Next CAPAVA Event
2014 Candidates Meet & Greet
Monday, September 22, 2014 from 7:30-9:30pm
Sully Government Center
4900 Stonecroft Boulevard
Chantilly, VA, 20151Meet and Greet the Candidates of the 10th and 11th Congressional Districts. Cosponsored by LWVFA, Sully District Council, LWVPW, AARP, CAPAVA
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Press Release: CAPAVA Applauds Attorney General Herring for Statement on In-state Tuition for DACA Youth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia applauds Attorney General Mark Herring for his statement regarding in-state tuition for DACA youth
Alexandria, VA — Attorney General Mark Herring recognized today that immigrant youth who have been granted permission to stay in the United States under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program may establish domicile and be eligible for in-state tuition.
“This is a great step forward for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Our economic future depends on educating all of our youth, including immigrants who came to the United States as children without proper documentation,” stated Ting-Yi Oei, chairman of the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA). “Currently these students must pay out-of-state rates, which are often three times higher than those paid by their classmates. It is an unfair burden for motivated and high-achieving students.”
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10th Annual Legislative Day: Recap
CAPAVA and the Asian American Society of Central Virginia co-sponsored the 10th Annual Legislative Day in Richmond on February 19. This year’s activities included two events: a morning coffee hour for State legislators and an evening reception for legislators, State officials, and members of the APA community and their guests.
Event sponsors at the evening reception. From far right 2nd row: Lt. Gov. Northam, Attorney General Herring, Sen. Dave Marsden, and Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran.
A large crowd gathered at beautiful Main Street Station for the evening reception, highlighted by visits from Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring.
Main Street Station, venue for the Evening Reception.
Herring also offered remarks to the group and spoke of the significance of the growing diversity in the Commonwealth and in his own part of the State that he represented (the 33rd Sen. District, Loudoun and Fairfax) prior to his election as Attorney General. Both leaders spent a good part of the evening mingling with the guests present. The evening was also notable for wonderful food, a great opportunity for socializing and networking, and an opportunity to meet a number of legislators and state officials that included Secretary of Public Safety, Brian Moran, and Secretary of Education, Anne Holton.
Left to right: Angela Chiang, Silvia Patton, Lt. Gov. Northam, and Tania Hossain at the evening reception.
Del. Betsy Carr at the morning coffee hour, General Assembly.
Between the morning and evening events, we were able to meet with 25 Senators and Delegates and legislative assistants to several more. At the morning coffee, representatives raised a host of issues reflecting understanding of issues important to the APA community. These included Medicaid expansion, voting rights, mental health, justice and public safety, in-state tuition for DACA residents, small business development, job creation, SOL reform and testing.
Our representatives are showing increasing evidence of knowing what concerns us, and that shows that both we and they have come a long way over the last ten years.
Thanks to all who helped make this year’s events a success.
Ting-Yi Oei, Chairman
CAPAVA
Ting-Yi Oei at the evening reception.
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Announcing 10th Annual Legislative Day
SAVE THE DATE: Feb. 19, 2014, Richmond, VA
The 10th Annual Legislative Day and evening Reception in Richmond is set for February 19th, co-sponsored by CAPAVA and AASOCV (Asian American Society of Central Virginia).
A morning Coffee Hour will be held in the Third Floor West Conference Room of the General Assembly Building and will be an opportunity to meet with Delegates and Senators. Please encourage your representatives in the legislature to come by.
In the evening, we will hold the Evening Reception at the Main Street Station (1500 Main St.) from 5 to 7:30 PM.
The Governor, Lt. Gov., and Attorney General have all been invited. We also expect as our guests the delegates who represent the increasing diversity of the. General Assembly and the broader APA community, Delegates Mark Keam, Ron Villanueva, David Ramadan, and Sam Rasoul.
Free parking is available next to Main Street Station in the lot entering from 14th and Bank St. We look forward to seeing you in Richmond.
Ting-Yi Oei, Chairman
CAPAVA
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Presidential Proclamation — Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2013
ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH, 2013
Issued by the President of the United States of America
A PROCLAMATION
Press Release: APA Policy and Resource Forum
Press Release – February 2010
“A broad alliance of Asian Pacific American (APA) grassroots organizations announced today the launch of the sixth annual Asian Pacific American Policy and Resource Forum to be held on February 11, 2010. Besides the forum, on February 11th the alliance will honor our newly elected Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and newly elected cabinet officials at the Asian Pacific American Inaugural reception.
