): Establishes a one-time $5 million grant to be administered over 3 years by the California Department of Education, focused on increasing instructional materials in Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs, including developing or purchasing materials.
- AB 1351 (Ahrens): Modernizes the work permit system by creating an online registry called the Youth Employment System (YES) to register employees who are minors under the CA Department of Education.
In addition to launching our legislative priorities, AJSOCAL honored AAPI champions of change whose leadership continues to shape a more equitable California:
- Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi – Legacy of Courage Award
- Mao Yang, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens – Champion for Change Award
- Andrew Medina, Policy Consultant to Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire – Trailblazer for Equity Award
- Erika Ngo, Legislative Director to Assemblymember Ash Kalra – Change Catalyst Award
Each honoree has had a long history of leadership in championing justice, advancing inclusion, and building a future for all communities to succeed.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Lucid Winery. Together, we rise and resist, and we look forward to continuing the fight for a California where all voices are heard and protected.
For all event photos, click here.
