(NAME-MCE) Connecticut Governor's Proposed Cuts to Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission Raises Concerns over Commitment to APA Community

[Bill Howe]

                                A D V A N C I N G    E Q U A L I T Y
                                                          
For Immediate Release:                                           News
Release
Tuesday, February 10, 2009                                       Contact:
Leonie Campbell-Williams
(202) 296-2300 ext. 135; 
(202) 492-4591 Cell
 <mailto:lcampbell at advancingequality.org> lcampbell at advancingequality.org


Connecticut Governor's Proposed Cuts to Asian Pacific American Affairs
Commission Raises Concerns over Commitment to APA Community
 
Washington, D.C. - On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell
(R) released her plan to mitigate a projected $300 million budget shortfall
for the state. Governor Rell's proposed budget cuts included eliminating
$25,000 that was earmarked for the new Connecticut Asian Pacific American
Affairs Commission. The Commission, which was appointed last June by Rell,
is tasked with determining how issues such as access to health care,
housing, job training or English language instruction affect the state's
Asian Pacific American (APA) population.
 
"The Connecticut Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission is designed to
determine how Connecticut can best work with and provide government services
to the APA community in Connecticut," said Karen K. Narasaki, president and
executive director of the Asian American Justice Center. "Cutting this
necessary funding means the state won't be equipped to address the unique
needs of the extremely diverse and rapidly growing APA community in
Connecticut."
 
According to the U. S. Census Bureau, Connecticut has the eighth fastest
growing APA population in the United States. From 2000 to 2005,
Connecticut's APA population grew by nearly 30 percent.
 
Narasaki added, "We ask that the Connecticut General Assembly reconsider
Governor Rell's proposed cuts to the Asian Pacific American Affairs
Commission. We hope the members of the General Assembly will recognize the
Commission's extremely modest expenses as an investment in the growing APA
community of Connecticut."
 
# # #
 
The Asian American Justice Center (www.advancingequality.org
<http://www.advancingequality.org/> ) is a national organization dedicated
to defending and advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans. It
works closely with three affiliates - the Asian American Institute in
Chicago (www.aaichicago.org <http://www.aaichicago.org/> ), the Asian Law
Caucus (www.asianlawcaucus.org <http://www.asianlawcaucus.org/> ) in San
Francisco, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (www.apalc.org
<http://www.apalc.org/> ) in Los Angeles - and nearly 100 community partners
44 cities in 24 states and the District of Columbia.
 
 
 
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