Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are the fastest growing minority population today. Recently, the growing number of AAPI elected officials in the State Capitol has begun to reflect this population increase. Socioeconomic class and cultural diversity within the AAPI population pose significant dilemmas for policymakers. The faculty members of the University of California AAPI Policy Multi-Campus Research Program (UC AAPI Policy MRP) conduct applied research on policy issues related to AAPIs in California and are experts in providing knowledge about the complex nature of AAPI communities. The UC AAPI Policy MRP will connect the applied research and expertise of the UC AAPI Policy MRP to the members of the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Joint Legislative Caucus, the supporter of the Policy Initiative, which is a bi-partisan group of legislators representing and advocating for the interests of diverse AAPI communities throughout California. It also seeks to increase AAPI participation and representation in all levels of government.
Latest News:
Annual Report 2008 - 2009 is now online.
Dr. Lois Takahashi selected as new MRP Director, effective July 1, 2009
Lois has garnered considerable support from the UCLA School of Public Affairs, UCLA Lewis Center, UC Center Sacramento, UCLA Asian American Studies Center, and the UCLA Graduate Division for her Directorship and for the MRP as the program enters into its third year of existence. We are looking forward to her leadership in enhancing the visibility and capacity of the MRP.
Below is a brief biography for Lois:
Professor Takahashi's research focuses on social service delivery, HIV prevention, and homelessness in the U.S., and on environmental governance issues in Southeast Asian cities. She is currently investigating the dynamics of social capital, especially related to health in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Ongoing projects include a grant from UC California HIV Research Program (with Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, APAIT) to study HIV/viral hepatitis co-infection among Asians living in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. She is also working closely with community-based organizations (APAIT in Los Angeles/Garden Grove and Guam Communications Network in Long Beach) to build capacity for HIV prevention among Asians and Pacific Islanders in Southern California.
New Publications:
State of AA/NH/PI Health in California Report
In collaboration with the MRP, the California Asian Pacific Islander Joint Legislative Caucus commissioned this report to provide a more accurate picture of the context and health status of AANHPIs in relation to other
racial groups in California, as well as in relation to the many AANHPI subgroups. Also, the report hopes to help result in (1) legislation that requires disaggregated data on AANHPIs (2) increase funding for research that are marginalized (3) more effective health and mental health education for these communities and (4) debunk the "model minority" myth that covers the health needs of the AANHPI communities.
After the release of the report, the API Joint Legislative Caucus will conduct
hearings to discuss the report and develop recommendations for implementation.
Click here for the full report in PDF form.
Examining H-1B Visas & High-Skilled Asian Immigration.
The Sloan West Coast Program on Science and Engineering Workers held its second seminar at UCLA to discuss the trend of high-skilled immigrant labor and the cultural and policy implications. This report includes input from industries; current researchers on H-1B visa workers; and the social, economic and policy implications of this visa program. The seminar also demonstrated that more input is needed from the various stakeholders of this program in order to design and implement policies surrounding the H-1B visa program in addition to the lack of research that has been done about the program and its effects and implications for the Asian American community. The seminar was organized by the MRP with the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and cosponsored
by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, UCLA School of Public Affairs, and the UCLA
Canadian Studies Program.
Please click here for the full PDF of the report.
AAPI Business Owners Report
As an extension of the Ford project on asset-building in the AAPI community, this report was created with the help of the Asian American Justice Center about API Businesses Owners. Click here for the PDF.
Mental health disparities among Asian American and Pacific Islanders in California: An update by Chih-Tao Cheng, Diana D. McDonnell, Hyun-Ju Lee, and Joel M. Moskowitz
Click here for the PDF
UCLA Asset Building in Asian American Communities Study
The Ford Foundation funded research about the role of community based organization in asset building for Asian Americans. Please click here for the full report.. The study finds that in addition to financial literacy, community based organizations facilitate wealth accumulation in three ways: (1) developing innovative products and programs targeting ethnically and underserved populations; (2) facilitating access to mainstream programs and products; and (3) helping preserve and build assets by providing information and technical assistance. In addition, the study shares best practices identified by Asian American community based organizations and the applicability of such practices to other ethnic-based organizations. Please click here for the research brief of the interviews.
The second part of the study xamines the wealth status of Asian Americans using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the American Community Survey to better understand home equity and the closing Asian-White wealth gap. Please click here for the full report
The Asian American Justice Center Report, "Equal Access: Unlocking Government Doors for Asian American Businesses: Public Contracting Laws and Policies" is now available. Please see the Publications Page for the full report.
The Asian American Contractor Empowerment Project (AACEP), funded by the Ford Foundation and administered by the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), seeks to support objective empirical research that can better inform Asian American stakeholders, decision makers and the general public about issues and concerns relevant to Asian Americans, equal opportunity and governmental contracting. AAJC partnered with the Asian American Institute to analyze how Asian Americans are situated within governmental contracting, specifically with respect to race-conscious strategies used to redress the under-representation of minority-owned enterprises. One such strategy is minority set-aside contracting, a type of affirmative action and broad race-based and outcome-oriented approach designed to reduce racial disparities. Minority set-aside contracting establishes a ceiling on the preferential treatment Asian American firms can receive in order to counteract past and current discrimination in the business arena.
This report explores the present status of Asian American-owned businesses, particularly their participation in government contracting. An examination of minority set-aside contracting programs makes clear the need for increased research regarding Asian American business owners in order to ensure their future inclusion in such programs.
Please e-mail aapipolicy@aasc.ucla.edu for comments and suggestions about the website. To be added to the listerve and receive updates about the UC AAPI Policy MRP, please e-mail Yen Ling Shek at yenling.shek@gmail.com. |