The APA Policy Forum is the premier annual policy event that brings Asian Pacific American organizations to Richmond to meet with the Commonwealth’s elected legislative and executive officials.
“We are excited about this year’s Policy Forum because 30 APA groups will convene a ‘listening’ session to shape policy strategies for the future of Asian Pacific Americans in Virginia” said Eric Liang Jensen, Chairman of the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA). “Not only will we hear from communities, and what barriers confront them, but we will be working to find a unified way to solve these problems.”
“The Virginia Asian Advisory Board will be holding several Town hall sessions in 2010 to discuss the concerns of Asian Pacific Americans in the region and the Commonwealth of Virginia to provide them an opportunity to discuss relevant issues and to be heard” said Vicki Mirandah, Chairperson of VAAB.
Rumy Mohta, Chairman of the Asian American Society of Central Virginia, said: “February 11th will mark the second time that the Asian Pacific American community will be gathering for an inaugural reception to recognize new elected and appointed officials.” “But more importantly”, Mohta observed, “it gives the Asian Pacific American community a chance to network and celebrate its own achievements.”
“The Asian Pacific American population in Virginia has doubled since 1990” said Tinh Phan, Chairman of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce. “APA businesses produce nearly $8 billion of revenues, creating 70,000 jobs in the Commonwealth” noted Mr. Phan. “For that reason, the Asian coalition will be gathering at the General Assembly in the morning of February 11th to meet with elected officials and to make the APA presence felt in the General Assembly.”
On the same day a Policy Forum will be held at the Bank of America Building, 1111 East Main Street, on the 18th floor from 11:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Asian Pacific American groups are invited to participate by bringing their communities views and issues to the “Policy Listening Session” that will be conducted in front of elected and appointed State officials. The evening “APA Inaugural Reception” will be held in the Crowne Plaza Ballroom, 555 E. Canal Street, from 6:00-8:00 P.M. All APA communities are invited to attend the APA Inaugural reception.
For more information on the APA Policy Forum and the APA Inaugural Reception, contact Malik Khan, Community Relations Director, Asian American Society of Central Virginia. Email ibnmajeed@hotmail.com; (804)216-7860
Vital Fact-Gathering and Community Strategy Policy Forum for Asian Pacific Americans Announced
Press Release Jan 2009
Vital Fact-Gathering and Community Strategy Policy Forum for Asian Pacific Americans Announced
The alliance of over 20 Asian Pacific American community groups announces the 5th annual “Asian Pacific American Policy & Resource Forum” in Richmond on January 15th.
Eric Liang Jensen, Chairman of the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPAVA) announced “This year’s forum will make a major impact on the future of policy for Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in Virginia. We will hold a statutory public forum to assess the concerns and issues of APAs in Virginia and also strategize with all the grassroots groups on how to solve these issues.”
Rumy Mohta, President of the coalition group Asian American Society of Central Virginia (AASoCV) said: “Resources and policies of the Commonwealth have not kept pace with the needs of our APA communities. This is why this broad alliance of Asian Pacific American organizations is hosting this ‘APA Policy & Resources Forum’ to bring focus on issues confronting our communities, and work to bring all the groups together to help build solutions.
Vickie Mirandah, Chairwoman of the statutory body Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB), said: “the Board is launching a series of four regional public forums to assess the state of APAs in Virginia. The Richmond Public Forum will be held as part of the annual APA Policy & Resource Forum. We will bring witnesses from Central Virginia to highlight the barriers to resources and the needs of our APA communities.” The other hearings will be held in tidewater in March, Roanoke in April, and Northern Virginia in May. Chairwoman Mirandah said: ” We hope to elicit a comprehensive body of information that will help the elected officials understand the needs of our communities better and to direct policy solutions to meet those needs.”
Eric Jensen, CAPAVA Chairman said: “the Asian Pacific American community in Virginia has doubled in the last 15 years. We are becoming a vital part of Virginia’s political landscape, particularly in elections that will affect the future of Virginia and the Nation.”
The January 15th Policy & Resource Forum will be held from 12:00-5:30 at the Bank of America Building, 1111 E. Main Street, 18th floor. Additional information will be presented on:
•how to preserve financial assets and prepare for the tough times ahead;
•how the State’s legislative and budget process works;
•what the Republican and Democratic caucuses’ legislative priorities are;
•how to access critical State programs & services; and
•how to do business with the State.
