HAPPEN receives nomination for the inaugural 2024 P.E.A.R. STAR Award
HAPPEN Executive Leadership Team (ELT) is excited to announce we have been nominated for the inaugural 2024 P.E.A.R. STAR award! Below is the text of our nomination.
The Executive/Elected Leadership seats of HAPPEN all have PEAR at the forefront of their BRG work and with their own agencies. As advocates, they are courageous in naming and addressing all levels of racism, asking the hard questions about equity impact and intent vs impact, being transparent and accountable, and advocating for investments based on the greatest needs identified.
They all acknowledge this work cannot be done without embracing continuous learning and community engagement.
HAPPEN's Exec Leaders give space for state employees to process and share their cultural trauma and workplace challenges related to their identities so they may receive validation and support. Their relentless mission to end friction, colorism, microaggressions, stereotypes, and the barriers to the same professional opportunities as nonmarginalized counterparts has spread into countless state agencies resulting in the beginnings of positive transformation. The agencies managing enterprise personnel data are listening to HAPPEN leaders about the importance of changing how we collect data and report it so it reflects a more accurate picture of disparities - and gains after the benchmark is established. The HAPPEN BRG is helping state government retain a group of communities that would otherwise leave state government out of frustration and the current elected BRG leaders of HAPPEN have been instrumental in that gain.
It is an honor to be nominated. Thank you for recognizing the hard work of the inaugural HAPPEN ELT! We work rigorously to bring quality and relevant content; create brave spaces to share our stories, experiences, grief, and pain; collaborate with our fellow BRGs; and amplify and advocate for our community and our brother and sister voices.
HAPPEN members (as defined in Article IV, Section I in our bylaws) may vote by completing this survey using the link below or scanning the QR code at the top of this message. Individuals may vote one time.
Cast your vote before election closes at 11:59 pm on Sunday, September 8.
The last date to sign-up is 11:59 pm on September 22.
Attend the HAPPEN Mentorship/Professional Development event: How to Be a Mentor with Guest Panel on Thursday, September 12 from 10-11am. Join Kennly Asato, Thanh Tran, Aunna Moss, and Lynora Hirata to learn about the importance of being a mentor and their lessons learned. This session will be recorded for future viewing.
Chinese Exclusion and Resilience in the Built Environment, Presented by: Nicholas Vann, HAPPEN Executive Sponsor
When: September 26, 2024. Doors @ 630pm, program begins at 7pm.
Where: Traditions Café, Olympia (304 5th Ave SW).
The history of Chinese American exclusion is complex and undertold. It is a history consisting of systemic, government-sponsored discrimination in the United States, and it is also a story of sacrifice and resilience—one embedded in our buildings and landscapes. The physical historic resources scattered throughout America’s small cities that emerged from this legacy are in a fragile and endangered state.
Without awareness and a desire to recognize these historic places, we risk the complete erasure of these resources that are central to understanding the Chinese American experience, and our collective responsibility to acknowledge broader Asian American experiences and history. This presentation will feature places in Olympia, Washington state, and Arizona. The presentation will be followed by a panel of distinguished leaders to discuss the importance of visibility and acknowledgment of our shared history.
Guest panelists:
Huy Pham, Executive Director APIAHiP (Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation)
Yến Huỳnh, City of Olympia Mayor Pro Tem
This program is sponsored by the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, and the Olympia Arts + Heritage Alliance.
Join us at our general member meeting on Sept 11! Our guest speaker will be Kiana McKenna, who is the Director of Policy and Civic Engagement at the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington (PICA-WA), and a CAPAA Commissioner. Kiana will be speaking about her work with PICA, the importance of dismantling API, and disaggregating NH/PI data from ANHPI.
Kiana was appointed to CAPAA in June 2023. She is currently the Director of Policy and Civic Engagement at the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington (PICA-WA) and began her work there in the Spring of 2020 as the lead for the Eastern WA NH/PI COVID-19 Response Taskforce. In addition to organizing with Pasifika communities, Kiana sat on the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Spokane (now Asians for Collective Liberation) Advisory Committee for a number of years and currently sits on many other coalitions and committees which give her the opportunity to participate in cross-racial organizing and collaborate on opportunities to advance wellness for historically excluded and underserved communities.
