HAP hosts AAPI Policy Town Hall
0ST. PAUL — Hmong American Partnership, together with local AAPI community-based organizations, two national AAPI advocacy organizations, and the Minnesota Collaborative, is hosting an Asian American Pacific Islander Policy Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 11, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the East Side Saint Paul office, 1075 Arcade Street.
This event is free and open to the public. Dinner will be provided.
The event will give the community an opportunity to see the latest data on the current state of the AAPI community in Minnesota. It will be a chance to hear feedback from community leaders and elected officials and candidates on the new information and what it means for policymakers.
“This report provides the most comprehensive data on AAPI’s in the Midwest. The data on AAPI’s in MN is striking,” said HAP President & CEO Bao Vang. “Ramsey County has the highest percentage of AAPI’s in the state of MN, over 13 percent. The majority of those are Hmong. Also, from 2000 to 2008, AAPI voter registration grew by 169 percent, compared to only 9 percent in the general population.”
At the Town Hall, HAP and its partners will be launching a report titled, Communities on the Rise: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the Midwest. The presentation will highlight AAPI’s in Minnesota. St. Paul legislative officials and candidates from House and Senate Districts 65, 66, and 67 from all political parties are invited to attend and respond to the report as well as take questions from the audience. This is a nonpartisan event.
“The AAPI community represents a key demographic in elections this year, not just at the local level but also the state and federal level,” Vang said. “It is crucial that community members and legislative officials and candidates see this data, understand the importance of the AAPI vote this November, and dialogue with one another about the state of the AAPI community in order to address disparities that exist.”
For more information about Hmong American Partnership and its programs, please visit HAP’s website at www.hmong.org.