The APA community will engage in a community strategic session on building network partnerships and developing policy solutions to meet the needs of APA communities.
In the evening, 6:00-8:30 p.m., the APA Policy & Resource Forum will host a reception at the Suntrust Bank Building, 919 E. Main Street, 24th floor, where the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Cabinet Members, State legislators and APA community groups will join in the celebration of the Lunar New Year. (All events are free.)
For more information, contact: Eric Jensen, Chairman, Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia; (703) 868-8325, eljensen@comcast.net, Rumy Mohta, President, Asian American Society of Central Virginia, (804) 290-0869, richtrvl@aol.com; or Vickie Mirandah, Chair, Virginia Asian Advisory Board, (804) 363-5415, Vickie.mirandah@capitalone.com.
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A First Time Gathering of the Commonwealth’s Asian & Pacific Groups in Richmond to Meet Legislators and State Officials and Be Recognized
PRESS RELEASE – Feb 3 2005
Contact: Eric Jensen, (703) 969-8325
A First Time Gathering of the Commonwealth’s Asian & Pacific Groups in Richmond to Meet Legislators and State Officials and Be Recognized
The Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA) today announced an historic gathering of the Commonwealth’s Asian & Pacific American (APA) communities in Richmond on February 3rd.
CAPAVA, a non-profit, pan-Asian advocacy group hails February 3rd as an APA legislative and State government day.
Asian & Pacific Americans from all regions of the commonwealth will gather in Richmond for two major events: a Legislative and State Briefing Forum and an evening reception honoring State legislative and executive officials.
The Legislative and State Briefing forum will be held from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the State Library (main conference room), 800 East Broad Street. Officials from the Clerk’s Office, Republican Caucus, Democratic Caucus, and State programs offices will brief the APA community on how to access state services and how legislation affects them.
The evening reception will be held at the Peking Restaurant, 1302 East Carey Street, from 5:30-8:00 p.m. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and House and Senate elected officials will be attending.
“This is the first time that elected officials will be meeting all the communities in the Commonwealth” said Eric Liang Jensen, Chairman of CAPAVA. “More importantly, this is truly a pan-Asian coalition effort” he added. “Over 20 Asian and Pacific community groups and businesses collaborated on today’s activities.”
“We hope the APA communities leave here today with an understanding of how they can participate in the legislative process and how their communities can get access to critical State Services”, Jensen said.
“There are 310,000 Asian Americans living in Virginia, comprising 4.2 percent of the Commonwealth population. Our 22,500 businesses generate over $4.4 billion of revenue and we employ over 47,000 employees. Yet we have no political representation”, said Eric Jensen.
“Our communities are little understood but need state assistance that they are not getting. What many don’t know” he said “is 14 percent of APA families live in poverty, compared to 8 percent of the general population. And 33 percent of foreign-born residents do not have health coverage.”
“Chairman Jensen said “CAPAVA hopes that state legislators will help our communities get access to services by extending State outreach to the APA communities.” Delegate Spruill, Senator Ticer and Senator Howell have introduced amendments to provide an Asian and Pacific American outreach office at the state. “If the General Assembly can pass those amendments, our communities will get the help they need and be even stronger contributors to the Commonwealth’s economy.”
Eric Jensen concluded, “Thursday’s historic gathering is just the beginning of the political participation by a vital community that has remained silent for too long.”
For more information on the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia, contact Eric Jensen, (703) 969-8325, eljensen@comcast.net; or go to http://www.capava.org for additional information.
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COALITION OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS OF VIRGINIA TO HOST VIRGINIA ASIAN ADVISORY BOARD’S PUBLIC FORUM IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA DURING ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2004
Contact:
Eric Jensen, (703) 868-8325, eric.jensen@capava.org
COALITION OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS OF VIRGINIA TO HOST VIRGINIA ASIAN ADVISORY BOARD’S PUBLIC FORUM IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA DURING ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH
The Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA) announced today that it is cosponsoring an historic public forum in northern Virginia on Saturday, May 15th, 2004 with the Commonwealth’s Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB) to hear public testimonies from Asian Pacific American community representatives.
The public forum will be held Saturday, May 15th at the George Mason University Arlington campus at 3401 North Fairfax Drive, room 244, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. * (Lunch will be served.)
The Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans, CAPAVA, is a non-partisan pan-Asian statewide organization created to help advocate the grassroots issues of Virginia’s Asian Pacific American (APA) communities.
Eric Liang Jensen, President of CAPAVA, announced “This is the first time that the Commonwealth has held a public forum to hear from the Commonwealth’s Asian Pacific American communities about their issues and concerns.” “There will be witnesses from the various Asian Pacific American communities that will address health, social service, citizenship service, voter registration, business assistance, international trade, education and criminal justice issues,” Mr. Jensen said.
The Virginia Asian Advisory Board is a citizens’ body created by state legislation to provide advice and guidance on the Commonwealth’s policy affecting Asian Pacific American communities and on commerce between the Commonwealth and Asian nations. VAAB is comprised of 18 advisory board members and is chaired by Liu-Jen Chu of Richmond, with Robert Colorina of Chesapeake as Vice Chairman.
CAPAVA Chairman Toa Do said: “We are very excited that VAAB will be coming to northern Virginia for its first-ever field hearing. Our APA communities are looking forward to dialoguing with the Governor’s appointed board to tell them what our issues and concerns are.”
Rose Chu, CAPAVA Vice Chairperson, said we are very pleased that CAPAVA is able to bring its resources to help the VAAB produce data and information necessary to assess the state of the Commonwealth’s APA communities. CAPAVA is doing its best to help out all the APA communities statewide.”
At the May 15th public forum, VAAB will receive information from two panels of witnesses and comments from the public from 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. A VAAB public business meeting will follow the hearing. In the evening, CAPAVA will sponsor a reception from 5:30-7:30 at Café Asia, located at 1550 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia.**
Governor Mark Warner, Lt. Governor Tim Kaine, the northern Virginia delegation of elected members, and state and local officials have been invited to attend the public forum as well as to celebrate Asian Heritage Month at the evening reception.
For updated information on the public forum or reception, go to: http://www.capava.org.
*Nearest metro stop: Virginia Square on Orange line. Parking on street and on campus. For directions to and map of campus, click on http://www.arlingtonsbdc.org/contact_us.asp.
**Reception cost is $25. The public and press are invited. Contact C.M. Liu, cmliu98@yahoo.com, and (202) 274-7615 or (703) 846-9628 to rsvp.
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Meeting with Governor
Press Release Dec 4 2003
The Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA) is pleased that the first meeting of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board to the Governor will be held in Richmond on December 11, 2003.
While campaigning in 2001, Governor Mark Warner announced that his cabinet would reflect the true face of Virginia. CAPAVA is pleased that many Asian Americans are holding positions in Richmond as well as on state commissions and boards. CAPAVA is particularly pleased that Governor Warner has appointed four founding members of CAPAVA to the Governor’s Asian Advisory Board.
However, CAPAVA is very concerned about the lack of progress in many areas in which Virginia’s Asian Pacific Americans are greatly affected.
CAPAVA Chairman Toa Do, a member of the State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights, applauded the efforts of the Governor in dealing with the issue of racial profiling following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But Mr. Do expressed concern about the lack of outreach to the APA community on racial profiling.
CAPAVA President James Suh, MD, also President of the Korean Medical Association of Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, cited the recent study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) showing Asian and Hispanic immigrants contribute more than $12 billion annually into the Virginia economy but receive few targeted state services, except for health care. Dr. Suh suggested more data on APA should be collected by state agencies to see how state services were delivered to the APA community or reasons if there is a lack of service.
CAPAVA Vice Chair Rose Chu, a health economist, also raised concerns about possible disparities in health services provided to the APA population because many APA individuals and families, especially those with low income are facing cultural and language barriers.
Founding CAPAVA board member Eric Jensen, CEO of Four Horizons Development Company and a former appointee at the U.S. Department of Commerce, said while he supports Virginia’s eVA program (the state procurement online registration program), he is very concerned whether the state’s procurement program has benefited the state’s small and minority owned businesses. He added there is a lack of data showing how many state contracts were awarded to minority or Asian owned businesses.
CAPAVA applauds the formation of the new APA Advisory Committee and offers to support the efforts of the Committee, as well as the Governor, in order to make Virginia a place of opportunity for all Virginians.
For further information about CAPAVA and CAPAVA’s upcoming work plan for 2004, please visit our website at http://www.capava.org.
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Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia 