Legislative Leadership Summit
2024 Legislative Leadership Summit Overview
The 2024 APAICS Legislative Leadership Summit brings together nonprofit and corporate leaders, subject matter experts, as well as local, state, and federal elected officials to discuss important issues that affect the Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community and the nation at large. Past events focused on issues, policies, practices, and trends in the AA & NH/PI community in an environment that facilitates solution-oriented dialogue and building public service pipelines in communities of color.
2024 Legislative Leadership Summit Details
Dates & Times:
May 13 | 9:00AM-4:00PM
May 14| 9:00AM-2:00PM
Location:
The Royal Sonesta Washington, Capitol Hill
20 Massachusetts Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20001
Honorary Co-Chairs
Congresswoman Doris Matsui
(CA-07)
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
(WA-07)
Honored Speakers
The 2024 Legislative Leadership Summit will feature remarks from a diverse group of AA & NH/PI and AA & NH/PI-affiliated leaders from across the country. We're honored to have speakers such as Former Congressional Delegate from Guam and APAICS Co-Founder Robert Underwood, Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois), Hawaii Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke, City of San Antonio, Texas Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, City of Millcreek, Utah Mayor Pro Tempore Bev Uipi, Hawaii State Representative Elle Cochran (District 14), Hawaii State Representative Trish La Chica (District 36), CAPE Executive Director Michelle Sugihara, Starz actress Kelly Hu, and Writer-Director Adele Lim.
Panel Preview
Check out a preview of the panels that will be featured at this year's Legislative Leadership Summit. Some of the issues that will be highlighted this year include the AA & NH/PI experience in corporate America, mental health, the environment, artificial intelligence, and immigration to name a few. Read more about each panel preview below and stay tuned for the full schedule in the coming weeks.
Redefining and Empowering Patients and Caregivers
65+ has been the fastest-growing age group for the past decade, increasing by over 38%. AA & NH/PIs age 65+ is estimated to be near 3 million today, with Chinese Americans as the largest Asian ethnic group aged 65+, followed by Filipinos and Japanese. The AA & NH/PI 65+ community is projected to grow to 7.9 million by 2060. More than half of Americans 50 and older — 54 percent — are considered to be caregivers because of the help they provide to one or more people 65 and older. Additionally, our nation’s dialogue about caregiving is not limited to the 65+, but also includes our wounded Veterans, Americans with disabilities, and their families. The Census Bureau projects that by 2034, older adults will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history and, by 2040, 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older. With increased medical and caregiving costs and the growing need, how do we empower patients, caregivers, and the community to develop sensible and effective solutions?
AA & NH/PI Success and Challenges in Corporate America
Satya Nadella, Indra Nooyi, Sundar Pichai, and Eric Yuan are legendary Asian American CEOs whose work impacts our daily lives. Yet, nationwide, AA & NH/PIs are largely absent from most corporate boardrooms, with only 6 percent of executives being AA & NH/PI. A recent study identifies that 16 percent of Asian American and 18 percent of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander workers participate in affinity ERGs—a rate double that of workers overall. Despite higher participation, 1 in 4 AA & NH/PIs feel excluded from discussions about DEI at work. This panel will address the model minority myth, among other stereotypes and obstacles AA & NH/PI professionals encounter. Panelists will share their personal and professional journeys, barriers they have overcome, and advice for future generations of global leaders.
Caring for Mental Health in the AA & NH/PI Community
In 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for AA & NH/PI ages 15 to 24, and high school-age AA & NH/PI males were 30 percent more likely to consider attempting suicide as compared to non-Hispanic white male students. AA & NH/PIs were also 60 percent less likely to have received mental health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic whites. The panel will bring together subject matter experts and community leaders to share their mental health services and resources, discuss unmet needs in mental health -- including serious mental illness, and provide their expertise to address audience questions. This panel will cover issues such as integrating mental health and primary health care services,improving accessibility through cultural competency and multilingual services, patient experience, and addressing stigmas about mental health that may help overcome barriers to care.
Community Resilience, Energy, & Environment
The Biden administration issued Executive Order 14096: Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, prompting federal agencies to weigh in on the environmental burden of new energy projects on historically marginalized communities. Following the Maui fire, the Administration pledged $20M to bolster climate resilience for NH/PI communities, but more needs to be done. This panel explores the critical nexus between rapidly developing and implementing sustainable energy projects and the imperative of achieving equity and inclusivity in the energy sector. As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, energy reliability and affordability, and social disparities, it becomes increasingly evident that addressing sustainability and equity is essential for a just and prosperous future.
How AI Is Changing The World
Technology has long offered the promise of democratization. However, in the wake of ChatGPT and deepfakes, the conversations around AI feel urgent, but they’ve been with us for a very long time. Technology – and digital technology like AI – has been shaping society for decades, if not longer, and has sometimes been used to amplify and entrench existing systems of power and inequality. This panel will discuss the opportunities and impact that AI technology presents in our society and how we see the role of data and AI in shaping or reshaping power imbalances with regard to individuals, communities, and society at large.
Immigration - The Asian American Perspective
The Asian American community is an immigrant community, with approximately two-thirds born outside of the U.S. Historically restricted from immigrating and denied citizenship based on race, a path toward comprehensive immigration reform remains an important issue for the community. Additionally, a recent New York Times article highlighted the growing number of Chinese migrants crossing from Mexico to the U.S. demonstrates that seeking the American Dream for Asian immigrants is still ever present. This panel will discuss the challenges of Asian Americans seeking family reunification, visa backlogs, and efforts to reform our immigration system.
Asian Americans in the Entertainment Landscape
In 2018, Crazy Rich Asians became the most successful Rom-Com in nearly a decade and it effectively set the stage in the US market for films featuring an Asian cast. Parasite, which would typically compete in the best international feature film category, won in the Best Picture category the following year. In 2022, Everything Everywhere All At Once won Best Picture and, in 2023, eight Emmy Awards went to Beef. The AA & NH/PI community felt incredibly proud of these wins because they featured casts of interesting and complex characters who looked like us. Consider this success against the backdrop of earlier portrayals of Asian Americans such as Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles. Will the media and marketing industry embrace more AA & NH/PI representation with this recent success? The panel will discuss the representations of AA & NH/PIs in the media and the challenges faced in working toward more authentic portrayals of the diverse community.
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