Still catching up on stuff I missed while I was on vacation last month... Here's an excellent new online resource to track the political development and progress of the Asian Pacific American community: APAICS AND YUM! BRANDS LAUNCH ONLINE APA POLITICAL DATABASE.
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies recently launched the Asian Pacific American Political Database, a comprehensive national directory of Asian Pacific American elected officials and political candidates at all levels of government, from local school boards to the U.S. Congress. From the APAICS press release:
Big props to team that put this project together. To access the database, and to learn more about the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, go to the APAICS website here. You can also follow the recently launched APAICS Twitter feed.
"With the launch of the Asian Pacific American Political Database, anyone with an internet connection can instantly locate and learn about APA elected officials and candidates throughout the country," said Ruby G. Moy, Acting Executive Director of APAICS. "Thanks to our partnership with Yum! Brands, Inc., APAICS is able to offer a dynamic resource that reflects the latest political developments and provides a constantly updated overview of the APA community's growing role in government and public policy."
In the year 2000, there were approximately 320 Asian Pacific American elected officials nationwide. Today, that figure has grown to over 450, with APA candidates winning high profile seats in new states like Louisiana, South Carolina, Connecticut, and Idaho.
"APAICS is pleased to see the progress that's been made over the last ten years," said Moy. "However, we are also keenly aware of the fact that the APA political community still remains largely scattered. We hope that the information and contacts made available through our database can serve as the foundation for creating a national network of Asian Pacific Americans in public service."
