Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories impacting the lives of the Filipino-American community in the State of California.
IT’S official: California now has its first Filipino American attorney general. The state Legislature on Thursday, April 22 confirmed Assemblymember Rob Bonta as the next chief law enforcement officer, a month after he was nominated by Governor Gavin Newsom. The 48-year-old progressive Democrat received 29-6 votes in the Senate and 62-0 in the Assembly, where…
Half of all U.S. adults have received at least one dose, CDC confirms ALTHOUGH the coronavirus pandemic is far from over and normal life has yet to fully resume, more residents aged 16 and older are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 in cities and counties across California. On Saturday, April 10 the City of Los Angeles…
THE California Endowment is committing $100 million to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations across the state for the next decade. The commitment, which will be spread out over 10 years, will double the foundation’s current investments and will focus on health equity, racial justice and transformative solidarity. The announcement on Monday, April 12…
Golden State to expand vaccinations to 16 and older this week AS California is slated to broaden its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to younger residents this week, the state is heeding the federal government’s recommendation to halt the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The announcement to “pause” the type of vaccine on Tuesday, April…
CALIFORNIA plans to move away from its color-coded tier system and fully reopen its economy by June 15, depending on vaccine and hospitalization numbers remaining stable. Governor Gavin Newsom announced the target data on Tuesday, April 6 and said the state must meet the criteria of sufficient vaccine supply for residents over the age of…
In 2001, First 5 California debuted its informative and resource-packed Kit for New Parents to millions of families and caregivers throughout the state. However, many parents of young children, especially families from under-resourced neighborhoods, are not aware of this free and valuable tool. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of children under the age of…
CALIFORNIANS over the age of 50 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as the state continues its mass vaccination campaign. The expansion took effect on Thursday, April 1 to include those 50 years and older who previously did not qualify to be inoculated under one of the eligible categories. Health care workers, long-term…
by Angela Hart and Samantha Young SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is framing the burgeoning effort to remove him from office as a fringe Republican movement backed by right-wing extremists, Trump supporters and QAnon conspiracy theorists. But Newsom isn’t telling the whole story about who supports his recall. Democrats and independent voters — who…
WHEN California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Assemblymember Rob Bonta as his pick for attorney general, Filipino American leaders and community members across the state joined in applauding the move. On Wednesday, March 24, Bonta was revealed as the choice to succeed outgoing Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead…
CALIFORNIANS over the age of 16 will get their shot at receiving a COVID-19 vaccine by April. Starting April 1, individuals aged 50 and over will be eligible to make an appointment, and individuals over 16 will be eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated starting on April 15. “With vaccine supply increasing and…
Jie Wang owns three rental properties in Oakland. Her whole family relies on income from tenants paying their rent. Many have lost their jobs during the pandemic. Eviction moratoriums protect tenants who can’t pay part or all of their rent. But small housing providers like Wang still have mortgages, utilities and other expenses. A lack…
CALIFORNIA is set to have its first Filipino American attorney general. Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda), who became the first Fil-Am in the state Legislature, is making history again after Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him to be the next chief law enforcement officer on Wednesday, March 24. “Thank you, Governor Newsom, for the privilege and honor…
CALIFORNIA Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye has condemned the violent attacks against Asians and Asian Americans in the United States. In a statement issued on Friday, March 19, the Filipina American chief justice shared that the recent hate crimes felt “more personal” since she is a member of the community being targeted. “Anti-Asian violence, like…
CALIFORNIA’S COVID-19 vaccine scheduling tool My Turn is now available in 12 languages, including Tagalog. MyTurn.ca.gov — a website that allows the state’s residents to schedule appointments and be notified when they’re eligible — has been updated to include five new languages in an effort to be accessible to more residents, the California Department of…
SACRAMENTO — Covered California released new data and announced new partnerships to highlight how the American Rescue Plan can benefit 25 million Americans, including 3 million in California. “The new and expanded financial help provided by the American Rescue Plan is a very big deal for millions of Americans,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of…
