By Molly Burke, Bay City News.
Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, and others active in addressing anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate celebrated a victory Wednesday after the California Department of Social Services approved distributing $30.3 million to local nonprofits fighting AAPI hate.
The money, which will be distributed in grants to organizations that provide victim services and strengthen violence prevention programs, is part of the $166.5 million budget for Asians and Pacific Islanders that was approved in California last year.
Assembly Budget Chairman Ting announced the legislation as one of the largest appropriations bills to address the rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community seen during the pandemic in California and across the United States.
She further noted that during the pandemic there has been a rise in hate and bias crimes in many communities, with anti-AAPI bias incidents increasing by more than 177 percent from 2020 to 2021, according to a report by the California Attorney General's Office.
“We are so excited to see grants going to many of our largest community organizations,” Ting said. “We are also so proud of the coalitions that have come together and are working to fight AAPI hate.”
For community organizations, the grants represent a major step toward addressing issues the AAPI community has faced for decades.
“These are long-standing issues in our community, not just in terms of hate incidents, but also in terms of the lack of care,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, chairman of the state’s Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.
The money is expected to not only help hate crime survivors and the AAPI community at large, but also inform the government on how to better address issues facing the community, Ramakrishnan said.
Organizations receiving grants are also expected to use the funds for mental health and wellness resources, legal assistance, help navigating government agencies and language accessibility, she said.
“Ultimately, what we’re all seeking is to create California as a place of belonging and not a state of hate,” Ramakrishnan said.
Cynthia Choi, co-executive director of the group Chinese for Affirmative Action, part of the Coalition for Community Safety and Justice in San Francisco, noted that the grants will go a long way toward addressing much more than hate crimes.
In that regard, she said that equity issues ranging from language barriers to affordable housing are linked, and these grants help address many problems at once.
"I cannot overstate that this is an example of good governance," Choi said.
Nikki Dominguez, policy director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Los Angeles, said she was grateful for the grants going to existing organizations that have already earned trust within AAPI communities.
Dominguez clarified that the work that will be facilitated with the $30.3 million will be community-driven and victim-centered, given the emphasis placed on organizations that are already integrated into communities.
“Our work is not over and we need to continue to raise awareness about these issues, but also engage partners and community members, moving them to be active members in creating safer communities across our state,” he said.
For some organizations, this money will allow more resources to be directed and focused on mental health services for those in the AAPI community.
Mary Ann Foo, founder and executive director of the Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance of Orange County, said requests for mental health assistance within the AAPI community have nearly tripled during the pandemic.
He further explained that the pandemic caused a surge in AAPI hate, which reminded him of the one he faced growing up in the 1980s.
“As a child, I was afraid to walk to school,” Foo said, an experience she called common in the AAPI community.
Foo said her organization will use the funds to provide vital mental health services to those who need the resources.
"They have a trauma that has been there for many, many years," he said.
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