ORGANIZERS ARE SET TO VISIT SPRINGFIELD ON WEDNESDAY TO ADVOCATE FOR LANGUAGE AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES AS WELL AS EDUCATION EQUITY AND MORE THE PAN ASIAN VOTER EMPOWERMENT COALITION HAS GATHERED OVER 300 MEMBERS TO TAKE PART IN THIS YEAR'S ASIAN AMERICAN ACTION DAY EVENTS.

JOINING US FROM THAT COALITION ARE GRACE PIE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE CHICAGO, A NEW GROUP TO A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE.

CHICAGO, WHO IS LEADING ASIAN AMERICAN ACTION DAY.

AND GREECE CHAN MCKIBBEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COALITION FOR A BETTER CHINESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

THANKS TO THE 3 OF YOU FOR JOINING US.

AN TO LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF THESE GROUPS TO SORT OF COME TOGETHER AND TRAVEL TO SPRINGFIELD, ADVOCATE YOUR LEGISLATORS?

YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO COME TO SPRINGFIELD BECAUSE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHOW THAT.

>> ASIAN AMERICANS ARE NOT A POLITICAL THAT WE ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH ABOUT OUR STORIES, OUR VOICES MATTER.

AND SO IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT OUR LEGISLATORS HEAR DIRECTLY FROM US AND GET A PULSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.

>> GRAZED BY ONE OF THE POLICIES THAT YOU ALL ARE ADVOCATING SB.

37 62 IS THE LANGUAGE EQUITY AND ACCESS ACT.

WHAT WOULD THAT BILL DO AND WHAT YOU THINK IT'S NECESSARY.

>> THE LANGUAGE EQUITY AND ACCESS ACT WOULD ESSENTIALLY STRENGTHEN GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR LANGUAGE ACCESS ACROSS STATE AGENCIES.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE REALITY IS THAT A LOT OF SEE AGENCIES COULD BE DOING MORE IN TERMS OF MAKING THEIR SERVICES ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE COMMUNICATING IN ENGLISH.

SO WHEN YOU'RE APPLYING SOMETHING LIKE UNEMPLOYMENT NOW GETTING ABOUT FIGURING OUT WHAT DOCUMENTS YOU NEED CAN BE CONFUSING FOR SOMEONE WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH AS A LOT THAT STATE GOVERNMENT CAN AND SHOULD BE DOING TO HELP BRIDGE THAT GAP.

SO WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR THIS BILL THAT WOULD BODE REQUIRE STATE AGENCIES TO CREATE LANGUAGE ACCESS PLANS AND ALSO CREATE MORE SUPPORT WITHIN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO HOLD THOSE AGENCIES ACCOUNTABLE AND TO TO GET AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR FOR RESIDENTS OF COULD THAT BE?

BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ACROSS THE ASIAN NATIONS LIKE?

>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, IN A LOT OF THE KIND OF RESOURCES ARE PUT TOWARDS THE TOP 5 LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN IN ILLINOIS.

BUT THAT LEAVES A LOT OUT IN A LOT OF LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN BY ASIAN AMERICANS.

DON'T HAVE THOSE TRANSLATED FORMS.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S HAVING VITAL DOCUMENTS FOR STATE AGENCIES TRANSLATED INTO, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN 15, EVEN 20 LANGUAGES AND ALSO HAVE INTERPRETATION AVAILABLE.

SO IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO CALL SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN A STATE AGENCY, THEY CAN EVEN HAVE TELEPHONIC INTERPRETATION.

RIGHT?

WHEN INTERPRETERS ON THE PHONE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PERSON IN PERSON.

THEY'RE NECESSARILY.

BUT THAT IS ALSO AN CHRISTIAN MCKAY.

BUT THE COALITION IS ALSO CALLING FOR 40 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE STATE BUDGET FOR IMMIGRANT SERVICES.

WHAT WHAT THAT DID THAT LOOK LIKE THE IN IMMIGRANT SERVICES LINE ITEM HAS ACTUALLY BEEN IN THE STATE BUDGET FOR WELL OVER 20 YEARS AND IT SUPPORTS EVERYTHING FROM HELPING PEOPLE APPLY FOR PINK HEARTS HELPING INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION SERVICES GIVING CASH ASSISTANCE TO >> IMMIGRANTS.