Kiana just finished serving in her sixth year as a board member for YWCA Spokane, where she was passionate about uplifting voices of domestic violence survivors, womxn and girls of color. She currently sits on Providence Health Care’s Community Mission Board for Spokane and Stevens Counties, the City of Spokane’s Equity Subcommittee, the Better Health Together Board of Directors, and RANGE Media’s Community Advisory Board.
Born and raised in Spokane, Kiana graduated from Gonzaga University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations as well as minors in promotional marketing and psychology. Outside of work, you can find Kiana in community, with her family, or outdoors, no matter the weather. She is proud to carry the torch forward and honor her ancestors in advocating fiercely for the wellness and thriving of her community.
HAPPEN general membership meetings are scheduled the second Wednesday of the month from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
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What's HAPPENing in the BRG Family
The next ICSEW general membership meeting will be held virtually on September 17, from 8:30 am to noon. Please visit their meetings page to register and view the full meeting agenda.
The 2024 Professional Development Conference “Making Herstory: Breaking Boundaries, Building Bridges” is scheduled for October 8-9. The conference will once again be held virtually via Zoom and is free to attend.
A post-conference in-person networking events will be held October 10 at the Office of Administrative Hearings’ Spokane Valley and Tacoma locations from 8:30 to noon.
16201 E. Indiana Ave., Ste. 3000, Spokane Valley, WA 99216
4301 South Pine Street, Suite 200, Tacoma, WA 98409
RAIN provides trainings to Washington state agencies and institutions of higher learning to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity and best practices in the workplace. For more information you can view their upcoming trainings below. If you have questions or trouble registering email rain@ofm.wa.gov.
2024 White House Initiative AA and NHPI Policy Summit
On behalf of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), you are invited to join in the nation’s capital on Thursday, September 26, 2024, for an in-person AA and NHPI Policy Summit.
This day-long, in-person event will highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership, accomplishments, and continued commitment to advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities. Speakers will include senior White House and federal agency officials, policy experts, and community leaders from across the country who will have the opportunity to network and dialogue on key AA and NHPI issues.
This event is free and open to the public. Individual registration is required. Please contact WHIAANHPI@HHS.GOV with any questions about the event.
Unveiling The Findings: State of Chinese Americans Survey 2024
Webinar: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST
Chinese Americans constitute about 5.5 million people and are the largest share of the Asian American population. Despite this fast-growing electorate, Chinese Americans have faced a surge in racism in everyday life, been historically underrepresented in politics and policy, and the specific policy preferences and political behaviors of those same Chinese Americans are unknown.
So what are the political and policy preferences of Chinese Americans? What are Chinese Americans’ feelings toward the current relationship between the U.S. and China? And to what extent do Chinese Americans still experience racial discrimination?
Join Committee of 100, NORC at the University of Chicago, and experts in the fields of policy, politics, and research to address these key questions in the research & data unveiling of ‘State of Chinese Americans.’
Reserve your spot for this free, important and timely discussion!
We try our best to curate meaningful and relevant content, opportunities, news, etc., we think will be of interest for our members and allies. Representing over 100 countries and more than 50 communities makes it difficult to stay apprised of everything HAPPENing related to our collective community. We greatly appreciate when opportunities are shared from our members.
This is your bulletin. Feel free to send articles, resources, event information, etc., to be included in future bulletins, and eventually, our website and social media.
Process:
Submit items by emailing them to HAPPEN@ofm.wa.gov by Thursday morning for the following week's bulletin.
Time sensitive items submitted will be reviewed and included in the next bulletin.
Non-time sensitive submissions will be added to the list to be included in future bulletins when we may be looking for content to share.
Bulletins will usually be distributed on Mondays. Special bulletins will be sent only as needed to provide an update on something already shared or of an urgent nature.
Thank you in advance for sharing, uplifting, and elevating our voices, culture, and opportunities! This is what community looks like.
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The Hawaiians, Asians, and Pacific Islanders Promoting an Empowering Network (HAPPEN) Business Resource Group exists to improve lives by increasing Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) representation in leadership and general state employment and advocating for policies that promote anti-racism, equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging in the workplace. We work to build a culture of inclusion and belonging that gives voice to the ANHPI experience.
Please share this information and encourage your colleagues, state-employed family, and friends to attend and get involved! We are a formal, enterprise-wide resource group conducting official state business. Participants are not required to take leave to participate per State HR's policy. If you experience any challenges in participating, please let us know.
