Delegate Suhas Subramanyam, VAAPIC Secretary, said, “Delegate Mark Keam has been a dedicated public servant for the people of Virginia for the past 13 years, and has always led by example. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him, and I look forward to seeing the work he will continue to do with the Biden Administration.”

Delegate Irene Shin, VAAPIC Member, said, “From his historic election as the first Korean American legislator in the Commonwealth, to his commitment to mentoring up-and-coming talent, to his tireless work on behalf of his constituents, to his vision and dedication to establishing the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, Delegate Keam’s contributions are immeasurable. I am personally grateful to Delegate Keam for his leadership, many years of stellar public service, and paving a path for me and other AAPI leaders.”

###

The Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC) is a legislative organization recognized by the General Assembly to serve as a collaborative voice for Virginia's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities by identifying public issues of interest and to develop formal positions, facilitate discussions, and advocate for policy outcomes.

The Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus mourns the loss of these lives, shares our deepest condolences for the families of the victims, and wishes for a full recovery of the survivors.

We also stand in solidarity with the communities impacted by these recent acts of terror, and with all victims who have been targeted by acts of violence driven by hate.

We remain committed to combating any and all forms of race-, gender-, or white-supremacy that pervert the ideals of our democracy.

###

The Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC) is a legislative organization recognized by the General Assembly to serve as a collaborative voice for Virginia's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities by identifying public issues of interest and to develop formal positions, facilitate discussions, and advocate for policy outcomes.

Having moved to Southern California as a teenager, I was working in downtown Los Angeles on that day. I witnessed with my own eyes the riots that destroyed a large portion of Koreatown where I lived.

I saw flames and smelled smoke from buildings that once housed mom and pop businesses run by fellow Korean immigrants. A friend’s mother was shot in her leg, and another friend’s father was beaten up inside his own store.

By the third or fourth day, it became clear that no government institution would come to their aid even though the community had begged for support. The Korean American community recognized the need to empower themselves by breaking out from the insular enclave, building coalitions with other minority communities, and seeking change with policymakers.

In the aftermath of Sa I Gu, I redoubled my commitment to assisting communities that have no voice in our political process and dedicated my career to public service.

Today, Asian American immigrants continue to face inequities, but 30 years after the LA Riots, I am heartened to see many Asian American and Pacific Islander elected officials and other advocates for the community working at all levels of government.

In Virginia, I am proud to join members of the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus to fight for fairness and equity for the AAPI communities in the Commonwealth. We have yet to achieve all of our goals, but we certainly have come a long way since 1992.

###

The Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC) is a legislative organization recognized by the General Assembly to serve as a collaborative voice for Virginia's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities by identifying public issues of interest and to develop formal positions, facilitate discussions, and advocate for policy outcomes.

appreciate this long-held and valuable tradition.” said VAAPIC Chair Del. Mark Keam. “That is why VAAPIC included in our legislative agenda efforts to prevent religious discricimation, and we will continue to promote diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our lives.”

During the 2022 regular session of the General Assembly, VAAPIC Member Delegate Irene Shin introduced House Bill 1063 to strengthen the prohibition against discrimination on the basis of religion, including outward expression of religious faith. Despite passing with unanimous bipartisan support, Governor Glenn Youngkin has proposed last minute amendments to change the purpose of HB1063. We hope that Governor Youngkin recognizes the importance of protecting religious minorities throughout Virginia, and approves the original intent of the bill as it passed the legislature.

“We are not cowed by these hateful acts and bigoted individuals who want to intimidate the Muslim community members who worship at WEIC and in mosques throughout Virginia,” said VAAPIC First Vice Chair Del. Kathy Tran. “Our diversity is our strength, and I am proud that our Caucus stands with the Muslim community and allies to build a Virginia where each person is safe and comfortable to practice their religious beliefs.”

###

The Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC) is a legislative organization recognized by the General Assembly to serve as a collaborative voice for Virginia's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities by identifying public issues of interest and to develop formal positions, facilitate discussions, and advocate for policy outcomes.

