Tina Shaw - Office of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs

iowa department of human rights

September 28, 2018

Commission of Asian & Pacific Islander (CAPI) Affairs

and

Office of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs


 CAPI logo full color


PUBLIC COMMENT SOUGHT 

AT NEXT CAPI MEETING

The Iowa Commission of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs (CAPI) invites the community to attend its next public meeting scheduled for Saturday, September 29 from 9:30 AM to Noon at the Urbandale Public Library located at 3520 - 86th Street, Urbandale, Iowa. All CAPI meetings are open to the public. 

As part of its charge to recommend public policy, CAPI is seeking input and feedback from the Asian & Pacific Islander community and those who provide direct services to this population. CAPI Commissioners constructed a five-point, three-year strategic plan of policy areas for policymakers to address. CAPI welcomes comment on this Strategic Plan.  

For more information or to submit oral or written comments, please contact Tina Shaw, Iowa Department of Human Rights, Office of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs: tina.shaw@iowa.gov or 1-800-922-8917

 


Monsoon Filipino Panel


Filipino Education & Awareness

COMMUNITY DIALOGUES

“Filipino Communities in Iowa,” an initiative of Monsoon Asian & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity led by Executive Director Mira Yusef, and in partnership with the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA-Iowa) led by Chair Roel Fortich Campos, was held at the Urbandale Public Library on September 27. 

This was one in a series of dialogues featuring Asian, Pacific Islander and Arab communities in the state of Iowa. A heart-felt "THANK YOU" to the Filipino panel of speakers who took time from work to participate, as well as to the attendees who traveled near and far. 

Photo left to right: Mira Yusef, Executive Director of Monsoon Asian & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity; Reverend Dan Fernandez - Pastor, Mason City; Bernie Mrazek - Senior Reliability Analyst at Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids; Dr. Clarence Padilla - Director of College of Music, Drake University and NaFFAA-Iowa Vice Chair; and Aireen Snyder, Transportation Security Officer (TSA) and Member of FAAI, Des Moines.

Related Websites:

Photos and commentary provided by Malou Guieb-Campos, Communications Director, NaFFAA - Iowa Chapter


Annual Philippine Consulate Outreach hosted by NaFFAA - Iowa

NaFFAA Consulate 2018_1

NaFFAA Consulate 2018_2

 

NaFFAA and the World Financial Group hosted the Philippine Consulate General of Chicago for a two-day outreach event in Des Moines that provided consular services to Filipinos living in the Midwest. The Chicago Office serves 16 states. Many sponsors, volunteers and the Filipino community make this outreach possible each year.

Bottom photo left to rightRomulo Victor M. Israel Jr., Deputy Consul General; Benjamin Jung, Chair-IA Commission of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs; NaFFAA-IA Chair-Roel Fortich Campos; Consul General Gina Jamoralin; Tina Shaw, IA Dept. of Human Rights - Community & Advocacy Services (API); Hieu Pham and Kahmun Yap, Monsoon Asian & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity; and Malou Guieb-Campos, Communications Director, NaFFAA-IA.


COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION (COFA) - Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia & Palau  

On September 26, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 3398 sponsored by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska). It will now be deliberated in the US Senate.

Short title: REAL ID Act Modification for Freely Associated States Act

Summary: This bill amends the Real ID Act of 2005 to make a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau who has been admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant pursuant to a Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Republic or Federated States eligible for a driver's license or personal identification card. Under current law, a citizen of those countries is eligible for a temporary driver's license or personal identification card.

Status: Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 9/27/18. This technical corrections bill would impact the nearly 1,000 COFA Migrants residing in Iowa.

Watch CSPAN floor debate here.


ELDER CARE - Retirement

Despite Successful Minority Stereotype, Asian-Americans Face Worse Retirement Crisis Than Whites

Excerpt: "The outlook is not good for Asian-Americans seeking a secure retirement. Income inequality has risen faster for Asian-Americans than for any other group from 1970 to 2016. By 2016, Asian-Americans in the top 10% of the income distribution earned 10.7 times the income of those in the bottom 10% of the income distribution. For whites, this ratio has also increased, but amounted to only 7.8 times in 2016."

SOURCE: Forbes

ELDER CARE - Fraud Protection

Help Deter Identity Theft By Freezing Your Credit

In 6 easy steps, you can place a freeze on your credit data. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent identity thieves from using your information to steal. Expect it to take 10 minutes of computer time per each adult in your household. As of Sept. 21, all credit freezes will be free thanks to a new federal law (*previously, some states permitted fees to be charged for freezes).

According to an AARP survey:

  • The majority of Iowa adults performed poorly on an 8-question quiz of their digital identity knowledge.
  • Seven in 10 (71%) answered four or fewer questions correctly, thereby failing the quiz.
  • More than four in 10 Iowa adults (45%) report noticing fraudulent charges on their credit or debit card, yet few (14%) have ordered a security freeze on their credit.

SOURCE: AARP

Iowa Department of Aging

The Iowa Department on Aging strives to improve the quality of life and care of older Iowans through advocacy, planning, policy development and the administration and support of statewide programs and services that promote health, safety and long-term independence. 

Sign up for newsletters and information on eldercare resources here.

