The National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators (NAPACSL) is comprised of 168 state legislators from 33 states across the country and is a collective effort to bring in Asian American and Pacific Islander perspectives on policies that affect their communities, including economic development, educational equity and culturally competent services such as health care.
The goals of NAPACSL are:
- To serve as a national network to facilitate the discussion, dissemination, and exchange of ideas and information among Asian American and Pacific Islander state legislators and their staffs;
- To improve the effectiveness of Asian American and Pacific Islander state legislators to positively affect the quality of life for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community;
- To inform and educate other elected officials, government officials, and the public regarding topics and issues of common cause to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including, but not limited to, healthcare, language access, labor, education, economic development, immigration and trade;
- To educate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders regarding the availability of appointed and elected offices at all levels of government and to advocate for the hiring and promotion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to positions of influence in the private sector;
- To increase the active participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the political and electoral process through voter education and registration and/or educational seminars in local jurisdictions about the functioning of government;
- To educate and develop a support infrastructure with other caucuses, other levels of government departments and agencies, businesses and industries, school boards, labor and civil organizations, and other interested stakeholders.
2019-2021 NAPACSL Leaderhip
NAPACSL is led by an Executive Committee, made up of five state legislators, and a Steering Committee, comprised of the Executive Committee and Co-Chairs of each of the three policy committees.
The Executive Committee members are:
- Chair – Representative Kyle Yamashita, Hawaii
- Vice-Chair – Assemblymember Raj Mukherji, New Jersey
- 2nd Vice-Chair – Senator Scott Kawasaki, Alaska
- Secretary – Delegate Kriselda Valderrama, Maryland
- Treasurer – Senator Brian Taniguchi, Hawaii
Policy Committees
Economic Development and Trade Committee
Co-Chair – Delegate Mark Keam, Virginia
Co-Chair – Senator Lorraine Inouye, Hawaii
Education Committee
Co-Chair – Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, Washington
Co-Chair – Representative Roy Takumi, Hawaii
Health, Human Services & Housing Committee
Co-Chair – Senator Tina Maharath, Ohio
Co-Chair – Representative Ryan Yamane, Hawaii
Meetings
