The Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association, known as APAPA, was founded in 2001. Its primary mission is to engage, educate, and empower Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in civic affairs through voter registration drives, civic engagement forums, and youth internship programs. The Tri-Valley chapter of APAPA is deeply committed to that mission.

"APAPA Tri-Valley aims to support the community by engaging it in civic affairs; organizing community volunteering; directing members to relevant resources, such as translation services for given activities when necessary and medical and community support for vulnerable demographic groups; cultivating youth leadership through our internship program; and creating cultural events to enrich their lives," according to Margaret Liang, Board Chair for the nonprofit. "It's a way for us to bring the community closer together and help members thrive in the region."
The group's flagship Summer Internship Program places selected students in internships at the offices of elected local, regional, and state officials over the summer.   

As interns, students get training in many topics related to government, including constituent communication, the legislative process, bipartisanship, the roles of various government agencies, and voter registration outreach, according to Liang. Working in  professional environments, the interns learn a great deal. That includes dealing with and hearing opinions from local constituents in a district or city, conducting community outreach events, and working on different research projects. In many cases, students are able to work in areas of personal interest for them, such as e-commerce, homelessness, food insecurity, charter schools and their funding, child nutrition, and more. 

"This program not only provides our youth an opportunity to apply their public speaking, organization, and research skills, but also offers them an opportunity to be exposed to different perspectives on any given issue," Liang says. "It allows them to learn to better communicate, to form balanced opinions, and to seek solutions amid competing interests from the community. These students eventually can also serve as a bridge in their community to foster better understanding and more collaboration."

During the last election, APAPA TVC hosted Candidate Forums for the State Assembly race between Tim Grayson and Marisol Rubio, the San Ramon Valley School District trustees election, and the Dublin and Pleasanton Mayoral races. These forums provided keen insight to the candidates qualifications and stances on critical issues that matter the most to the community, such as public safety, education, and financial budgeting. As a result of the forums, voters in the community could make more informed decisions when casting their votes, according to Liang.

May is Asian Heritage Month. Earlier this month, APAPA hosted a Tri-Valley Asian Heritage Celebration Show. "Through the performances, audiences were taken on a global tour to many cultures, celebrated the amazing talents from the local Asian community, and, more importantly, gained a better understanding of our similarities," Liang notes. Moreover, as demographics change in the region, "it's important for Hacienda businesses to learn how to take into consideration the preferences of their potential customers. Given that the Asian population is growing, there are more opportunities for businesses to do outreach through our various activities, whether by becoming sponsors or by sharing information about themselves in our quarterly newsletter. Community readers can also get to know about our cultural events, which can bring them diverse forms of entertainment."

For more information about APAPA Tri-Valley, please visit www.apapa.org/tri-valley or www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093387374431.