 


EDUCATION - Scholarship

STANLEY SUMMER SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ASIAN LANGUAGE STUDY

Currently enrolled University of Iowa undergraduate and graduate students in Asian Languages & Literatures/Asian Civilizations are eligible to compete for summer scholarship aid for intensive language study provided by the Stanley-University of Iowa Support Organization. Scholarships consist of a cash grant for use in an approved summer language program.

Details and applications are available beginning of the spring semester for awards to be applied to the upcoming summer. Amount Awarded: up to $2,500.


HEALTH CARE - Mental Health

Experts said isolation, social pressure, and war trauma can contribute to depression

"The suicide rate among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2016 was approximately half of the general population, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. Suicide ranks as the ninth leading cause of death among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the 10th leading cause of all deaths in the U.S."

SOURCE: NBC 

HEALTH CARE – Cancer Research

Proximal shift of colorectal cancer with increasing age in different ethnicities

Background: Studies have indicated a variation in colon cancer pathology with increased age. More findings have also suggested differences in genetics, biology, and demography in terms of ethnicity. Large-scale studies closely examining tumor location shift with aging and ethnicity are scarce. The research compared the tumor location survival difference in the African-American, White, and Asian/Pacific Islander patients.

SOURCE: Dove Press


BUSINESS - Organizational Culture

The Impact of Organizational Performance on the Emergence of Asian American Leaders

Excerpt: “On its surface, it may sound good for diversity: A new study finds failing companies often to turn to Asian-American leaders when their businesses are in decline. But the American Psychological Association says that's probably due to the stereotype that Asians are self-sacrificing."

“In a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, 5,000 American CEOs over the last five decades were analyzed. Researchers focused their study on East and Southeast Asians and found that ‘despite high levels of education and income, Asian-Americans remain underrepresented’ in leadership roles, except when a company is in decline. Asian-Americans were more than twice as likely to be appointed to leadership positions during troubling times…This isn't really an opportunity.”

Source: American Psychological Association - Journal of Applied Psychology

Related article: Newsy 

 

SMALL BUSINESS - Disaster Assistance Programs

Webinar – Small Business Administration (SBA) on Disaster Assistance Programs

This video provides an overview of SBA’s Disaster Assistance programs, resources, tips, and regulations.

Source: Small Business Administration

 

SMALL BUSINESS - Region 7 Advocate

Foster appointed Small Business Administration (SBA) Region 7 Advocate

Adrienne Vallejo Foster has been appointed Region 7 Advocate for the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration. In this role, Foster will advocate on behalf of small businesses in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska and will work with small business owners, state and local government agencies, state legislators and trade associations to be their voice in Washington, D.C. 

Foster has worked with small businesses for the last 15 years as a city council member and mayor of Roeland Park, Kan., and as executive director of the Governor’s Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission in Kansas. She is based in the Kansas City Regional Office and can be reached at (816) 426-4843 or adrienne.foster@sba.gov 

Source: Small Business Administration


CULTURE & DIVERSITY

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: October

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This observance was launched in 1945 when Congress declared the first week in October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1998, the week was extended to a month and renamed. Please visit the Iowa Office of Persons with Disabilities webpage to learn more.


National Diversity Day: Oct. 5

List of 2018 Diversity Holidays may be found here.


Minority Enterprise Development Week: Oct. 14-20

Since 1983, every president has issued a Presidential Proclamation designating a National Minority Enterprise Development Week to recognize the contributions of the minority business community to the U.S. economy.  For 35 years, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA - US Commerce Dept.) has led the National MED Week program to convene business leaders, honor outstanding MBEs and advocates, promote business opportunities, and report industry trends. 

This year, the MBDA will celebrate Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week in collaboration with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange.


Culture Exploration: Asian-Americans Make Up Most of the New U.S. Immigrant Population

Although the majority of U.S. foreign-born residents are Latin American, recent immigrants are most likely to arrive from Asia.

Source: National Geographic


Upcoming API Events in Iowa


The Comparison Project enacts global philosophy of religion in the local Des Moines community. Future events in The Comparison Project’s lecture and dialogue series on miracles include:  The Intertwining of Healing and Religion in a Contemporary Chinese American Community feat. Kin Cheung, Assistant Professor of Asian Religions, Department of Global Religions, Moravian College. This event takes place on Thursday, October 25 at 7:00PM at Sussman Theater, Olmsted Center at Drake University.


The Indo-American Association of Iowa and the Iowa Malayalee Association is hosting a live benefit concert this Saturday, September 29 at 6:30 PM in Waukee to raise funds to help those in the state of Kerala, India following the recent floods. The concert is free to attend, free-will donations are welcome. See flyer below for details. Direct all event inquiries to Mr. Rajesh Narsian, President of IAAI at rnarsian@hotmail.com


Kerala flooding benefit

NATURALIZATION

On Sept. 24, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the award of $9.425 million in grants to 40 organizations that prepare lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for naturalization. The grants also aim to promote prospective citizens’ assimilation into American civic life by funding educational programs designed to increase their knowledge of English, U.S. history, and civics. Located in 19 states, these organizations will receive federal funding to support citizenship preparation services for LPRs through September 2020.

Congratulations to Lutheran Services in Iowa - Des Moines which was awarded $250,000 to deliver Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services.

Source: USCIS - Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program

Related website: USCIS Citizenship Hub


LSI 2018 Naturalization