**MEDIA ADVISORY** UCLA: Struggling for Recognition of its Diversity, AAPI Communities at UCLA Seek to be Counted!
Cathy
**** PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY****
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2007
Contacts: Jason Osajima, 714.745.6243
Candice Shikai, 323.422.7406
Struggling for Recognition of its Diversity
AAPI Communities at UCLA Seek to be Counted!
What: Assembly Member Ted Lieu’s office will join the Asian Pacific Coalition at UCLA in a press conference to urge public support for the “Count Me In” campaign and Lieu’s AB295— separate efforts to disaggregate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) data collected by the University of California and by state agencies. The “Count Me In” campaign and Lieu’s bill aim to disaggregate the racial category of AAPI into their specific communities to ensure that public policy reflects the needs of diverse communities.
When: Thursday, May 31, 2007
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Where: Ackerman Viewpoint Conference Rooms
University of California, Los Angeles
Who: Representative from Assembly Member Ted Lieu’s Office, Assembly District 53
Alex Lowe, Asian Pacific Coalition (APC)
Alma Riego, APC & Samahang Pilipino
Erik Yang, Association of Hmong Students
Nefara Riesch, Pacific Islands Student Association
Kevin Peanh, United Khmer Students
Candice Shikai, APC & Nikkei Student Union
Why: While many believe the AAPI community is a homogenous group of affluent and educated individuals, the reality is that many face serious inequities. Currently, UC admissions and state agencies only collect data on some of the larger Asian American communities and condense underrepresented groups into the “Other Asian” category. UC admissions currently place Pacific Islanders in the same racial category as Asian Americans, effectively marginalizing this complex group by hiding the barriers they face in access to higher education. The collection of data for these groups would create a better understanding of the diversity within the AAPI community, and accurate data collection would help decision makers craft public policy that better serves these underrepresented communities. This press conference will demonstrate the desperate need for disaggregated data and programs that serve underprivileged AAPI communities.
Visuals: A short 2-minute video presentation on the “Count Me In” campaign.
*The Asian Pacific Coalition at UCLA represents over 21 different organizations as the officially recognized voice of AAPI students on campus. Founded under our Points of Unity, APC has historically worked on issues that impact the AAPI community both on and off-campus by advocating for progressive changes that ensure equal opportunity and civil rights.
TV dinner still cooling?
Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV.