Friendly Reminder: No General Membership Meetings in December!
What's HAPPENing in the BRG Family
HAPPEN is hosting our 3rd annual ANHPI Heritage Month Celebration. Save the date in your calendar and join us as we celebrate the diverse cultures of our BRG.
Join the ANHPI Planning Committee!
Do you love bringing events to life? Enjoy coordinating resources and creating memorable spaces for your community? We’re looking for passionate volunteers to help plan and make our ANHPI events unforgettable. Email HAPPEN@ofm.wa.gov to volunteer.
Get involved and make an impact!
What's HAPPENing in the News
As you are aware, Washington’s new Executive Order 25-09 reaffirms the state’s commitment to protecting immigrant and refugee communities as well as other vulnerable communities, and your experiences and perspectives are essential to shaping this work. We invite all immigrant, LGBTQ+, and Disability communities’ members to complete our survey to help guide statewide policies that better support families, safeguard data, and improve access to resources. Your feedback will directly inform the Immigration Subcabinet’s recommendations to the Governor. Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your voice.
As a reminder you should not put your name or other identifiable information in the survey including your emails information if you do not want a response from the Immigration Subcabinet.
Here are the links to the surveys: Immigration Subcabinet Community Feedback Survey
Encuesta para la comunidad sobre el Subgabinete de Inmigración
Khảo sát Phản hồi Cộng đồng của Tiểu ban Di trú
이민 하위위원회의 커뮤니티 의견 설문조사
移民子內閣社區意見調查
移民内阁小组社区反馈调查问卷
سروی کمیته فرعی مهاجرت برای نظر سنجی جامعه
Опрос общественного мнения при Подкомитете губернатора по вопросам иммиграции
Опитування спільноти з питань імміграції
الملاحظات بشأن استبيان مجلس الهجرة الفرعي
Currently the monthly Immigration Subcabinet Newsletter is available in English and Spanish. We will keep people informed through that channel on progress. To sign up to receive the Newsletter – please use this link: Office of the Governor / Office of Financial Management
Cultural Events & Activities
The following are some activities you may want to check out HAPPENing:
 The Equity Learning Series
Small Business Inclusion Webinar
The Washington State Office of Equity is excited to continue our Equity Learning Series into 2026! We start the new year off with an amazing partnership with Earl Key. Earl is the Senior Director of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Webinar Details
Webinar Description
This webinar will discuss the current state of affirmative action in public contracting and WSDOT’s efforts to implement race-neutral small business initiatives in response.
Earl Key has been kind enough to bring his experience, knowledge, and subject matter expertise around supplier diversity. He is an experienced lawyer, advisor and advocate who is recognized for his work to improve minority representation, equal opportunity hiring and compliance.
Preventing Veteran Suicide by Combating Stigma: Building Awareness and Support Webinar
The Washington State Office of Equity is excited to announce that we have rescheduled our Combating Stigma webinar.
We have partnered with Nicole Vreeland, the Suicide Prevention Program Manager with Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Together we felt this was a perfect opportunity for another Equity Learning Series webinar: Preventing Veteran Suicide by Combating Stigma: Building Awareness and Support.
Webinar Details
Webinar Description
This session will explore the critical issue of stigma surrounding mental health and suicide within the Service Member, Veteran, and Family (SMVF) community. Stigma remains a significant barrier to seeking help, contributing to isolation, misinformation, and lack of access to essential mental health services.
This training focuses on understanding the types of stigmas – self, public, and institutional. We work through how stigma impacts mental health and practical steps to reduce its presence. Participants will engage in meaningful discussion to challenge and address stigma, foster supportive peer networks, and promote help-seeking behavior.
Through interactive breakout sessions and guided discussions, attendees will have the opportunity to explore the emotional and cultural factors that contribute to stigma. Attendees will walk away able to identify barriers to mental health care within the military community, Finally, they will be able to develop actionable strategies for creating a more supportive and empathetic environment.
Preventing Veteran Suicide by Combating Stigma: Building Awareness and Support aims to empower participants to take an active role in reducing stigma and supporting suicide prevention efforts in their communities. The goal is to foster resilience, normalize conversations about mental health, and reduce the risk of suicide by promoting early intervention and a strong network of support.
Our Voices: Stories from Washington’s Southeast Asian RefugeesExhibition developed in parntership with Legacy Washington, Office of the Secretary of State
November 29, 2025 – July 12, 2026
Thousands of refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia built new lives in Washington State after the war in Vietnam. In 1975, Washington invited 500 Southeast Asian refugees to make the state their home. Now, refugees and their descendants tell their stories through oral histories and photographs depicting this remarkable era. Hear about their journey in this exhibition organized in collaboration with Legacy Washington and the Washington Secretary of State.
Giọng nói của chúng tôi: Những câu chuyện của những người dân tị nạn từ Đông Nam Á của Washington29 Tháng 11, 2025 – 12 Tháng 7, 2026
Hàng nghìn những người tị nam từ Việt Nam, Lào và Campuchia xây dựng một cuộc sống mới tại Bang Washington sau chiến tranh tại Việt Nam. Vào năm 1975, Washington đã đón chào 500 dân tị nạn Đông Nam Á tạo dựng mái ấm của mình tại bang. Giờ đây, những người tị nạn và các thế hệ sau của họ kể câu chuyện của họ qua lịch sử truyền miệng và ảnh miêu tả thời kì đáng chú ý này. Lắng nghe về hành trình của họ trong triển lãm này được tổ chức bởi sự kết hợp giữa Legacy Washington và Bang Vụ bang Washington.
សំឡេងយើង៖ រឿងរ៉ាវនៃជនភៀសខ្លួនអាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍របស់រដ្ឋវ៉ាស៊ីនតោនថ្ងៃទី២៩ ខែវិច្ឆិកា ឆ្នាំ២០២៥ ដល់ថ្ងៃទី១២ ខែកក្កដា ឆ្នាំ២០២៦
ជនភៀសខ្លួនរាប់ពាន់នាក់មកពីប្រទេសវៀតណាម ឡាវ និងកម្ពុជា បានកសាងជីវិតថ្មីនៅក្នុងរដ្ឋវ៉ាស៊ីនតោន បន្ទាប់ពីសង្គ្រាមនៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម។ នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៧៥ រដ្ឋវ៉ាស៊ីនតោនបានអញ្ជើញជនភៀសខ្លួនអាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍ចំនួន៥០០នាក់ ឱ្យមករស់នៅក្នុងរដ្ឋនេះ។ ឥឡូវនេះ ជនភៀសខ្លួនទាំងនោះ និងកូនចៅរបស់ពួកគេ នឹងរៀបរាប់នូវរឿងរ៉ាវរបស់ពួកគេ តាមរយៈប្រវត្តិផ្ទាល់មាត់និងរូបថតនានាដែលពិពណ៌នាអំពីគ្រាគួរឱ្យកត់សម្គាល់នេះ។ សូមស្តាប់អំពីដំណើរជីវិតរបស់ពួកគេនៅក្នុងការតាំងពិព័រណ៍នេះដែលរៀបចំឡើងក្រោយកិច្ចសហការជាមួយកម្មវិធី Legacy Washington និងលេខាធិការរដ្ឋវ៉ាស៊ីនតោន។
ສຽງຂອງພວກເຮົາ: ເລື່ອງລາວຂອງຜູ້ອົບພະຍົບຊາວອາຊຽນຕາເວັນອອກໃຕ້ໃນລັດ Washington
ຫຼາຍພັນຊີວິດຂອງຜູ້ອົບພະຍົບຈາກ ຫວຽດນາມ, ລາວ ແລະ ກຳປູເຈຍ ໄດ້ສ້າງຊີວິດໃໝ່ໃນລັດ Washington ຫຼັງສົງຄາມຫວຽດນາມ. ໃນປີ 1975 ລັດ Washington ໄດ້ເຊີນຮັບຜູ້ອົບພະຍົບຊາວອາຊຽນຕາເວັນອອກໃຕ້ 500 ຄົນ ເຂົ້າມາອາໄສ. ປັດຈຸບັນ ຜູ້ອົບພະຍົບ ແລະ ລູກຫຼານ ໄດ້ຖ່າຍທອດເລື່ອງລາວຂອງພວກເຂົາ ຜ່ານປະຫວັດສາດປາກເປົ່າ ແລະ ຮູບພາບ ທີ່ສະທ້ອນເຖິງຍຸກສຳຄັນນັ້ນ. ຂໍເຊີນຮັບຟັງເລື່ອງການເດີນທາງຂອງພວກເຂົາ ໃນງານນຳເສີນນີ້ ທີ່ຈັດຮ່ວມກັບ Legacy Washington ແລະ ສຳນັກງານລັດຖະມົນຕີການຕ່າງປະເທດ.
Exhibition artwork by Lisa Ha
 Our Voices
Stories from Washington's Southeast Asian Refugees
Have Something to Share?
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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