Dear Community Partners,

At the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans (“the Council”), we believe that citizen engagement in government, specifically in the policy making process, is one of the most essential strategies to accomplish our goals at the legislature. In an increasingly diverse Minnesota, our role in informing policy deliberations in an effective, objective and relevant manner is absolutely necessary. Our involvement is crucial in ensuring that the policies designed for the people of Minnesota do not neglect our Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities.

I invite you to join us at this year’s “API Day at the Capitol” on Wednesday, February 8^th, 2017, from 10:00 – 11:30 A.M. Together, we will send a clear message to our policy makers that we are a community that has come of age, and that we are ready to assist them in their ongoing endeavor to create public policies that are equitable and broadly impactful.

Your presence at our annual API Day at the Capitol is important for several reasons. First, by showing up, we claim our place in “the People’s House.” Since we are the fastest growing ethnic minority community in Minnesota, when we show up in numbers that reflect our size and our diversity, we actualize our collective power. Second, when we show up, we align our actions with our belief that relying on the good intentions of government is no longer sufficient; we want to influence the actions of government.

Our community members depend on all of us to not allow them to remain in the background and in the policy shadows – let us, with our policy makers, advance equity together.

Your active participation in our legislative process is essential to ensuring that the actions of government reflect all of our hopes and dreams; that these actions will allow us to share in the opportunities that are so uniquely Minnesotan and American. When we act together, we increase our individual and collective capacity to meet the challenges that we all face – today, tomorrow, and in the future.

To ensure that this year’s API Day at the Capitol is as successful as possible, please register at:

EventBrite Registration Link

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On behalf of the Council board of directors, I invite you to join us as we continue to redefine our role in building a more equitable and thriving Minnesota – for all of us – by setting aside time in your busy schedules to show up, step up, and be heard.

Sincerely,

Sia Her

Executive Director