Many activists who address hate against the Asian and Pacific Islander, or AAPI, community celebrated a victory on Wednesday. More than 30 million dollars in grants were approved by the California Department of Social Services to be allocated to local nonprofits. The funds are intended to target many issues at once, from language barriers and affordable housing to strengthening violence prevention programs.
The money comes as part of the $166.5 million Asian and Pacific Islander Equity budget that was passed in California last year.
The Assembly Budget chair, Phil Ting of San Francisco, said the legislation is one of the largest appropriation bills to address the spike in AAPI hate crimes. In the first year of the COVID pandemic, anti-AAPI incidents increased in the state by more than 177 percent, according to a report from the California Attorney General's Office.
The grants are expected to assist with mental health and wellness resources, legal aid, navigation of government agencies, and language accessibility.
