Summer 2024 Newsletter

Connie’s Comments

At AJSOCAL, we’re committed to empowering all members of the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community, and that includes our vibrant QTAPI (Queer, Trans, Asian Pacific Islander) individuals. They haven’t always had the spotlight, but that needs to change.

These past few months, we took intentional steps to champion those that identify as LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and others) within our community. Our “Queer Joy” campaign kicked off with the fabulous “Jade Jubilee” drag brunch in Sacramento. This wasn’t just about celebrating incredible QTAPI talent; it was a springboard for action. After the brunch, our policy team joined forces with our QTAPI partners to advocate for crucial initiatives. We’re pushing for culturally competent and affordable mental health services, supportive violence and harassment responses, housing security, respective and affirming healthcare, and equitable data collection and disaggregation.

This isn’t a new fight for us. Last year, we joined over 40 organizations in a Drag March protesting anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. And I have the privilege of working with members of the Sisterhood Trust, a collaborative coalition of women of color leaders from varied communities and social justice organizations like the TransLatin@ Coalition, to create a safe space for gender empowerment.

Photo from a previous Sisterhood Trust Retreat

In truth, discussions about gender identity can be challenging in traditional Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures. Some family members and friends might struggle to accept their QTAPI loved ones, or even our advocacy efforts. But at AJSOCAL, our mission is to uplift all AAPI communities, especially the most vulnerable. Today we’re seeing record-high anti-LTGBTQIA+ legislation being introduced all over the country, and to disregard our QTAPI community would be a betrayal of our core mission and values.

The daily grind can be overwhelming, but I’m energized by the opportunity to uplift our most marginalized communities, work at the intersections of race and other identities, and push boundaries that have been historically established to keep some communities down.

As CEO, it’s not just about the numbers; it’s about creating a space where every AAPI voice can thrive.

AAPI Queer Joy

AAPI Queer Joy is AJSOCAL’s initiative to become more inclusive and representative of the AAPI community by recognizing the intersectionality of the AAPI and LGBTQIA+ communities. In partnership with a coalition of QTAPI-serving organizations across California, we identify and highlight the specific needs of the QTAPI community. Based on the coalition’s guidance, AJSOCAL advocates for inclusive policies that empower the QTAPI community and allow all to thrive. This coalition currently is comprised of the following organizations: AJSOCAL, API Equality – Los Angeles, Lavender Phoenix, and Viet Rainbow of Orange County (VROC).

AAPI Queer Joy campaign logo is characterized by images of cut fruit such as lychee, mango, custard apple, and dragon fruit. Cut fruit has long been an aid to introduce difficult conversations amongst loved ones. These fruits on a platter signify the challenges that we must overcome, and are ready to face, so that all QTAPI community members can live their most authentic and joyous lives. This campaign is AJSOCAL’s promise to be allies and advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community beyond Pride Month, because we know that intersectional identities do not only exist for one month of the year.

As an allied organization, our education must never end. Please reach out if you are a member of the QTAPI community, a representative of the QTAPI community, or a fellow LGBTQIA+ advocate to become partners with us and to advance AAPI Queer Joy.

Intersectional Identities: Being a part of the AAPI and LGBTQIA+ Communities

Written by Mairelise Robinson, Policy Unit

On June 5, in the Lavender District of Sacramento, AJSOCAL hosted the Jade Jubilee in partnership with API Equality-LA and VROC. The Jade Jubilee was a drag brunch held to celebrate the vibrant QTAPI community and to spotlight the unique set of intersectional challenges this community faces. As the first Pride event AJSOCAL has ever hosted, the Jade Jubilee was timed to be at the intersection of the start of Pride Month and the close of AAPI Heritage Month, to represent the intersectional identities of the QTAPI community.

Over 70 attendees had the opportunity to network, to learn about the QTAPI community, and to enjoy performances by Princess B, Mya Lusion, and Kutie Kulls – three Sacramento-based Drag Queens. In addition to drag performances, Mya Lusion also presented her spoken word poetry for the first time in drag. As she recited poems in Tagalog and English about her family and struggles with her intersectional identities, her vulnerability and sincerity emphasized why our advocacy needs all voices and identities.

The Jade Jubilee is part of a yearlong research effort by AJSOCAL’s Health Access Project (HAP) to better understand the post-pandemic landscape of health inequities and opportunities for realignment. Through these efforts we identified vital gaps in our work: Pacific Islander (PI) engagement, Violence Prevention, and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI)-LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. We quickly discovered that we and other organizations have much work to do to improve SOGI-LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. The unique needs of the QTAPI community are often all but forgotten, and individuals are often forced to choose between their AAPI or LGBTQIA+ identities when seeking services or community support.

