Tag: funding

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NAPABA, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay, Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association, and Jacksonville Asian American Bar Association Statement in Response to Elimination of DEI Initiatives for the Florida State Bar

For Immediate Release: 
Date: February 15, 2024 		Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director for Policy 

WASHINGTON -On January 30, 2024, the Florida State Bar confirmed following public reporting that the Florida Supreme Court eliminated all funding for the Bar’s diversity and inclusion initiatives in its next budget. This ends the existence of the Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Created in 2010, the Committee’s mission was to advance diversity and inclusion within the state’s legal profession and administer, among other programs, the Voluntary Bar Association Diversity Leadership Grant, which supported “initiatives and programs which encourage diversity, diversity training and dialogue among lawyers in Florida.”

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), together with the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay (APABA-TB), the Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association (GOAABA), and the Jacksonville Asian American Bar Association (JAABA) express concern with the decision to discontinue funding and its adverse impact on essential work performed by the Florida State Bar. Regardless of this action, we remain steadfast in our collective mission to support the Asian Pacific American legal community, and we will continue to focus unrelentingly on advancing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession.

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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 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 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 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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Restaurant Revitalization Fund Application is Opening!

Register in the SBA application portal this Friday, April 30 (Portal opens 9 AM)

Applications will open on Monday, May 3 (12 PM EST)

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) is launching the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide funding to help restaurants keep their doors open. Qualifying businesses may receive funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss, up to $5 million ($10 million per business entity with multiple locations). Received funds spent on eligible uses until March 11, 2023 do not have to be repaid.

Eligible entities who have experienced pandemic-related revenue loss:

  • Restaurants
  • Food stands, food trucks, food carts
  • Caterers
  • Bars, saloons, lounges, taverns
  • Snack and non-alcoholic beverage bars
  • Licensed facilities or premises of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products

Eligible with onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts:

  • Bakeries 
  • Brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms 
  • Breweries and/or microbreweries 
  • Wineries and distilleries 
  • Inns 

Is your business majority-owned by Asian owners? Businesses owned more than 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be given priority for review in the first 21 days of applications. Make sure to check the box self-certifying you are a socially disadvantaged individual!

For detailed information: Restaurant Revitalization Fund (sba.gov)

RRF Program Guide in Asian languages are available here: Restaurant Revitalization Funding Program Guide (sba.gov)

Application will be available only in English and Spanish. Prepare required documents and fill out the application practice form included in the in-language guide beforehand to ensure you are prepared to apply when the program launches!

Simplified Chinese:                                                                                                                   

政府餐饮复兴基金（RRF）现正接受申请!

请于4月30日，本周五（系统将于早上9点开放）在美国小商业管理局 (SBA) 的系统进行意向登记

正式申请系统将于5月3日，周一，中午12：00后开放

美国小商业管理局（SBA) 正在启动餐饮复兴基金（RRF）计划，该计划将为餐饮企业提供资助帮助他们继续日常经营。符合资格的企业可获得与其受疫情影响损失营收额等额的资助，最高可达500万美元（若企业同时有多家店面运营，最高额可达1000万美元）。只要受领人在 2023 年 3 月 11 日之前将补助金用于合规的用途，其无需偿还该补助金。

并且您的企业营收在疫情期间受到了影响，并属于以下类别即可申请：

  • 餐馆
  • 餐车和路边摊档、
  • 饮食承办商、
  • 酒吧、酒庄、小旅馆
  • 零食店或非酒精类饮品店
  • 其它持牌经营的酒类生产或销售企业

以下类别企业若线下零售额占企业总营收33%，也具有申请资格：

  • 面包店
  • 酒馆、品酒室、生啤酒吧
  • 啤酒厂和/或微型酿酒厂
  • 葡萄酒庄和蒸馏酒厂
  • 小旅馆

您的企业股权主要所有人为是亚裔吗？若企业股权51%由社会与经济弱势族群所有，建议您在开放申请后的头21天进行申请，您的申请将会被优先考虑。若您是亚裔，请务必在填写申请时勾选正确选项声明您属于弱势族群。

更多信息请参考: 餐饮振兴基金SBA

亚洲语种项目介绍: 餐饮振兴基金项目指南

SBA提供了中文申请表格翻译供参考，但申请系统仅有英文与西语，请在申请系统开放前准备好相应的英文文件和信息方便您第一时间递交申请。

Korean:

레스토랑 재부양 기금 프로그램 접수가 곧 시작됩니다!