CALIFORNIA has announced the launch of a statewide COVID-19 rent relief program, intended to help income-eligible households pay rent and utilities, both for arrears and future payment. Supported by the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief provides financial assistance to income-qualified tenants experiencing housing instability and provides rent reimbursement to…
Including those with disabilities, certain health conditions STARTING this week, approximately 4.4 million more Californians are eligible to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. As of Monday, March 15, individuals who are 16 to 64 years old with disabilities and certain high-risk health conditions can sign up to receive their vaccine. Conditions include: • Cancer, current…
TOP Democratic Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) elected officials from California are doubling down on their support for Governor Gavin Newsom as he faces a recall effort. Current and former elected officials, representing “firsts” in various capacities down the state, denounced the recall attempt during a virtual press conference on Wednesday, March 10, the…
Legislation would combat opioid and substance use crisis by increasing number of substance use counselors in California SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) announced a bill on Wednesday, March 10 that would address the shortage of substance use disorder (SUD) counselors and clinicians in California. AB 666 would create a pipeline of 1,000 new…
State officials continue encouraging eligible AAPIs to get vaccinated as distribution expands AFTER a problematic start to the coronavirus vaccine rollout in California, the state’s ramped-up distribution efforts over the past few weeks continue to encourage more communities to receive their shots. According to Johns Hopkins’ COVID-19 dashboard, California has administered 10.9 million doses of…
JOE Garbanzos has been named AARP’s California state president, becoming the first Filipino in the capacity. The state president is a volunteer who serves as spokesperson and representative for AARP across California. In this role, Garbanzos will chair the all-volunteer Executive Council, a diverse group of professionals who provide advice and counsel to advance AARP’s…
MEMBERS of the California state Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a $6.6 billion school re-opening plan, which aims to get children in grades kindergarten through 6th back to classrooms by March 15, and older children by mid next month. The plan prioritizes students who would benefit the most from in-person instruction kids from low-income…
THE County of San Diego an-nounced on Wednesday, Febru-ary 24 that COVID-19 vaccina-tions will open Saturday, Feb. 27, to people who work in emergen-cy services, child care and edu-cation, and food and agriculture (including grocery stores).Currently, health care person-nel, long-term care facility staff and residents, and those who are 65 years and older are eligible…
CALIFORNIA Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley sounded an alarm for students to apply for financial aid ahead of the Cal Grant March 2 deadline to get the most aid possible.Applications are down significantly compared to last year, and with the effects of COVID-19 impacting students’ income, more students are facing financial barriers that could…
NEARLY a year into the coronavirus pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom this week signed a $7.6 billion relief package that will give one-time payments to over 5 million low-income residents and grants for small businesses. Newsom on Tuesday, February 23 signed several bills that will fast-track relief to Californians, including one that will give $600…
$1.4 million allocated to track anti-Asian incidents CALIFORNIA legislators this week are seeking to address the recent surge of hate and violence against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community with proposals to increase funding and resources for victims. Through Assembly Bill 85 — a fiscal measure to provide more resources as…
AS the public cry for a recall election, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state officials this week reached a deal to provide more extensive COVID-19 relief measures, including $600 relief checks for the state’s 5.7 million low-income residents. Newsom on Wednesday, Feb. 17 announced the whopping $9.6 billion COVID-19 relief package alongside California Senate Leader…
New portal serves as a central hub of workplace information for employers during the pandemic SACRAMENTO – The California Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) recently launched a new Employer Portal, a one-stop hub for California employers to quickly find up-to-date state and local county COVID-19 guidance by business industry. The portal can be accessed at…
by Laura Ungar and Samantha Young CALIFORNIA mom Megan Bacigalupi has had enough. She wants her kindergartner and second grader back in their Oakland classrooms. But the coronavirus is spreading too quickly to open schools in Alameda County, based on the current state standards. And the local teachers union hasn’t agreed to go back —…
by Jenny Manrique In addition to high risk exposure to COVID-19, farmworkers in California have borne the brunt of setbacks caused by the pandemic: loss of income and employment, sudden childcare costs due to school closings, problems with distance learning due to poor or zero Internet access, food shortages, housing insecurity and even mental health…