According to Lavender Pheonix‘s research, 74% of QTAPIs face obstacles to accessing care in the Bay Area. One noted reason for this alarming number is the struggle to find providers who understand what being LGBTQIA+ means as an AAPI individual. This lack of culturally competent gender affirming care contributes to greater isolation. The suicide rate of QTAPIs in the Bay Area being twice as high as the larger LGBTQIA+ community.

This is not just a Bay Area issue, according to VROC 1 in 10 QTAPIs in Orange County avoid seeking medical care due to fear of discrimination toward one or both of their identities. Those who do obtain healthcare may avoid mentioning their LGBTQIA+ identity to their provider in case they are ‘outed’ to family before they are ready. In these cases, providers do not know to consider additional relevant screenings, which also increases the risk of preventable illness, and cannot make appropriate referrals based on the patient’s needs (e.g. an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist or support groups). These challenges are just a few examples of how our health systems are unaware of, ignore, or discriminate against many of our QTAPI community members.

At AJSOCAL we believe that advocating for the rights and dignity of all AAPI communities must include all AAPI community members. By uplifting the unique experiences and intersectional identities of our QTAPI siblings and selves, we make our diverse communities better for everyone. We strive to be stronger advocates and allies during Pride Month and beyond because we know that intersectional identities do not only exist for one month of the year.

Meet the Team – Policy Unit

Our Policy Unit leads our policy advocacy efforts. We defend civil rights through advocacy with legislature and government agencies to change existing laws or institutional policies. AJSOCAL’s policy advocacy focus areas includes immigrants rights, language access, health access, LGBTQIA+ access, education equity, and human trafficking.

As we continue into the second year of the legislative cycle, this year’s policy campaign is “Our Untold Stories.” We’re building upon the momentum of “Combatting Asian Invisibility” and introducing four new legislative priorities that shed light on critical issues affecting our community. These challenges include the lack of in-language labor rights education, undervaluing of language skills without fair financial compensation, the pressing need for human trafficking data, and the disparities caused by legacy admissions.

The Policy and Health Access unit are:

Nikki Dominguez – Policy Director
Faith Lee – Legislative Director, Sacramento
Mairelise Robinson – Policy Manager
Benjamin Tran – Policy Strategist
Jeffrey DeGuia – Policy Advocate, Los Angeles
Lan Le – Policy Advocate
Li Xu – Senior Program Coordinator, Health Access Program
Zenny Dong – Health Programs Navigator

From left to right: Faith Lee, Benjamin Tran, Nikki Dominguez, Jeff DeGuia, Zenny Dong and Mairelise Robinson. Not pictured: Li Xu, Lan Le

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What inspires you to do this work?

Nikki Dominguez

My mom raised my sister and me as an undocumented single mom here in the United States. She sacrificed her family, her friends, her whole life to escape poverty, femicide, domestic violence and lack of opportunities for women. As a mother of two little girls, she knew that she wanted us to have better lives and the opportunities every parent wants for their children. Growing up watching her fight for my sister and I is what inspires me to the work that I do. Seeing how immigration policies tear families apart, how it criminalizes people fighting for their families and children, watching education systems fail children and parents, and so forth makes it impossible not to want to change things. To me the work that our department does is about those families, those moms, those kids. We are working every day to make their lives – their fights – a little better. And at times it might not feel like we are achieving much – because let’s be honest our country is so polarized that making meaningful changes is close to impossible at times – the little bits that we are able to achieve inspire me to keep going. If we can help just one family not to feel so alone and forgotten that is worth it.

Zenny Dong

Speaking up for our clients and community members, breaking down barriers to accessing services, as well as empowering our communities to advocate for themselves, is what inspires me to do this work.

Benjamin Tran

Growing up, I was the family translator and tech person. My family being low-income meant that we needed assistance from various social services. However, my parents are limited English proficient and therefore relied on my siblings and I to navigate the government bureaucracies. It was difficult knowing that failing to successfully fill out documents meant drastic consequences for my family: no food stamps, no free/reduced school lunches, and no access to the protections of the law. My family resides in the San Gabriel Valley and so it was especially confusing seeing that even in a place with such a high concentration of AAPIs that language accessible services were missing. These experiences inspire me to do this work so that in the future immigrant/refugee children do not need to be the lifeline for their families to get the resources they need to live dignified lives.

Lan Le

Anger at structural inequalities and my own impotence in the face of them. Anger at the traffickers who seem to abuse with impunity. For context, I used to work with survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. I became tired of the consistently terrible outcomes, particularly among youths who have been trafficked and survivors with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Shifting to policy advocacy is daunting but I hope it will allow me to move the needle on these issues.

Mairelise Robinson

Injustice breaks my heart; every human being has worth and dignity, and I cannot stand that American culture and society fails to recognize that. I cannot stand that uniqueness and diversity, the things that make our world beautiful, are attacked, and I refuse to stand idly by. I believe that we are all here to contribute to something, and I want to be a fighter advancing justice and equity.

Jeffrey DeGuia

It’s been such a wild ride joining a new team in the last year and learning how to advance justice and create a more equitable society through policy. What inspires me is knowing that we’re working hard with other community partners to fix a broken system that has for a long-time overlooked our immigrant communities, especially our AAPI community. I’m inspired by my parents, who are immigrants from the Philippines and by the belief and vision that every single person in this country (and world) should be able to live a dignified, fulfilling and thriving life. It’s not fair that only some are afforded those privileges due to lineage or socioeconomic class.

Li Xu

What inspires me to do this work is my journey as a first-generation immigrant who spoke very little English while trying to navigate the complicated US healthcare system. Experiencing the challenges of applying, renewing, request translations for doctor appointments under the Medi-Cal program, to understanding new terms like deductible and PPO when I was under the Covered California health plan, made me realize how overwhelming and helpless new immigrants and limited English proficient (LEP) folks must feel when obtaining and utilizing health coverage in the U.S. The fear and uncertainty of utilizing government aid health coverage shouldn’t exist because access to healthcare is a basic human right, and it’s not a negotiable option.

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What change would you like to see?

Nikki Dominguez

Uff, this is a tough question. I could sit here and list off a bunch of policies I would like to see changed like that increased language and health access, humane and just immigration reform, protection of women’s and childbearing people’s bodies and our reproductive rights, inclusion of intersectional identities, protection of LGBTQIA+ communities’ rights (including those of LGBTQIA+ children), housing reform and protection. Honestly, I could go on. But I think if I had to really pick one change, I would like to see it help achieve all the policies I just mentioned and those I didn’t … it would be for more community members to become involved. There is power in numbers, and not just one loud voice among many but a sea of collective voices coming together to demand justice. I truly believe that we would be able to achieve and change so much if we could come together and fight together for our communities.

Zenny Dong

I would like to see empowered communities collaborating to stand up for and support one another more!

Benjamin Tran

The changes I want to see will allow people like my parents to live full and dignified lives. Language accessibility is huge and needs to be done in concert with an increase of resources for all vulnerable communities. Culturally competent mental health care services, affordable housing, and transit accessible community spaces are just a few I hope to see realized in my lifetime.

Lan Le

Improved human trafficking prevalence studies that is representative of diverse populations (unlike the Sacramento one which had 0 data on Asian survivors)

Improved housing protections for human trafficking survivors amend VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) or TVPA (Trafficking Victims Protection Act).

Increased language access, particularly in the court system. It’s frustrating to see how LEP individuals are effectively silenced due to language barriers.

Mairelise Robinson

No child should ever be raised thinking that they are less, be treated as less, or be taught that they are less and then struggle to unlearn these horrible lies throughout their life. I want to see a real positive peace where human dignity is respected and where we can raise the first generation that does not experience structural and cultural violences. How amazing would society be if diversity and uniqueness were genuinely celebrated? How much more functional would systems be if everyone was treated equitably?

Jeffrey DeGuia

Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community or the QTAPI community, I hope to see more inclusion of my specific community in all AAPI spaces both in the non-profit sector (in policy, direct services) and in areas like media representation. This includes sharing our stories, highlighting our specific and diverse needs, and not being an afterthought – I want our community to be seen as a priority.

Li Xu

I would like to see improvements in multiple different layers.

Empowering community members, especially new immigrant and LEP folks, with knowledge of the health care system, and the confidence to navigate health plan to receive all the benefits it provides.
Enhancing linguistically and culturally competent services at hospital, including increasing numbers of bi-cultural and bilingual healthcare providers, improving the efficiency of interpretation request, and ensuring comprehensive language access for managing medical bills and other administrative tasks.
At the government agency level, prioritizing equitable health care access for all, regardless of immigration status, alleviates financial burdens for low-income communities. This includes expanding the list of threshold languages to provide more in-language support and streamlining the application and renewal process between different government aid programs such as Meid-Cal, Covered California, and other cash assistance programs.

Meet one of our PBAC Co-Chairs – Jonathan Shih

Our Pro Bono Advisory Council (PBAC) is integral in the development of AJSOCAL’s pro bono programs. The committee members are our first resource in assisting with pro bono matters and issues. PBAC also helps raise vital funds and resources needed to support and expand AJSOCAL’s pro bono programs. Members include attorneys from major national and international law firms, as well as in-house counsel at Fortune 100 companies.

Leading this committee as chairs are Jonathan Shih of Latham and Watkins LLP and Steve Yoda of Walzer Melcher and Yoda. Here is more about how Jonathan first got involved with PBAC and why he has stayed involved.

Jonathan Shih was first introduced to AJSOCAL and Christina Yang, General Counsel and Pro Bono Director by Dominic Yoong, a long-time Latham partner and supporter of AJSOCAL over lunch in April 2015. Latham has been a part of our PBAC since the inception. Shortly after their meeting, Latham’s PBAC representative moved to Silicon Valley. Jonathan Shih was asked if he would like to become Latham’s new representative, he accepted and has been a part of PBAC ever since.

When he first joined PBAC, a couple of his friends were on the Latham litigation team that was working with AJSOCAL on the L’Amande Bakery case, which involved a lawsuit filed on behalf of 11 Filipino workers who were fraudulently lured by their employer to the United States on E-2 visas and then subjected to exploitative working conditions including forced labor, severe wage theft, immigration-related retaliation and national origin discrimination. The successful collaboration between AJSOCAL and Latham on this case showed the value of partnerships between AJSOCAL and major law firms.

In the years since, he has volunteered with AJSOCAL through immigration and citizenship clinics and has stayed involved with AJSOCAL and PBAC because he enjoys connecting with great people and supporting the great things that AJSOCAL continues to do such as bystander intervention trainings to organizing the Monterey Park Victims Fund.

Jonathan and Latham highlight just some of the ways that our PBAC members and their firm collaborate with AJSOCAL and how their involvement is crucial to advancing justice. They serve as ambassadors for AJSOCAL and liaise between their firm and AJSOCAL. From helping to recruit volunteers for clinics, to providing staffing for pro bono cases and to solicit sponsorships for fundraising events, PBAC is important to with helping us serve the community and driving our work forward. In April, we had our annual Game Night fundraiser, which is hosted by PBAC. This fundraiser is an annual tradition and opportunity for our PBAC members to connect with each other and to connect their colleagues and friends with our organization.

Health Access Program Client Story

A few months ago, the Health Access Program (HAP) assisted an elderly community member referred to us by our Immigration unit. Her husband had been abusing her physically, emotionally, financially, and medically, by withholding medication needed for her chronic illness.

We helped her apply for Medi-Cal, advocated on her behalf with the social services office, and were able to get her approved for Medi-Cal, subsequently removing her husband’s control over her medication and health.

She tells her story below:

“In October 2023 I found myself trapped in a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal that had lasted over 40 years… The man I married and spent over 40 years with, had not only abused me verbally, but economically and medically too. I have a chronic illness that requires daily medication and constant medical care. I felt trapped and scared… Zenny from the Health Access Program, helped fill out all forms required, spoke on my behalf and went above and beyond anything I could have expected. Zenny did more than fill out forms; she listened patiently to my needs, gave me moral support and the feeling that I was not alone, and referred me to needed places.

When my Medi-Cal was approved, I felt a big chain had fallen off of me. I feel Zenny saved my life and sanity, now both these things are in my hands, not someone else’s that I felt did not care for me or my wellbeing.”

– JP

New Training Available

Copy of How to Respond to Anti-Asian Harassment (Website)

Learn more about our upcoming trainings

Announcing our new How to Respond to Harassment & Practice Resilience When Experiencing Anti-Asian Harassment training!

During this interactive training, you’ll learn Right To Be’s methodology for responding to anti-Asian/American harassment:

Trust your Instincts,
Reclaim Your Space, and
Practice Resilience.

You’ll learn how your identities can shape your experience of harassment and the impact that harassment has on you and your community as a whole. We’ll talk about what to look for when assessing your safety and how to determine if responding at the moment is the right action or not. We’ll also dive deeply into building your resilience on an individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal front. You’ll leave with new tools on how to respond to harassment, whether your response is in the moment while that harassment is happening or long-term.

UPCOMING EVENTS

41ST ANNUAL GALA

United in Action, October 10, 2024, Vibiana – Downtown Los Angeles

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YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO THE AAPI COMMUNITY

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Your support is crucial in our ongoing struggle for justice and equality. There are several ways you can contribute to our cause:

Volunteer

Lend your time and skills by volunteering in our various programs and events. Whether you can provide legal expertise, educational support, or simply your time for community service, your involvement is invaluable.

VOLUNTEER

Donate

Financial contributions help us keep our services accessible to those in need. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference in our fight against discrimination and injustice.

DONATE TODAY

Spread the Word

In the age of information, awareness is powerful. Share our mission and stories on social media, within your networks, and in your community to combat misinformation and stereotypes. Your actions, big or small, contribute to a larger movement towards a society where everybody is treated with fairness and dignity. Together, we can achieve a future of true equality.

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Did you know that you can double your impact?

Many organizations will match your contribution, see if your organization matches and you will make double the impact.

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Contact Us

For more information about our programs, volunteering opportunities, or ways to donate, please visit our website at AJSOCAL.org or follow us on social media. We are always looking for community members and allies eager to make a difference. Get in touch, and let’s make progress together.

Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to justice.