Delegate Kathy Tran introduced House Bill 987 which

Board of Medical Assistance Services to require that Medicaid program information be made

directing the

available for free to Virginians with limited English proficiency through the provision of

language access services, including oral interpretation and written translations.

Delegate Suhas Subramanyam introduced House Joint Resolution 88 to require the Virginia State

Crime Commission to study increases in hate crimes and bias-motivated acts directed at AAPIs.

Unfortunately, this bill was never scheduled for any meeting of the Rules Committee, which

means that the important issues underlying the bill were not even considered by any member of

the legislature this year.

Delegate Suhas Subramanyam introduced House Bill 963 to require the Department of Small

Business and Supplier Diversity to develop targeted outreach and programming to build local

small business capacity and assist businesses in obtaining appropriate certifications. The bill

passed the General Laws Committee on a bipartisan 15-7 vote but failed to pass the full House

on a near party line vote of

As the Senate and House Appropriations Committees draft the state’s biennial budget with

historic revenues coming in, VAAPIC members have introduced and support numerous budget

amendments to address language assistance, help immigrant and refugee nurses take steps

towards licensure in Virginia, increase funding of public K-12 and college education, provide

more financial aid for low-income students, improve pay for teachers, and make significant

investments in health care, including mental health, and other critical public services to support

AAPIs.

EXPANDING LANGUAGE ACCESS

1

Language access is foundational to ensuring the health and economic well-being of AAPI communities, allowing some of our most vulnerable Virginians to receive critical state government services. Without consistent guidance or oversight, Virginia state agencies have implemented a patchwork of language access policies and has created inequities for LEP Virginians in accessing state services. Expanding language access will require thoughtful planning and implementation by state agencies as well as critical investments in strategies to lift LEP Virginians out of poverty.

Requests

● $5,400,000 to hire 27 language equity and access coordinators ($2,700,000 in Year 1 and $2,700,000 in Year 2).

Funds would provide 1 FTE for a Deputy Diversity Officer for Immigrant Integration in the Office of the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer; 1 FTE in the Office of the Attorney General; and 25 FTE for language equity and access coordinators at selected, public-facing agencies providing health, social services, economic services, consumer protection, and other key services. These staff would be responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring language access plans in their state agencies. (Total is dependent upon final recommendation from the study conducted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)

● $8 million to pilot “public benefit navigators” ($4 million in Year 1 and $4 million in Year 2).
LEP individuals are more likely to live in poverty than individuals who are English proficient. This

2

pilot would help address the acute needs of LEP Virginians living in poverty by helping them access health care, employment services, transportation, housing, food security, and childcare. This funding would be allocated to the Office of New Americans to competitively award grants to immigrant- and refugee- serving organizations. These grants would provide intensive case management to LEP Virginians to assist them with applying for critical public services, an evaluation of the pilot, and two time-limited staff positions to oversee program implementation.

● $10 million to pilot Two Generation/Whole Family services to limited English-proficient Virginians to address multi-generational poverty ($5 million in Year 1 and $5 million in Year 2).

In Virginia, 24 percent of parents of young children (ages 0 to 4) and 21 percent of parents of

elementary school aged children (5 to 10) are LEP and low-income. These families are likely to 3

face housing, food, and financial insecurity and challenges accessing higher paying job opportunities.

2 https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/limited-english-proficient-population-united-states-2013. 3

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/mpi_nciip_parents-children-0-4-and-5-10-va-2021 _final.pdf

2
“Two Generation/Whole Family” strategy is an evidence-based approach to addressing

multi-generational poverty and improving long-term outcomes for children and the adults in

their lives, and has been successful in lifting LEP families out of poverty. This pilot would help 4

disrupt the cycle of poverty for low-income, LEP Virginian families by providing them with ongoing coaching and connections to employment specialists, school liaisons, youth mentors, and health educators as well as provide family literacy, adult education, workforce development, home visits, and other strategies. This funding would be allocated to the Office of New Americans to competitively-award grants to immigrant- and refugee- serving organizations to implement whole family strategies, an evaluation of the pilot, and two time-limited staff positions to oversee implementation of the program.

STRENGTHENING EDUCATION

Access to strong, relevant education is important to every Virginia student — and students in Virginia deserve to go to school expecting to be safe and to learn how AAPI Americans contributed to our Commonwealth and our country.

Requests

● $100,000 to Support Development of AAPI History in the Social Studies Curriculum Revision

Learning AAPI history — from our social, cultural, and economic contributions to Virginia and our nation to the racism and exclusion that our community has endured — offers important lessons for all students. Additionally, recognizing that AAPI history is integral to Virginia and American history will help to dispel the “otherness” that many AAPI students experience.

This funding would be allocated to the Department of Education to further identify and develop AAPI history materials and resources for teachers and students as part of the revision of Virginia’s K-12 social studies curriculum.

● $100,000 to Develop Model Anti-AAPI Bullying Curriculum

Our Virginia public schools should be a safe place for Virginia students, and any instances of bullying or hate against other students should be treated seriously and with proper recourse. The last year saw unprecedented acts of hate and bigotry against AAPI Americans. We cannot let that hate fester in our public school and must ensure our teachers and staff understand cultural nuances of bullying targeted at AAPI students.

This funding would be allocated to the Department of Education to develop model anti-AAPI bullying curriculum, which would be shared with local school boards as a model that could be used to train teachers and staff.

4 https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/DualGenerationLearning-2016-FINAL.pdf 3

● $27.6 million to increase the number of English Language teachers in public K-12 ($13.3 million in Year 1 and $14.3 million in Year 2)

English language learners (ELL) have lower high school graduation rates than their English proficient peers — In 2017, only 48.2 percent of Virginia ELLs graduated from high school, compared to 85.3 percent of Virginia students overall. Increasing achievement for ELL students

5

can have expansive, positive results, increasing future workforce opportunities, earning potential, and more.

This funding would be used to support 21.5 FTE instructional positions per 1,000 students as identified as LEP in the 2022-2023 school year, and 23 FTE instructional positions in 2023-2024 school year and thereafter for each 1,000 students identified as LEP.

IMPROVING DATA DISAGGREGATION

The AAPI community includes more than 50 ethnic communities speaking over 100 languages and includes those whose families have been here for generations as well as new Americans. Often, overall data for Asian Americans or Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders mask the disparity among AAPI ethnic communities. For example, on average, AAPI women are paid 85 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man is paid for the same job but disaggregated data shows us that Burmese women make

6

52 cents, Vietnamese women make 63 cents, and Korean women make 83 cents. Data disaggregation is 7

critical to providing insight into the diverse needs of our community and ensuring that our state government can better target its services to serve AAPI Virginians.

Request

● $150,000 for data disaggregation study (Year 1).

This funding would be allocated to Virginia’s Chief Data Officer to develop recommendations, in consultation with state agencies and community stakeholders to collect, report, and make accessible disaggregated data for key indicators such as health, economic well-being, small business growth, educational attainment, housing, food security, and criminal justice.

5

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/02/23/512451228/5-million-english-language-learners-a-vast-pool-of-talen t-at-risk

6

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/20/aapi-women-have-the-smallest-pay-gapbut-that-doesnt-tell-the-full-story.html

7

https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/economic-justice/fair-pay/asian-women-and-the-wage-g ap.pdf

4

STOPPING HATE CRIMES

Virginia ranks 11thin the country for AAPI hate incidents occurring between March 2020 through June

2021. The rise in racism and violence towards the AAPI community is deeply concerning and needs to be 8

addressed holistically.

Request

● $300,000 to support an Anti-Asian Hate Taskforce ($150,000 in Year 1 and $150,000 in Year 2).

This Taskforce would be led by the Attorney General and include Commonwealth Attorneys representing localities with significant AAPI populations, AAPI small business owners, AAPI serving organizations, law enforcement, mental health experts, victim service coordinators, and other stakeholders. The Taskforce would be charged with assessing and combating the recent rise in hate incidents and crimes directed at AAPI Virginians. The Taskforce would make recommendations regarding defining, reporting, investigating, and prosecuting hate incidents and crimes; and ensuring that AAPI Virginians have access to appropriate culturally competent victim services.

OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS AND SERVICES TO AFGHANS AND OTHER IMMIGRANTS

More than 1 million immigrants call Virginia home, and every day new Americans move to Virginia in 9

search of their American dream. When it was established in 2020, the Office of New Americans was charged with promoting the economic, linguistic, and civic integration of our new Americans, including implementing a statewide strategy and serving as a resource for localities and immigrant-serving organizations. Now, we must expand the Office of New Americans to meet its broad and vital mandate.

Additionally, Virginia has been a crucial gateway for Afghans seeking refuge from persecution. Virginia expects to resettle 1,200 Afghan refugees, special immigrant visa holders, and humanitarian parolees.

We must make key investments into Virginia’s refugee resettlement system and provide equitable services to all Afghans and other immigrants.

Requests

● $1,000,000 for 5 FTE for the Office of New Americans ($500,000 in Year 1 and $500,000 in Year 2)

We support the request of the Office of New Americans Advisory Board for 5 FTE to create regional staff positions within the Office of New Americans. These staff would work closely with state agencies and regional and local communities to ensure the needs of new Americans in Virginia are met in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

8 https://stopaapihate.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Stop-AAPI-Hate-Report-National-v2-210830.pdf 9 https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-virginia

5

● $12,700,000 for Services to Support Afghan Humanitarian Parolees and Other Immigrants ($6,350,000 in Year 1 and $6,350,000 in Year 2)

The federal Continuing Resolution provides some funding for Afghan humanitarian parolees, which Virginia’s refugee resettlement agencies expect will likely run out before summer 2022. To ensure that Afghan humanitarian parolees and other immigrants receive equitable services to refugees is going to require long-term support and commitment from Virginia.

This funding would be allocated to the Office of Newcomer Services to oversee and competitively award grants to Virginia’s refugee resettlement agencies. The grants would expand the resettlement agencies’ capacity to provide legal services, case management, health care, housing, education, and employment services to Afghan humanitarian parolees and other immigrants.

INCREASING EQUITY

Virginia’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion is important and must be sustained. The next step in our path to reconciliation is to ensure Virginians that face obstacles to full inclusion and participation in state government and access to state resources and services.

Requests

● $1,200,000 for 6 FTE Advisory Board

$600,000 in Year 2)

This request is for 6 Advisory Board, the Advisory Board, the

to staff each Governor’s ($600,000 in Year 1 and

FTE to staff the Virginia Asian Office of New Americans Virginia African American

Kabul airport. I am proud that Virginia has already welcomed some Afghans to Fort Lee, and I hope more of them will be able to find refuge, and live out their hopes and dreams here in the Commonwealth.”

VAAPIC will continue to monitor the situation in Afghanistan and advocate for the safe and expeditious resettlement of Afghans at risk of persecution.

###

Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC) is a legislative organization recognized by the General Assembly to serve as a collaborative voice for Virginia's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities by identifying public issues of interest and to develop formal positions, facilitate discussions, and advocate for positive policy outcomes. @VAAPICaucus

● At points during the pandemic, individuals applying for unemployment insurance through Virginia Employment Commission phone lines were hung up on if they requested any interpretations beyond English and Spanish.3

● Many Virginians who do not speak English or Spanish are still unable to complete the unemployment insurance application due to language barriers.4

● Some Latinx parents in Richmond Public Schools did not realize that schools started virtual learning5 and did not know about the availability of free school computers for their children due to language barriers.6

We must intentionally prioritize language access to ensure that our recovery is equitable.

ARPA Is Intended to Help Address Long-Standing Inequities Exacerbated by COVID The Biden Administration has made clear that ARPA funds can and should be directed toward communities that have been “most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”7Furthermore, the Administration is explicit that ARPA funds can be used to respond to more immediate, urgent needs resulting from the pandemic as well as long-term, systemic challenges that must be addressed for sustained recovery.

The US Department of Treasury’s ARPA guidance notes, “The Fiscal Recovery Funds provide resources to not only respond to the immediate harms of the pandemic but also to mitigate its longer-term impact in compounding the systemic public health and economic challenges of disproportionately impacted populations.”8

Funding Requests

We request $65 million to address the immediate and long-term health and economic needs of limited English-proficient Virginians in the Commonwealth’s AAPI community and other immigrant communities.

1. $38 million to hire language access coordinators for state agencies and ensure accurate translation of information related to public health and economic recovery.
We support the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s request for funding to ensure our state government is equipped to respond to the needs of Virginians who are limited English proficient. The funds would allow ODEI to transparently track and measure the state agencies’ progress to meeting the Commonwealth’s language access needs. It would also support placement of language access coordinators at selected, public-facing agencies providing health, social services, economic relief, consumer protection, and other key services. Additionally, the

3 Demand VEC to expand language access to all Virginians! NAKASEC Virginia. Retrieved July 8, 2021 from https://nakasecva.com/vecpetition/ 4 Riddle, N. (2021, June 25). NAKASEC fights for language access in Virginia. Fairfax County Times. https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/nakasec-fights-for language-access-in-virginia/article_448b8af6-d523-11eb-8810-3fca10f83b16.html
5 Moreno, S. (2021, January 14). Virginia uses Google translate for COVID vaccine information. Here’s how that magnifies language barriers, misinformation. Richmond Times-Dispatch. https://richmond.com/news/local/virginia-uses-google-translate-for-covid-vaccine-information-heres-how-that-magnifies-language barriers-misinformation/article_715cb81a-d880-5c98-aac5-6b30b378bbd3.html.

6 Moreno, S. (2020, August 21). As Latino families in Richmond grapple with a pandemic another fear. Will school re-opening leave their kids behind? Richmond Times-Dispatch. https://richmond.com/news/as-latino-families-in-richmond-grapple-with-a-pandemic-another-fear-will-school-re-opening/article_49225dad-b4f3- 5f6b-b3b1-f8b96c48c05c.html
7 U.S. Department of Treasury. (2021, May 17). Coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds; Interim Final Rule. 86 Federal Register pg. 26788. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-05-17/pdf/2021-10283.pdf

8Ibid (pg.26796)

funds would support the accurate, timely translation of state services available to assist Virginians during this challenge. This proposal meets the goals of ARPA to strengthen the infrastructure of public health programs and address the complex, multi-faceted factors that affect the economic recovery of impacted communities.

2. $2 million to ensure access and proactive outreach and training to immigrant business owners for Rebuild! Virginia grant program and other small business relief opportunities. Small businesses are an essential driver of Virginia’s economy. While immigrants comprise about 13% of the Commonwealth’s population, in 2018, they accounted for 21% of Virginia’s small business owners.9 This funding would address the urgent need to make information about Virginia’s COVID-19 business relief programs available in multiple languages and to conduct targeted outreach and training to immigrant small business owners so they are aware of and positioned to apply for these opportunities. The Biden Administration encourages the use of ARPA funds to provide “technical assistance, counseling, or other services to assist with business planning needs.”10 Outreach and training to immigrant businesses to increase their capacity to apply for these opportunities would meet this intent.

3. $7 million for the Virginia Employment Commission to strengthen language access through the translation of the unemployment insurance application forms available online as well as ensure availability of bilingual Unemployment Insurance Navigators, Call Center staff, and staff to review and adjudicate claims.

Individuals who speak languages other than English and Spanish experience great difficulty in applying for unemployment insurance benefits. The economic challenges these individuals and their families face have been exacerbated as a result. Improving the infrastructure and staffing capacity of the unemployment insurance program to include language access is critical for an equitable economic recovery. This request is consistent with ARPA funds intended for the US Department of Labor to, among other things, “promote equitable access.”11 A portion of Virginia’s allocation to improve our unemployment insurance program administration could be used for these purposes.

4. $8 million for the Office of New Americans to pilot a grant program that provides “public benefit navigators” to assist limited English-proficient Virginians with applying for social services to address acute public health and economic challenges experienced as a result of the pandemic.

The pandemic amplified the health and economic disparities that exist among low-income and limited English-proficient Virginians. These individuals face additional hurdles when applying for public services. This pilot would provide low-income, Virginians who are limited English proficient with help from a “public benefit navigators” to access critical services to relieve acute impacts of the pandemic on their health and economic stability, such as lack of health care, reliable transportation, and housing and food insecurity. The Biden Administration identified

9Immigrants in Virginia: Fact sheet. (2020, August 6). American Immigration Council. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-virginia. 10U.S. Department of Treasury (pg. 26795)

11 Unemployment insurance provisions in the American rescue plan act of 2021. (2021, March 17). Congressional Research Service. Unemployment Insurance Provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (congress.gov)

“public benefit navigators” as an allowable strategy to assist impacted communities in navigating and applying for public benefits or services.12 This funding would provide for one time grants to be competitively issued to immigrant-serving organizations, an evaluation of the pilot, and two time-limited staff positions to oversee implementation of the program.

5. $10 million for the Office of New Americans to pilot a grant program that provides Two Generation/Whole Family services to limited English-proficient Virginians to address multi generational poverty.
Children who are English language learners experienced unique stresses and setbacks as schools implemented remote learning to address public health concerns.13 And, because of the pandemic, their families are likely in more vulnerable situations and face greater housing, food, and financial insecurity. The “Whole Family/Two Generation” strategy is an evidence-based holistic approach to addressing multi-generational poverty and improving long-term outcomes for children and the adults in their lives.

This pilot would help disrupt the cycle of poverty for low-income, limited English-proficient families by providing them with ongoing coaching and connections to employment specialists, school liaisons, youth mentors, and health educators. This proposal is in line with the Biden Administration’s guidance, which “encourages recipients to consider [ARPA] funding uses that foster a strong, inclusive, and equitable recovery, especially uses with long-term benefits for health and economic outcomes.”14 This funding would provide for one-time grants to be competitively issued to immigrant-serving organizations, an evaluation of the pilot, and two time-limited staff positions to oversee implementation of the program.

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to further discussing these proposals with you. Sincerely,

Kathy KL Tran Mark Keam Ghazala Hashmi Delegate, 42nd District Delegate, 35th District Senator, 10th District

Kelly Convirs-Fowler Suhas Subramanyam Delegate, 21st District Delegate, 85th District

12U.S. Department of Treasury, page 26791.

13Sugarman, J. and Lazarin, M. (2020, September). Educating English learners during the COVID-19 pandemic: Policy ideas for states and school districts. Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/mpi-english-learners-covid-19-final.pdf
14U.S. Department of Treasury, page 26796.

● At points during the pandemic, individuals applying for unemployment insurance through Virginia Employment Commission phone lines were hung up on if they requested any interpretations beyond English and Spanish.3

● Many Virginians who do not speak English or Spanish are still unable to complete the unemployment insurance application due to language barriers.4

● Some Latinx parents in Richmond Public Schools did not realize that schools started virtual learning5 and did not know about the availability of free school computers for their children due to language barriers.6

We must intentionally prioritize language access to ensure that our recovery is equitable.

ARPA Is Intended to Help Address Long-Standing Inequities Exacerbated by COVID The Biden Administration has made clear that ARPA funds can and should be directed toward communities that have been “most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”7Furthermore, the Administration is explicit that ARPA funds can be used to respond to more immediate, urgent needs resulting from the pandemic as well as long-term, systemic challenges that must be addressed for sustained recovery.

The US Department of Treasury’s ARPA guidance notes, “The Fiscal Recovery Funds provide resources to not only respond to the immediate harms of the pandemic but also to mitigate its longer-term impact in compounding the systemic public health and economic challenges of disproportionately impacted populations.”8

Funding Requests

We request $65 million to address the immediate and long-term health and economic needs of limited English-proficient Virginians in the Commonwealth’s AAPI community and other immigrant communities.

