Press Release

Senator Dave Min Announces $40.1 Million Secured for AAPI Communities to Combat Asian Hate

SACRAMENTO, CA — Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) announced the adoption of the $40.1 million Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus budget as part of the recently enacted 2022-23 State Budget. The new dedicated funding will address key issues that impact AAPI communities throughout the state, with an emphasis on educational programs. This budget allocation builds on the $156.5 million dedicated in last year’s state budget that focused on community outreach and education efforts to fight the rise in anti-Asian hate throughout California. The $40.1 million allocation will provide a second round of “Stop the Hate” grant funding.  

“Today, I am proud to announce that California will again heavily invest in efforts to amplify AAPI stories and combat anti-Asian hate statewide. If budgets are truly a reflection of our values, our State is leading the nation with millions dedicated to educating and building stronger communities through the API Equity Budget. I am grateful to the Governor and my colleagues for once again making our Asian American communities a priority.”

The list below outlines components of the AAPILC’s 2022 Budget:

Combating Anti-Asian Hate:

Ethnic Media Grant Program: $5 million one-time for the ethnic media grant program at the California State Library. Ethnic media are important trusted messengers for communities that do not utilize English as their first language. At this critical time where AAPIs are attacked in public spaces, we need to ensure that ethnic media are available to provide information on where to receive culturally competent and in-language services if needed.

AAPI Community Equity:

Language Access Pilot Project: $5 million one-time for a pilot to purchase language access equipment so that public participation at hearings and events is not limited due to language barriers.

Amplifying AAPI Stories:

AAPI MultiMedia Textbook: $10 million one-time to University of California, Los Angeles Asian American Studies Center to create a narrative change project that brings together distinguished scholarship, open access technology, and ethnic studies pedagogy to deepen public knowledge about who we are, strengthen students’ historical empathy, and build a more inclusive and equitable society.

Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies: $15 million one-time for the University of California, Berkeley campus Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies program to increase faculty and enhance campus community engagement.

California State University (CSU) Asian Bilingual Teacher Education Program Dual Immersion Education: $5 million to provide financial assistance to aspiring teachers for bilingual accreditation, support the infrastructure of the CSU Asian Bilingual Teacher Education Program Consortium, and fund a pilot program to support a cohort of aspiring teachers seeking accreditation across the CSUs.

Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute (APALI): $500,000 one-time allocation to De Anza College to support the APALI for civic leadership training programs and building a community of leaders in the government, nonprofit, education, and business sectors. APALI combines culturally-informed, innovative leadership training with a strong community-building foundation to nurture a vibrant and impactful civic leadership community.

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Senator Min represents California State Senate District 37, which is located in Orange County and includes the communities of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Foothill Ranch, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park.