By Mathew Seibert and Daniella Espinoza
SACRAMENTO, CA – The Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Legislative Caucus announced its 2022 policy priorities last week regarding the “injustice” the Asian community has been dealing with before and after the pandemic.
A press statement from the AAPILC revealed the anti-Asian hate crimes and the discrimination that has been a major issue in the U.S., with the Stop AAPI hate reporting project documenting more than 10,905 incidents of anti-Asian attacks, more than half in California.
The study cites 62 percent of the reports were made by women and 74 percent of those who participated in the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum experienced racism and discrimination. 
Sacramento-area State Senator Richard Pan, the Chair of the AAPI Legislative Caucus, addressed the issues, noting, “It has been two years since the start of the pandemic and the AAPI community continues to face anti-Asian hate, while dealing with the inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. We are honored to work with Stop AAPI Hate to implement specific policy changes based on their critical work over the past few years.”
In an attempt to combat the ongoing injustices faced by the Asian community in the US, the AAPI Legislative Caucus voted to prioritize a series of 12 bills for this year’s legislative session.
Among the measures are policies which will enable more data collection on discrimination, updated hate crime policies within law enforcement agencies, and even a public health initiative to address the harassment of women and other vulnerable populations in California, said Pan.
“I am proud the AAPI Legislative Caucus has once again produced a legislative package that reverses systematic biases and elevates AAPI communities across the state,” said Pan.
My favorite photo!