1. $38 million to hire language access coordinators for state agencies and ensure accurate translation of information related to public health and economic recovery.
We support the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s request for funding to ensure our state government is equipped to respond to the needs of Virginians who are limited English proficient. The funds would allow ODEI to transparently track and measure the state agencies’ progress to meeting the Commonwealth’s language access needs. It would also support placement of language access coordinators at selected, public-facing agencies providing health, social services, economic relief, consumer protection, and other key services. Additionally, the

3 Demand VEC to expand language access to all Virginians! NAKASEC Virginia. Retrieved July 8, 2021 from https://nakasecva.com/vecpetition/ 4 Riddle, N. (2021, June 25). NAKASEC fights for language access in Virginia. Fairfax County Times. https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/nakasec-fights-for language-access-in-virginia/article_448b8af6-d523-11eb-8810-3fca10f83b16.html
5 Moreno, S. (2021, January 14). Virginia uses Google translate for COVID vaccine information. Here’s how that magnifies language barriers, misinformation. Richmond Times-Dispatch. https://richmond.com/news/local/virginia-uses-google-translate-for-covid-vaccine-information-heres-how-that-magnifies-language barriers-misinformation/article_715cb81a-d880-5c98-aac5-6b30b378bbd3.html.

6 Moreno, S. (2020, August 21). As Latino families in Richmond grapple with a pandemic another fear. Will school re-opening leave their kids behind? Richmond Times-Dispatch. https://richmond.com/news/as-latino-families-in-richmond-grapple-with-a-pandemic-another-fear-will-school-re-opening/article_49225dad-b4f3- 5f6b-b3b1-f8b96c48c05c.html
7 U.S. Department of Treasury. (2021, May 17). Coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds; Interim Final Rule. 86 Federal Register pg. 26788. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-05-17/pdf/2021-10283.pdf

8Ibid (pg.26796)

funds would support the accurate, timely translation of state services available to assist Virginians during this challenge. This proposal meets the goals of ARPA to strengthen the infrastructure of public health programs and address the complex, multi-faceted factors that affect the economic recovery of impacted communities.

2. $2 million to ensure access and proactive outreach and training to immigrant business owners for Rebuild! Virginia grant program and other small business relief opportunities. Small businesses are an essential driver of Virginia’s economy. While immigrants comprise about 13% of the Commonwealth’s population, in 2018, they accounted for 21% of Virginia’s small business owners.9 This funding would address the urgent need to make information about Virginia’s COVID-19 business relief programs available in multiple languages and to conduct targeted outreach and training to immigrant small business owners so they are aware of and positioned to apply for these opportunities. The Biden Administration encourages the use of ARPA funds to provide “technical assistance, counseling, or other services to assist with business planning needs.”10 Outreach and training to immigrant businesses to increase their capacity to apply for these opportunities would meet this intent.

3. $7 million for the Virginia Employment Commission to strengthen language access through the translation of the unemployment insurance application forms available online as well as ensure availability of bilingual Unemployment Insurance Navigators, Call Center staff, and staff to review and adjudicate claims.

Individuals who speak languages other than English and Spanish experience great difficulty in applying for unemployment insurance benefits. The economic challenges these individuals and their families face have been exacerbated as a result. Improving the infrastructure and staffing capacity of the unemployment insurance program to include language access is critical for an equitable economic recovery. This request is consistent with ARPA funds intended for the US Department of Labor to, among other things, “promote equitable access.”11 A portion of Virginia’s allocation to improve our unemployment insurance program administration could be used for these purposes.

4. $8 million for the Office of New Americans to pilot a grant program that provides “public benefit navigators” to assist limited English-proficient Virginians with applying for social services to address acute public health and economic challenges experienced as a result of the pandemic.

The pandemic amplified the health and economic disparities that exist among low-income and limited English-proficient Virginians. These individuals face additional hurdles when applying for public services. This pilot would provide low-income, Virginians who are limited English proficient with help from a “public benefit navigators” to access critical services to relieve acute impacts of the pandemic on their health and economic stability, such as lack of health care, reliable transportation, and housing and food insecurity. The Biden Administration identified

9Immigrants in Virginia: Fact sheet. (2020, August 6). American Immigration Council. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-virginia. 10U.S. Department of Treasury (pg. 26795)

11 Unemployment insurance provisions in the American rescue plan act of 2021. (2021, March 17). Congressional Research Service. Unemployment Insurance Provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (congress.gov)

“public benefit navigators” as an allowable strategy to assist impacted communities in navigating and applying for public benefits or services.12 This funding would provide for one time grants to be competitively issued to immigrant-serving organizations, an evaluation of the pilot, and two time-limited staff positions to oversee implementation of the program.

5. $10 million for the Office of New Americans to pilot a grant program that provides Two Generation/Whole Family services to limited English-proficient Virginians to address multi generational poverty.
Children who are English language learners experienced unique stresses and setbacks as schools implemented remote learning to address public health concerns.13 And, because of the pandemic, their families are likely in more vulnerable situations and face greater housing, food, and financial insecurity. The “Whole Family/Two Generation” strategy is an evidence-based holistic approach to addressing multi-generational poverty and improving long-term outcomes for children and the adults in their lives.

This pilot would help disrupt the cycle of poverty for low-income, limited English-proficient families by providing them with ongoing coaching and connections to employment specialists, school liaisons, youth mentors, and health educators. This proposal is in line with the Biden Administration’s guidance, which “encourages recipients to consider [ARPA] funding uses that foster a strong, inclusive, and equitable recovery, especially uses with long-term benefits for health and economic outcomes.”14 This funding would provide for one-time grants to be competitively issued to immigrant-serving organizations, an evaluation of the pilot, and two time-limited staff positions to oversee implementation of the program.

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to further discussing these proposals with you. Sincerely,

Kathy KL Tran Mark Keam Ghazala Hashmi Delegate, 42nd District Delegate, 35th District Senator, 10th District

Kelly Convirs-Fowler Suhas Subramanyam Delegate, 21st District Delegate, 85th District

12U.S. Department of Treasury, page 26791.

13Sugarman, J. and Lazarin, M. (2020, September). Educating English learners during the COVID-19 pandemic: Policy ideas for states and school districts. Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/mpi-english-learners-covid-19-final.pdf
14U.S. Department of Treasury, page 26796.

March 26 is planned as a National Day of Action and Healing to #StopAsianHate. ###

led to AAPIs being stigmatized, assaulted, and killed and to AAPI businesses being vandalized.

“The rise in hate incidents against AAPIs is a direct result of Trump and his cronies insinuating that the AAPI community is responsible for this public health crisis. But the othering and scapegoating of AAPIs is not new. AAPIs have faced racism throughout our history, and this must stop,” said Del. Kathy KL Tran. “We honor the victims of the Georgia massacre and everyone who has experienced hate by speaking out against racism, bigotry, and violence and by working together to advance a more just and equitable future.”

Sen. Ghazala Hashmi points to the long history of scapegoating members of AAPI communities: “Prejudicial rhetoric has often translated into policy that targets this community and serves to disenfranchise the AAPI. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to Japanese internment camps to contemporary false equations of Asian Americans with the pandemic, we have seen a continuous attempt to dehumanize and alienate Americans of Asian descent. We have to join our collective voices in condemning these hate crimes and hate speech.”

“As I see photos of these women, hear their names, and read about their journeys that brought them to America, I can’t help but identify with their stories,” said Del. Mark Keam who was born in Korea and immigrated to the United States as a teenager. “These six, along with nearly 4,000 other Americans whose ancestry trace to Asia and Pacific Islands have suffered from bigoted prejudice that treat us as foreigners in our own country. It is time to Stop Hate Against AAPIs.”

Del. Suhas Subramanyam added, “I have been grieving the lives lost in the Georgia attacks, alongside my AAPI community members. Unfortunately, this is one of many episodes of unprecedented violence, discrimination, and animosity toward AAPIs, especially since the start of this pandemic. We must come together to put an end to this hate.”

Senator Ghazala Hashmi (District 10, Chesterfield) Delegate Mark L. Keam (District 35, Fairfax) Delegate Kathy KL Tran (District 42, Fairfax) Delegate Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler (District 21, Virginia Beach) Delegate Suhas Subramanyam (District 87, Loudoun)

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