Tag: APIAHF

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NAPABA Announces 2022 President’s Award Winners

WASHINGTON – October 4, 2022. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is proud to announce that the 2022 NAPABA President’s Award will be presented to two groundbreaking organizations that have made a true impact toward the betterment of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA & NH/PIs) during a period of great upheaval for these communities. This year’s recipients are: The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF).

The NAPABA President’s Award is given annually to individuals or entities who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to the Asian Pacific American community.

“NAPABA is proud of our partnerships with these two remarkable organizations,” said Acting NAPABA President A.B. Cruz III. “The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and the resulting wave of anti-Asian hate have created unprecedented challenges for AA & NH/PIs. Both TAAF and APIAHF have responded by creating the desperately needed infrastructure to empower communities to meet these challenges head-on.”

TAAF was established to close the vast AA & NH/PI philanthropic and influence gap in the United States—despite being the fastest growing population in the country, only 0.20% of foundation grantmaking and less than 1% of corporate giving is directly targeted toward AA & NH/PI communities. Founded at the height of the pandemic and anti-Asian hate wave, TAAF has made the largest philanthropic commitment in history focused specifically on AA & NH/PI communities, with particular emphasis on combating anti-Asian hate, education, and narrative change, all areas of priority for NAPABA. Since its launch, TAAF has committed millions in order to develop a strategic response to anti-Asian hate, producing critical resources such as its Rapid Response Toolkit, and building infrastructure through AAPI Action Centers across the country. NAPABA serves as one of TAAF’s National Network partners in the ongoing effort to combat anti-Asian hate.

APIAHF is the oldest and largest health policy advocacy organization working with AA & NH/PI communities across the nation, in the US Territories, and with the US-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions. In partnership with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and over 30 national and community AA & NH/PI organizations—including NAPABA—APIAHF launched the National AA & NH/PI Health Response Partnership, a community-centered model that provides on-the-ground public health resources and assistance across the nation. The largest outreach and educational campaign ever conducted for the AA & NH/PI community, APIAHF and its partners provided linguistically tailored and culturally sensitive outreach and educational materials to increase COVID-19 vaccinations. In addressing the “dual pandemic,” NAPABA and APIAHF partnered together to develop a ground-breaking collection of Combat Hate Crimes Toolkits translated into 25 different Asian and NH/PI languages—the largest compilation of its kind. The two organizations also co-developed fact cards for those who may be unsure of their rights to a COVID-19 vaccination. Translated into 26 different Asian and NH/PI languages, this resource educates community members on the benefits of getting vaccinated and encourages them to receive their free COVID-19 vaccinations regardless of immigration status, health insurance coverage, and/or Social Security identification.

NAPABA congratulates TAAF and the APIAHF as this year’s honorees and will bestow the prestigious award on Friday, November 5 at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas during the 2022 NAPABA Convention.

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NAPABA Launches New Anti-Bullying Resources for Lawyers & Families

COVID-19 has put a spotlight on the mental health concerns of children and the epidemic of bullying impacting K-12 students across the country. As attorneys, NAPABA members are often asked to serve as a resource for those in need. 
 
ANTI-BULLYING RESOURCE GUIDE
For lawyers, we have created a guide on responding to acts of bullying and harassment in K-12 schools. This guide and accompanying CLE webinar will provide you with model responses and a guide to working with impacted families. We thank our partners at the American Arbitration Association/International Centre for Dispute Resolution Foundation (AAA/ICDR Foundation) for their support of this project. We thank the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania, the Asian American Psychological Association, Act to Change, and the Sikh Coalition for offering their resources and guidance. 

Download the Guide here.

IN-LANGUAGE ANTI-BULLYING POSTERS
For students and families, we have created a multilingual poster on how to recognize and navigate the impacts of bullying. You can share this resource in your local community, with impacted families and students, and clients. This project was created in partnership with the Asian Pacific Islander Health Forum (APIAHF).  

Download the Toolkit here.

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COVID-19 Rapid Needs Assessment Survey Now Available In Multiple Languages

Survey participation needed to better understand community needs during the pandemic.

NAPABA has partnered with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) and the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH) to conduct a survey to learn more about the ongoing experiences and needs of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders living in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Input from this survey will help develop resources and programs to support these communities. You can take the survey here and it will remain open until 1,000 responses are collected. 

Take Survey

Purpose of the survey: We are trying to learn more about the current and ongoing experiences and needs of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Eligibility: (a) aged 18 or above; (b) self-identify as a(n) Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander; and (c) be a person living in the United States. 

Survey languages now available: English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Chuukese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Marshallese, Native Hawaiian, Nepali, Punjabi, Samoan, Tagalog, Tongan, Urdu, Vietnamese. 

You will receive an Amazon gift card as a token of thanks for your participation after the survey has been completed. If you are interested in receiving the gift card, you will be asked to complete a short form at the end of the survey link. No survey information will be linked with your personal information.

If you have already taken this survey, please share with those who are eligible. If you have questions or concerns about the study, please reach out to Navdeep Singh, Interim Policy Director, at [email protected]. Feel free to share this link with your family and friends, but we ask that you refrain from posting on your social media. 

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NAPABA COVID-19 Rapid Needs Assessment

Survey participation needed to better understand community needs during the pandemic

NAPABA has partnered with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) and the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH) to conduct a survey to learn more about the ongoing experiences and needs of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders living in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Input from this survey will help develop resources and programs to support these communities. You can take the survey here and it will remain open until 1,000 responses are collected. 

Purpose of the survey: We are trying to learn more about the current and ongoing experiences and needs of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility: (a) aged 18 or above; (b) self-identify as a(n) Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander; and (c) be a person living in the United States.

Survey languages available: Currently the survey is available in English. Languages coming soon: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Chuukese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Marshallese, Native Hawaiian, Nepali, Punjabi, Samoan, Tagalog, Tongan, Urdu, Vietnamese.

You will receive an Amazon gift card as a token of thanks for your participation after the survey has been completed. If you are interested in receiving the gift card, you will be asked to complete a short form at the end of the survey link. No survey information will be linked with your personal information.

If you have questions or concerns about the study, please reach out to Navdeep Singh, Interim Policy Director, at [email protected]. Feel free to share this link with your family and friends, but we ask that you refrain from posting on your social media.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Statement on President Biden’s Signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

For Immediate Release:
Date: May 20, 2021

Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – Today, President Biden signed into the law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Grace Meng (D-NY) in the House. This legislation requires that the U.S. Department of Justice designate a point person whose sole responsibility is to facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic and to expand public education campaigns aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes.  The Justice Department shall also issue guidance on greater accessibility for online hate crimes reporting for victims in multiple languages and for those with disabilities.  The law also incorporates the Jabara-Heyer No HATE ACT Act which increases resources for training on identifying and classifying hate crimes.

“NAPABA thanks President Biden for signing into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which answers the call for greater resources to improve education, training, reporting, and data collection on hate crimes in this country,” said NAPABA President A.B. Cruz III.  “This law is a strong step forward to stem the ongoing tide of anti-Asian hate, bias and violence.” 

The legislation also authorizes grants for states to create state-run hate crimes reporting hotlines and crime reduction programs to prevent, address, or respond to hate crimes. Finally, for individuals convicted of federal hate crime offenses and placed on supervised release, the bill allows a court to order that the individual participate in educational classes or community service directly related to the community harmed by the defendant’s offense, as a condition of supervised release.

In response to the surge in attacks against Asian Americans in the wake of the pandemic, NAPABA in partnership with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) have produced a hate crimes reporting toolkit – translated into 25 languages and English – the single largest collection of such different AAPI-language materials assembled, that provides basic and critical information for victims, community based organizations, and community leaders. 

The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Bill was introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in the Senate, and Representative Grace Meng (D-NY) in the House.  The Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act was introduced by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Fred Upton (R-MI), Judy Chu (D-CA), and Vern Buchanan (R-FL).  NAPABA thanks them for their leadership.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) in the largest Asian Pacific American membership organization representing the interests of approximately 50,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Partners With Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum to Address COVID-19 Through CDC Grant Funding Opportunity

For Immediate Release:        

Date: April 27, 2021

Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – NAPABA is proud to announce that the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) has awarded it grant funding under the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Engaging AANHPI Communities in Adult Vaccination (EVAC) program. Under this award, the first received in its history, NAPABA will leverage its nationwide network of nearly 90 affiliate organizations and its expertise at the intersection of language access and anti-Asian hate violence to enhance vaccine confidence and uptake of COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations.

“The nearly 4,000 reported incidents of anti-Asian hate, and the countless acts of hate that go unrecorded, has had an impact on our communities to live safely, including getting vaccinated for COVID-19. Community members are scared to leave their homes and are not making appointments for the vaccinations for fear of being targeted,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “In this environment, we especially want to ensure that the most vulnerable AANHPI persons are able to receive the vaccine: the elderly, those with limited English proficiency, recent arrivals, undocumented persons, those on the unconnected side of the digital divide, and others who lack access to COVID-19 information and vaccinations. We are honored to collaborate with APIAHF and over 20 partners nationwide to ensure vaccine confidence, access, and equity.”

In recognition that vaccine messaging will be conducted in the same communities experiencing increased threats and attacks based on the falsehood that AANHPIs are responsible for the pandemic, NAPABA and APIAHF have developed a ground-breaking collection of Combat Hate Crimes Toolkits translated into 25 different AANHPI languages – the largest compilation of its kind. These toolkits provide critical information for victims, community-based organizations, and community leaders on how to report attacks to law enforcement and how to help AANHPI communities deter future threats. NAPABA supports vaccination efforts by deploying these legal and advocacy educational resources in tandem with COVID-19 vaccine information so that AANHPI community members feel safe to leave the house, obtain their vaccines, and return to normalcy without suffering the additional threat of bias motivated attacks.

“NAPABA and its membership has THE largest nationwide boots on the ground reach of any AANHPI organization in the country, including in discrete and hard to reach areas where little infrastructure exists for the community,” said Juliet K. Choi, President and Executive Director of the APIAHF. “This historical and innovative strategic partnership with NAPABA will increase COVID-19 vaccination education by leveraging their members who are trusted civic leaders in their local communities that work to address community needs across a wide spectrum of issues.”

NAPABA plans to mobilize its nationwide network of nearly 90 affiliates and our members’ substantive legal expertise across a range of areas, drawing especially on its innovative work in linguistic access, and will be hiring an Education Coordinator for COVID-19 Vaccination Equity to help fulfill this mission.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of approximately 50,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

NAPABA | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, DC 20006 | www.napaba.org

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NAPABA & APIAHF Launch Combat Hate Crimes Toolkit in 24 Languages

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, there have been nearly 4,000 recorded hate incidents against the Asian American community, and this number continues to rise. Earlier this week, President Biden announced additional actions to respond to Anti-Asian Violence, Xenophobia and Bias. Attorney General Garland announced a 30-day review to assess the government’s tracking capabilities and prosecution of hate offenses that are surging across the country. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) are working with the Biden Administration to identify problems and to offer solutions in combating hate crimes.

NAPABA and APIAHF have collaborated to urgently develop a community Combat Hate Crimes Toolkit, which provides basic and critical information for victims, community-based organizations and community leaders. The toolkit, created under the National AA and NHPI Health Response Partnership, is translated into 24 different languages—the single largest collection of AANHPI translated materials ever and includes:

  • Understanding the difference between a hate crime and hate incident
  • Working with law enforcement and the media
  • Checklist for community organizations
  • Frequently asked questions

ACCESS NOW

Our organizations are committed to expanding this toolkit and increasing the availability of languages to provide critical information needed by our community. Combatting anti-Asian hate and violence is essential to enhancing the safety and security of our community, including seeking health care. If your community-based organization is interested in co-branding the toolkit with us, please contact Abram Garcia so we can help assist.