API Council fetes former Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (in red) with leaders of the Asia Pacific Islander Council (API)
Held at China Live restaurant in San Francisco that brought together individuals representing communities Congresswoman Pelosi has supported, the Council recognized “the good Congresswoman from San Francisco’s accomplishments and continued commitment to serve the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community.”
In a statement, the Council has seen over the last two years the AANHPI community reach new heights advocating for our rights in San Francisco, overcame challenges when COVID-19 struck and in the wake of historic increases in AANHPI hate crimes.
They acknowledged, however, that they did not make strides in our movement alone as these efforts were supported by the vibrant unity of collaborators, community members, sponsors like Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
In holding the event, the API Council also extended its sincerest gratitude to Congresswoman Pelosi “for her commitment to heralding AANHPI causes from the local to federal level—spanning numerous milestones in advancing economic recovery, healthcare access, community development, and social justice.”
“For decades, she has represented San Francisco’s 11th District with the interests of our AANHPI communities in mind. During her time in office, Congresswoman Pelosi opened dialogues that championed AANHPI causes on the political agenda—developing conversations on issues involving poverty, displacement, and social injustice. These efforts have not gone unnoticed. They speak volumes about Congresswoman Pelosi’s close relationship and engagement with the AANHPI community and the Council,” the API Council said in a statement.
“During her tenure as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, our members and community members have witnessed the transformative upbringing of AANHPI issues to the forefront of American politics. The unprecedented level of anti-AANHPI violence left many of our community members feeling vulnerable in public spaces. As we banded together to present a united front against the rise of AANHPI hate, Congresswoman Pelosi was active in helping our organizations and community members navigate through a period of fear and uncertainty with optimism and growth,” the group added.
API Council also cited Pelosi’s unwavering commitment to the safety of our community was empowering and instrumental in passing policy solutions, such as the COVID-19 and the Hate Crimes Act.
“As businesses in our cultural districts were challenged by economic burdens due to COVID-19, Congresswoman Pelosi demonstrated her understanding of the pandemic’s impact toward our cultural districts by meeting with API Council to allocate funds to preserve Japantown and was the first Congressmember to visit San Francisco Chinatown during the pandemic and we The Council is delighted to celebrate her work with our members and sponsors,” the API Council statement continued.
The API Council is a 57-member coalition of nonprofit organizations in San Francisco that ensure that underserved Asian & Pacific Islanders’ needs are visibly engaged, addressed and represented in policies, research and data collection, and equitable funding allocations to advance overall healthy communities to enhance and shape San Francisco’s continued vibrant evolution.
Collectively, the organizations serve approximately 250,000 APIs annually. The API Council unites all the neighborhoods of San Francisco, ethnic communities and issue areas, to promote fair, inclusive and meaningful engagement of underserved APIs to strengthen the vibrancy of San Francisco. Using vehicles of policy/advocacy, research/data and partnership has leveraged relationships, partnerships, and political power to enable the API Council to be the go-to API counseling entity for policymakers, administrators and elected officials in the city and beyond.
The Asian Pacific Islander Council is the largest coalition of API-serving community organizations formed in San Francisco. The API Council was formed in response to the lack of racial and economic justice and equity for underserved APIs in San Francisco. Through coalition development, research, and advocacy over the past 5 years, API Council has protected and grown resources at the city-budget appropriations level for underserved API communities by $1-3 million per year to support core services along with API constituency engagement
As its mission, the API Council advocates for equitable resources that improve the quality of life for San Francisco’s underserved Asian & Pacific Islander residents and would be the premier voice on behalf of Asian & Pacific Islanders, API Council believes that all residents should have access to programs and services that empower them to make choices that improve their standard of living.
API Council also aims to be a leader on behalf of San Francisco’s API residents, ensuring their needs are prioritized and represented in policies, research, and data collection. We advocate for equitable funding allocations to foster healthy communities that contribute to San Francisco’s vibrant culture.
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