오는 금요일 (4월 30일) 오전 9시 부터 SBA 포털에 사전 등록해 계정를 만드세요

기금 프로그램 접수 5월 3일 낮 12시 시작

내달 3일 (월요일) 부터 미국 중소기업청(SBA)이 식당들을 지원하는 레스토랑 활성화 펀드(RRF)를 출범합니다. 자격을 갖춘 업체는 팬더믹 관련 매출 손실 금액에 해당하는 자금 (업체당 최대 500만 달러, 다중 소재지 사업체당 1,000만 달러)에 해당하는 자금을 지원받을 수 있으며, 2023년 3월 11일까지 적격 용도에 사용한 수령 자금은 상환할 필요가 없습니다.

기금 신청 자격 대상

코로나바이러스 팬더믹으로 수익 감소를 겪었으며 현재 영구 폐점상태가 아닌:

  • 레스토랑
  • 푸드 스탠드, 푸드 트럭, 푸드 카트
  • 케이터링 업체
  • 바, 술집, 라운지, 선술집
  • 스낵 및 무알콜 음료 바
  • 제품 시음/샘플링/구매 가능한 알코올 음료 제조 업체의 시설 혹은 부지로 허가를 받은 곳

2019년 총수입액의 최소 33%가 현장 판매였음을 증명할 수 있는 경우: 

  • 베이커리
  • 브루펍, 테이스팅 룸, 탭룸
  • 맥주 양조장, 소규모 맥주 양조장
  • 와인 양조장 혹은 증류주 공장
  • 여관

혹시 사업체의 소유주가 과반수 이상 아시안이십니까? 사회적·경제적 약자가 51% 이상 소유한 사업체는 신청 후 21일 이내에 심사를 우선적으로 받게 됩니다. 기금 신청시 자신이 사회적 약자인 것을 스스로 증명하는 박스를 반드시 체크하세요!

자세한 사항은: Restaurant Revitalization Fund (sba.gov)

한국어 가이드 보기 : http://bit.ly/hangulrrf

RRF 기금 지원은 영어와 스페인어로만 가능합니다. 필수 문서를 미리 준비해두고 한국어 가이드에 지원서류 샘플에 따라 미리 양식을 작성해 두시면 당일 지원에 도움이 됩니다.

Nepali

रेस्टुरेन्ट पुनरुद्धार कोषकोलागि निवेदन खुल्दै छ!

एस.बी.ए आवेदन पोर्टलमा यो शुक्रवार, अप्रिल 30 तारिक मा दर्ता गर्नुहोस् (पोर्टल 9 बिहान खुल्नेछ)। 

आवेदन सोमबार, मे ३ तारिक (१२ बजे ) खुल्नेछ।

अमेरिकाको सानो व्यवसाय प्रशासन (एस.बि.ए.) ले रेस्टुरेन्टहरुलाई पूर्ण ब्यवसाय संचालन गर्नकालागि मद्दत पुर्याउन रेस्टुरेन्ट पुनरुद्धार कोष (आर. आर. एफ) शुरू गर्दैछ। योग्य व्यवसायहरूले उनीहरूको कोभिड-१९महामारीले गर्दा भएको राजस्व घाटा बराबर कोष प्राप्त गर्न सक्दछ। एस कोषद्वारा व्यवसायहरुले ५ मिलियन डलर (बहुविध स्थानहरूभएकाले १० मिलियन) सम्मको कोष प्राप्त गर्न सक्नेछन्। मार्च ११, २०२३ सम्म योग्य प्रयोगहरूमा खर्च गरिएको रकम फिर्ता तिर्नु पर्दैन।

महामारीका कारणले राजस्व घाटा अनुभव गरेका छन् निम्न संस्थाले एस कोषकालागि निवेदन दिन सक्नेछन्: 

  • रेस्टुराँ 
  • खाना स्ट्यान्ड, फूड ट्रक, फूड कार्ट (खानाको ठेला-गाडीहरु)
  • क्याटररहरू
  • बार, सैलुन, लाउन्ज, टाभर्नहरु
  • खाजा र मदिराबाहेक अन्य पेय सामग्री बार
  • लाइसन्सकासाथ पेय मदिरा उत्पादक/ उत्पादन गर्ने केन्द्र अथवा परिसर जहाँ सार्वजनिक रुपले ति पदार्थ चाख्न, नमुना लिन अथवा खरिद गर्न सकिन्छ

सार्वजनिक रुपले तेही इस्थाल्मा बिक्रि गर्ने र कम्तिमा पनि अनसाइट बिक्री सार्वजनिक गर्न योग्य कम्तिमा कूल रसिद को 33 33% समावेश:

  • बेकरीहरू
  • कुनै बनाइने ठाउँहरु 

Is your business majority-owned by Asian owners? Businesses owned more than 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be given priority for review in the first 21 days of applications. Make sure to check the box self-certifying you are a socially disadvantaged individual!

For detailed information: Restaurant Revitalization Fund (sba.gov)

RRF Program Guide in Asian languages are available here: Restaurant Revitalization Funding Program Guide (sba.gov)

निवेदन इस्पेनिश र अंग्रेजी भाषाहरुमा मात्र उपलब्ध हुनेछ। आवश्यक कागजातहरू तयार गर्नुहोस् र निवेदन फारमज ब तपाई प्रोग्राम सुरू हुन्छन् आवेदन गर्नको लागि तयार हुनुहुन्छ भनेर निश्चित गर्न इन–भाषा गाईडमा समावेश गरिएको आवेदन अभ्यास फारम भर्नुहोस्।

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Chris Kwok Testifies Before the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety on March 22

On March 22, Chris Kwok testified on behalf of AABANY before the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety in support of two changes to the funding of Hate Crime Units of New York District Attorneys’ Offices. These recommendations call for Hate Crime Units to be staffed with full-time prosecutors and legal support personnel, and for periodic audits by the committee to ensure their use of dedicated funds for hate crime prosecution. Chris shared that AABANY first voiced these recommendations in its report on anti-Asian violence. The report specifically identified the “Jade Squad”—a police division formed to combat Chinese gang violence in the 1970s— and concomitant Asian Gang Units that were formed at the District Attorney’s Office. In line with these successful historical efforts, AABANY now advocates for the creation of dedicated and fully funded hate crime divisions in law enforcement and prosecutors’ offices.

The AABANY report recounts numerous instances of assault and harassment against Asian Americans in New York over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Chris highlighted the persistence of such racially fueled attacks to this day. Chris also noted that media outlets, community leaders, and politicians have since backed AABANY’s proposals to fully fund and formally staff anti-hate-crime initiatives. Among these supporters, Chris identified the inspector of the NYPD Task Force and New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang. In the face of unrelenting anti-Asian violence throughout the state, Chris explained that the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and District Attorneys’ Office Hate Crime Units require dedicated funding and full-time personnel to improve their reporting structures. Only with such resources can anti-hate-crime initiatives produce reports that adequately detail the efforts of law enforcement to stem anti-Asian violence. The statement concluded with Chris’s message that fully funded and full-time Hate Crime Units are critical to encouraging the continued reporting of anti-Asian hate crimes and to fostering greater trust within the Asian American community. To read Chris’s written statement, submitted with his testimony, click here.

