It's Asian American, Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Instiutions Week.

Propective students taking a tour of University of California-Irvine, where AANHPI students are
 in the majority as undergrads and in graduate programs.

A Congressional resolution was introduced to recognize the week of Sept. 27-Oct 3, as Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Week.

“As a former public school teacher and current member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, I’m glad to be recognizing AANAPISI Week and the many Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) that bridge the existing gaps in educational opportunities and give underserved communities a fighting chance to succeed," said Rep. Mark Takano, D-CA, chair of the Education Task Force of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) are defined under the Higher Education Act (HEA) as colleges or universities with an undergraduate enrollment that is at least 10% Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander. 

While AANAPISIs make up only 5% of the colleges and universities in the United States, they enroll nearly 40% of all AANHPI undergraduates in the nation.

“As a proud graduate of a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), I know I wouldn't be where I am today without the opportunities I received through higher education," said Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-WA, who is of Korean descent. "Like other MSIs, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) are invaluable to supporting low-income, first generation AAPI students, and enroll nearly 40% of all AANHPI undergraduates nationally."

“AANAPISI Week gives us the chance to elevate the work of AANAPISIs and to further amplify the need and demand for improved availability and quality of postsecondary education programs to serve the diverse needs of Asian-American, Pacific Islander, and low-income students,” stated Dr. Noel Harmon, President, APIA Scholars.

The AANAPISI Program was originally authorized on September 27, 2007, by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Since its founding, some 217 colleges and universities have been eligible as AANAPISIs throughout the United States, including the United States territories.

“The growth of AANAPISIs and their reach and impact on the APIA community is truly evident by the many scholar success stories that we have collected in our own work with APIA students,” states Dr. Julie Ajinkya, Senior Vice President of APIA Scholars. “It is our hope to bring even greater visibility to this work and to help to grow in numbers those institutions who qualify as AANAPISI.”

Today, there are currently 166 eligible Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions operating in the United States, including the U.S. territories. Since the program began in 2007, 38 institutions have received funding, yet currently there are only 20 institutional grantees.

Below are the AANAPISIs currently receiving funding:

American River College
Bunker Hill Community College
California State University, East Bay
California State University, Sacramento
Hunter College
Laney College
Metropolitan State University
Middlesex Community College

Mission College
Mt. San Antonio College
Northern Marianas College
Oakton Community College
Pacific University
Palau Community College
Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
San Francisco State University

University of California, Irvine
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

"It must be our goal to reject the myth of the model minority, and fully support AANAPI students seeking educational opportunities to improve their quality of life by investing in the institutions, resources, and programs that cater to our diverse population," said Takano. "Education is a hallmark of the American Dream that everyone should have equal access to.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, observations, news tips and references, follow me on Twitter @dioknoed.

Congressional leaders call for action against attacks on Asian Americans

Members of Congress held a virtual press conference denouncing anti-Asian violence.

The outcry against the continuing acts of violence directed at Asian Americans has reached the U.S. capitol.

Friday, members of the Congressional Tri-Caucus – composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) – held a press conference with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries to condemn the recent spike in anti-Asian hate crimes and violence in recent weeks.

“It is a profound and unacceptable injustice that the AAPI community faces not only the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis right now, but also the growing threat of bigoted attacks against their community," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "This epidemic of violence is a challenge to the conscience of our country, which our Democratic Congress is committed to combating, confronting and ending.”

Since March last year when Stop AAPI Hate began accepting reports of hate acts against Asians, there have been about 3,000 incidents reported.

The recent unprovoked attacks against AAPI elderly, some of which were videotaped by security cameras, struck an emotional chord with the Asian American community. Respecting and honoring seniors is part of most Asian cultures.

Members of Congress and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice issued the following statements:

“Attacks on Asian Americans have become an almost daily tragedy in our country. My heart breaks for the thousands of Asian American families that have been terrorized by this xenophobic violence since the start of the pandemic. But I am also encouraged by the support from other communities of color, Congressional leadership, and the Biden Administration,” said Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair. 

“This terrible violence is the deliberate result of a party that put xenophobia and blame shifting ahead of the health and safety of fellow Americans, and that is why it means so much to have a new President and elected leaders at all levels of government who are willing to condemn attacks against the Asian American community and push back on racist slurs like ‘Kung flu’ and ‘China virus’ that have put lives in danger," continued Chu.

“Hate has no place in America, but rates of harassment, bullying and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have risen dramatically in the past year. President Biden condemns and denounces anti-Asian xenophobia,” said Ambassador Susan Rice, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. 

Biden has made racial equity a cornerstone of his administration. Days after taking office the President signed a Presidential Memorandum on combating anti-Asian xenophobia, which directed departments and agencies within the federal government to take steps to combat anti-Asian bias, and partner with AAPI communities to prevent hate crimes and harassment. 

"As part of the Administration’s whole of government approach to advancing equity, we are focused on improving federal data disaggregation, removing language access barriers, and ensuring equal opportunities for AAPI communities,” said Rice.

The press conference was held on the Day Remembrance to recount the injustice towards Japanese Americans when they were incarcerated during WWII.

"As we shed light on the rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community, we dedicate this day to the nearly 120,000 innocent people who were wrongfully interned by our government solely because of the color of their skin, the shape of their eyes, and their Japanese heritage. What the AAPI community is experiencing today compared to what Japanese Americans experienced almost 80 years ago may be different, but the root cause of it is the same: scapegoating and mass blame,” said Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41), CAPAC Second Vice Chair. 

“Hate and discrimination against the AAPI community has been a long-standing problem, but it has been made far worse by the pandemic and because powerful leaders, like Trump and Republicans who enabled him, spread fear, misinformation, and racist rhetoric to advance their political agenda and cover up their incompetency in response to this virus, said the California representative.

“My heart goes out to the families of Vicha Ratanapakdee, the 61-year old Filipino man whose face was slashed with a knife in New York City, and any family or individual who has been impacted by the sickening and disturbing violence we’re seeing against Asian Americans,” said Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33), CAPAC Whip. 

“These racist acts of violence have been fueled by the hateful rhetoric of the previous administration, who in an attempt to scapegoat, wrongfully blamed an entire community for spreading the coronavirus," said Lieu. 

"When the leaders of our country use terms such as ‘Kung-Flu’ – there are real world consequences. Asian American families are afraid to send their children to school and families are worried about their elderly parents or grandparents leaving their homes. This is not right. We will not stand for this senseless violence nor any form of discrimination or harassment against Asian Americans.”

“It is incredibly tragic that, as we just celebrated the Lunar New Year, we are still seeing a surge in Anti-AAPI hate crimes and violence,” said Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10). “Whenever there is a crisis in America, there is a history of wanting to blame someone, and in this case, it is the AAPI-community. 

"Because of the honor and respect our culture has for elders, watching them become the victims of this violence is even more painful and horrifying," said the first-term member of Congress. "In addition to the physical violence, we must also condemn the verbal abuse we have seen. We need action now, and we want to see consequences so that this behavior does not continue."

Impeaching Donald Trump: AAPI members of Congress vote along party lines

SCREEN CAPTURE / C-SPAN

Rep. Ted Lieu will manage Donald Trump's impeachment in front of the U.S. Senate.

On Korean American Day, the four Korean American Congressmembers split along party lines on the initiative to impeach Donald Trump. The day commemorates the arrival of the first Koreans to the U.S. in 1903.

Democrats Andy Kim (NJ) and Marilyn Strickland (WA) voted Wednesday (Jan. 13)  for impeachment and California Republicans Young Kim and Michelle Steel voted no.

With a vote of 232 to 197, the House of Representatives charged Trump with "incitement of insurrection" for his role in the violent takeover byTrump supporters and white supremacists of the U.S. Capitol building that left five people dead and terrorized lawmakers as they sought to confirm the Electoral College votes that gave President-elect Joe Biden a victory last Nov. 3.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named Rep. Ted Lieu, D-CA, to manage the impeachment and argue for conviction in front of the Senate.

Unlike 13 months ago when the House voted for the first impeachment of Trump and the vote was strictly along party lines, 10 Republicans crossed party lines this time to vote with the Democrats, including Rep. Liz Cheney, the third highest ranking Republican in the House.

With the exception of first-term lawmakers Young Kim and Steel, the other  AAPI Representatives are Democrats and voted for impeachment along party lines. Besides the aforementioned Strickland, Andy Kim. They include: Californians Ted Lieu, Ro Khanna, Mark Takano, Judy Chu, Ami Bera, Doris Matsui and newly installed Kai Kahele of Hawaii, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Grace Meng of New York, Virginia's Bobby Scott and Stephanie Murphy of Florida.

"The bipartisan vote reaffirms that security of our democracy is our first priority," said Congressman Scott, who is of Filipino descent. "I hope the Senate will convict/remove Donald Trump and we can move forward from this dark chapter."

“It is not with joy that I have voted to impeach the President for a second time. I am taking a stand to ensure the future for our children and grandchildren," said Rep. Matsui. "When we are asked by future generations what we did, we must be able to tell them that we fulfilled our obligation to keep our democracy strong. (Trump) remains a clear and present danger to our nation as long as he is able to hold elected office, and that is why we acted to impeach him immediately.”

“Today’s impeachment is not about dividing this country. It’s about uniting all patriotic Americans against the unconstitutional actions of an out-of-control president—a president who incited insurrection against our great nation,” said Florida's Murphy. (Murphy's full statement is below.)

Trump is the only U.S. President to be impeached twice. Trump's was impeached in 2019 for trying to get Ukraine officials to dig up dirt of alleged corrupt business dealings = by Hunter Biden, the son of President-elect Joe Biden. The allegations, which proved untrue, were, nevertheless, raised by Trump against Biden during the campaign. The Senate rejected the impeachment.

The current charge of impeachment against Trump claims Trump "incited an insurrection" against Congress when he spoke at a rally of people who believed Trump's lies claiming that the 2020 Presidential election was rigged and that he actually won. 

The "incitement of insurrection" article of impeachment was introduced Monday by three House Democrats: Ted Lieu of California , Jaime Raskin of Maryland and David Cicilline of Rhode Island.

Lieu got the impeachment ball rolling while insurrectionists were roaming the halls of the Capitol after breaking through the lines of overwhelmed police officers  He texted the Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee about the need to impeach.

“I was just super pissed off,” said Lieu, an officer in the Air Force Reserves and represents a district that includes parts of  Los Angeles and Hollywood.

The impeachment is like an indictment and the hearing before the U.S. Senate is like a trial. Chief Justice Roberts will preside and two-thirds of the Senators present is needed for a conviction. The Senate is not set to meet until Jan.1 19, a day before Biden's inauguration so the articles of impeachment would likely be presented to the newly constituted Senate that will be controlled by the Democrats.

A former president can still be found guilty by the Senate. While the main penalty for a guilty verdict in an impeachment trial is removal from office, senators could vote to bar Trump from holding office in the future. That's an important incentive for both parties becuase Trump has not ruled out running for president in 2024. He could also lose his six-figure pension and other post-presidential perks.

The final text for impeachment states: “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as president, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.”

Four new AAPI members of Congress "representing" in the House of Representatives

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Rep. Marilyn Strickland wore a traditional Hanbok for her swearing-in ceremony.

Four new AAPI members of the 117th Congress were sworn in Sunday, joining the 15 re-elected House members and two sitting Senators of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage.

The four included the first three Korean American women elected to Congress: Kim Young and Michelle Steele from Southern California's Orange County and Marilyn Strickland from the state of Washington.

Kai Kahele won Hawaii's District 2 seat previously occupied by Tulsi Gabbard, who opted to concentrate on her unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for President rather than campaign for re-election. Kahele's election marks the return of a Native Hawaiian to Congress since Sen. Daniel Akaka died while in office in 2018.

For her swearing-in, Strickland, whose father is African American, honored her Korean American mother by wearing the Hanbok, a traditional Korean garb worn during significant events.

“Today, I was honored to be sworn into one of the most historically diverse Congresses in history, joining a record number of women, and women of color, serving in our Democratic Majority. As a woman of both Korean American and African American descent, it was deeply personal to wear my Hanbok, which not only symbolizes my heritage and honors my mother, but also serves as a larger testament to the crucial importance of diversity in our nation, state, and the People’s House,"  Strickland stated in a press release.

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Hawaii's Rep. Kai Kahele brought a bit of the islands with him for his swearing-in ceremony.

For his swearing in ceremony, festooned in a bevy of Hawaiian leis, Kahale used the same Bible that was used by the late Akaka, the first Native Hawaiian elected to Congress.  

He thanked his supporters and fellow Hawaii Representative EdCase, and said, “For those of you whom I don’t know yet, I hope to gain your trust and confidence. As your representative, I will work across the aisle when possible, and I will fight for our kupuna and our keiki to ensure a better Hawaii for all.”

“It was incredibly emotional and was just beaming with pride and I’m sure Senator Akaka, with my dad, so many others that have come before us, were just looking down and smiling,” Kahele said.

“In Washington, I will practice the important values we hold dear, including integrity, honor, cooperation and aloha in all I do,” Kahele said.

Symbolically, in a powerful moment, Kahele's first official words spoken in the House chambers were spoken in Hawaiian. He said, “Lunamaka’āinana ʻo Nancy Pelosi.” (Congratulations to the People's Leader, Nancy Pelosi.)

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The first three Korean American women, from left, Young KIm, Michelle Steel and
Marilyn Strickland,  elected to Congress met during orientation last year.

California's Kim drew criticism from some in the Republican Party when she criticized Donald Trump's use of racial slurs in referring to the coronavirus pandemic and some of his positions on immigration. “I do hope that my voice can be heard,” she said, “and that I can represent not only my district but also represent the underserved and underheard communities like the Asian American voice.”

Steel, whose husband is a high-ranking official in California's Republican Party, drew support from a lot of Orange County's conservatives when she criticized mandating the wearing of masks in public and the health restrictions placed on businesses.

“This is my American dream and I am honored and humbled to serve my community as one of the first Korean American women ever elected to Congress," said Steel in a press release. "Taking the oath of office to represent the nation that has blessed me with so many opportunities is a moment I will never forget. This is a responsibility that I will never take for granted, especially as so many families and businesses continue to fight back against the COVID-19 pandemic."

The four brings the total number of AAPI Congress members to 21, the most to serve at one time.

First-time Congressional candidate in Washington on the verge of making history; Jayapal easy winner

MARILY STRICKLAND

Korean American Marilyn Strickland was leading with 21.4% of the vote in the race for Washington state’s District 10 Congressional seat. Trailing Strickland in Tuesday's Primary election results is fellow Democrat Beth Doglio with14.4%. In Washington's primary, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will move on to the general election on Nov. 3.

If Strickland, the former mayor of Tacoma, wins in November, she would make history by becoming the first Korean American woman to win a seat in Congress.

On Twitter, STrickland praised her rivals for taking part in the race.

District 10's Rep. Denny Heck, a Democrat, left his seat open when he decided to run for Washington's Lieutenant Governor. 

Elsewhere in Washington, incumbent Rep. Pramila Jayapal, running for her 3rd term, handily won her contest for the 7th District with over 80% of the vote. She is expected to win the November election against the second place winner Republican Craig Keller, who garnered 8.2% of the voter.

EDITORS NOTE: Updated Aug. 5, 10:30 a.m.

Washington woman could become first Korean American woman in Congress

Marilyn Strickland is running for Congress in Washington.

A woman who seeks to become the first Korean American woman in Congress won the endorsement of the Asian American Action Fund (AAAFund).

Marilyn Strickland in her 2020 bid to represent Washington’s 10th Congressional District. If elected, Marilyn would be the first Korean-American woman in Congress.

"I am thankful to have their support in my journey to become the first Korean-American woman in Congress," Strikland tweeted.

“We are delighted to support Marilyn Strickland’s historic congressional run, because few other candidates bring such a unique, community-based blend of both business expertise, as CEO of Seattle’s Chamber of Commerce, and practical governing experience, from her time as a highly effective, two-term Mayor of Tacoma,” said Irene Natividad, AAAFund Endorsements Co-Chair.

“Her reputation as a fierce advocate for the diverse constituency she served as Mayor – including a sizable Asian American community – as well as her leadership in guiding Tacoma out of the Great Recession has clearly shaped her brand of empathetic, thoughtful but hands-on leadership. We look forward to seeing her translate her experience in promoting public education, fighting for gun safety, and tackling climate change issues in Tacoma, Washington to Washington, D.C.,” Natividad adds.

Born in Seoul, Strickland comes from a military family and is the first Korean and African-American elected mayor of Tacoma. She attended Tacoma Public Schools, holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Washington and earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Clark-Atlanta University. She is CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce.

“Marilyn Strickland absolutely deserves this endorsement,“ states Lua Pritchard, an Asian Pacific community Leader of Pierce County,“ given her ability to get things done, which shines through in the way she made investments directly in her community. Her priorities as Mayor focused on inclusivity: she helped bring high school graduation rates up, welcomed the LGBTQ constituency, raised the minimum wage, and passed paid sick leave. 

"In the difficult post-pandemic economy that will emerge in the coming years, we trust that, as a Congresswoman, Marilyn Strickland will continue to advocate for people and to help build an economy that works for everyone.”