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Chris Kwok Testifies Before the City Council Committee on Public Safety

On March 16, Chris Kwok testified on behalf of AABANY before the City Council Committee on Public Safety in support of two changes to the NYPD Asian Hate Crimes Task Force: to fully fund the Task Force and to replace its volunteer staff with paid personnel. An AABANY Board Director and Chair of the Issues Committee, Chris shared that AABANY was the first to publicly voice these recommendations in its report on anti-Asian violence. The report recounts numerous instances of assault and harassment against Asian Americans in New York over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Chris highlighted the persistence of such racially fueled attacks to this day. Chris also noted that media outlets, community leaders, and politicians have since backed AABANY’s proposals to fully fund and formally staff the Task Force. Among these supporters, Chris identified the inspector of the Task Force itself, New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, and all of the District 1 City Council candidates. District 1 covers Manhattan’s Chinatown among other neighborhoods and sites. In the face of unrelenting anti-Asian violence throughout the state, the statement concluded with Chris’s call for a fully funded and full-time task force to foster trust within the Asian American community and to encourage the continued reporting of anti-Asian hate crimes. To read Chris’s written statement, submitted with his testimony, click here. AABANY gratefully acknowledges Student Leader Taiyee Chien for his assistance in drafting the statement.

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Complete the Census 2020 Today!

The United States Constitution requires that the nation’s population be accurately counted every ten years via the census. The data collected from the census ensures equal access to important governmental and private resources for all Americans, including how federal funding is allocated to states and localities.

Census results also impact the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government. The data collected by the census affects how district lines are drawn for the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislatures, and local boards.

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing groups in the United States. For Asian American communities to be properly represented in government decision-making and to receive a proper allocation of funding, we must complete the census.

You can complete the census online by clicking on the link below. It is easy and only takes about 10 minutes to complete. Your submission will help direct billions of dollars in federal aid to local communities for various public services.

https://2020census.gov/

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NAPABA Opposes Proposed Elimination of Funding to the Legal Services Corporation

For Immediate Release
March 16, 2017

For More Information, Contact: 
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
[email protected], 202-775-9555

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) strongly opposes the elimination of federal funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) as detailed in President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget. The LSC was formed with the critical mission of ensuring that all citizens have equal access to civil legal services and the justice system — regardless of their ability to pay for counsel.

“We call on Congress to reject this proposal and increase funding for the Legal Services Corporation,” said NAPABA President Cyndie M. Chang. “As Congress has recognized in a bipartisan manner, the LSC plays a critical role in ensuring access to justice for individuals of all backgrounds, regards of their ability to pay. Asian Pacific American attorneys work for legal aid programs funded by the LSC and engage in pro bono community assistance programs that have their roots in the LSC. Most significantly, the elimination of funding means that the most vulnerable in our country would not receive critical legal assistance.”

Each year, LSC assists 1.9 million families across the country in every state in our nation. Clients of legal services organizations represent all ethnicities and ages, including those who are limited English proficient, immigrants, the working poor, veterans, people facing foreclosure or evictions, families with children, farmers, people with disabilities, domestic violence victims, natural disaster victims, and the elderly. Without the strong support of civil legal aid, these individuals would be faced with the prospect of appearing in court alone and representing themselves, without the assistance of counsel.

NAPABA stands with other bar associations (including the American Bar Association), over 150 major law firms, and countless advocates who have spoken out on the importance of adequately funding the LSC. NAPABA strongly supports the LSC and efforts to provide legal assistance to vulnerable populations.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of almost 50,000 attorneys and approximately 75 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

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NAPABA Affiliate Grant Program

Message from Tina Matsuoka, NAPABA Executive Director:

NAPABA’s President George Chen and Immediate Past-President Bill Simonitsch spearheaded the development of the NAPABA Affiliate Grant Program, which will allow affiliates to apply for funding of up to $3,000 annually for projects related to membership development and pro bono activities. Eligible projects include advocacy efforts to support APA communities, educational workshops for lawyers and law students, and community outreach efforts. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

For more information, please visit this link: http://www.napaba.org/?page=AffiliateGrant.

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NAPABA Law Foundation’s 2014 NLF Public Interest Internship Program

SUMMER INTERNSHIP FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INTEREST ORGANIZATIONS

The NAPABA Law Foundation is pleased to announce its 2014 NLF Public Interest Internship Program. The internship program will fund at least one legal intern at a public interest organization(s) that provides either direct legal services or impact litigation on behalf of the Asian Pacific American community. Qualified organizations may apply for more than one internship and grants of up to $6,000 per intern will be provided to the finalist organization(s).

Click here to download the application. Applications are due on March 28, 2014.

If you have any questions after reviewing the application, please email [email protected].