THAT MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC BENEFITS AND SO ON.

SO IT'S A VERY NEEDED SERVICE.

>> AND CERTAINLY WITH THE ADDITION OF SO MANY NEW ARRIVALS OVER THE LAST YEAR YEAR AND A I DON'T KNOW IF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT YOU ALL WORK WITH HAVE NOTICED AS SORT OF STRAIN ON EXISTING SERVICES.

CERTAINLY.

YEAH, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE THAT ONE IN 7 ASIAN AMERICANS IN ILLINOIS ARE ACTUALLY UNDOCUMENTED.

SO PEOPLE DO THINK OF THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT ARE APPLYING FOR GREEN CARDS ARE PLAYING FOR THE FAMILIES FOR GREEN CARDS SO BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY A LOT OF NEW ARRIVALS DO NEED THE SERVICES THAT NOT PROVIDED BY COVERING GOVERNMENT.

>> AN ISSUE YOU'RE EXPECTING ABOUT 350 COALITION MEMBERS.

WHAT GOES INTO ORGANIZING THIS DAY ON WEDNESDAY AND AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, GOING?

THEY'RE READY TO SAY THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE ON THEIR LEGISLATORS.

YES, I'VE ACTUALLY SPENT THE LAST 2 MONTHS PLANNING FOR THIS DAY.

SO REQUIRES A LOT OF COLLABORATION AMONG OUR 18 ORGANIZATIONS.

A LOT OF COMMUNICATION BEING PATIENT WITH EACH OTHER.

THERE IS BOOKING BUSES AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE LOGISTICS SET UP TO PREPARING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HAVING THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BILLS ARE AND HOW THESE DIRECTLY IMPACT THEM AND ALSO WORKING WITH THEM TO REALLY WORK, FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR PERSONAL STORY IS OR WHAT THEIR STAKE IS IN THIS.

AND HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT TO LEGISLATORS?

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR EVERYONE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH THEIR LEGISLATORS TO SPEND TIME IN THE CAPITAL AND REALLY FEEL THE EFFECT OF THE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS YEAH.

EVERYONE IS REALLY EXCITED AS WELL.

IF YOU'RE GREAT SPINA.

SOME LEGISLATION IS ALREADY COME FROM THE WORK THAT ORGAN IS THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS THE TEACH ACT, WHICH REQUIRES PUBLIC SCHOOLS INCLUDE A UNIT ON ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY.

YOU YOU ALL ARE NOW ALSO ADVOCATING FOR 2 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS TO SUPPORT THE INCLUSIVE HISTORY MANDATES K THROUGH 12 EDUCATORS.

DOES THIS BUILD OFF OF THE TEE, JACK, THAT YOU ALL HAVE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THROUGH AND AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS EDITION IS NECESSARY?

IT DOES.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THE HARD PART OF PASSING THOSE IS NOT JUST IN THE ADVOCACY TO GET DON.

IT'S IN THE IMPLEMENTATION AND WE KNOW THAT.

>> YOU KNOW, MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE FACING CHALLENGES WITH INCORPORATING ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY BECAUSE AND IT'S FAIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR TEACHERS HAVE NOT LEARNED ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGHOUT THEIR OWN EDUCATIONS.

SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS 2 MILLION DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND EXPANDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATORS ACROSS THE STATE.

ASIAN MARKET.

HISTORY IS NOT THE ONLY RECENT INCLUSIVE HISTORY MANDATE.

WE'VE SEEN LGBTQ HISTORY.

WE'VE SEEN NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY JUST THIS LAST YEAR.

AND SO WE WANT THESE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL THESE INCLUSIVE HISTORY MANDATES, NOT JUST ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY, GRACE CHAN MCKIBBEN.

IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR HISTORY THAT YOU ALL BELIEVE IS MISSING THAT THAT STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS NEED TO BE LEARNING?

I >> ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY FOR SURE.

AND I KNOW THAT I'M A MUSLIM AMERICAN HISTORY WAS JUST INCLUDED LAST YEAR.

>> AND I THINK THERE'S SO MANY STORIES THAT STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.

>> WHAT ARE WAYS, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU ALL SEEN YOUR YOUR COLLECTIVE STRENGTH, YOU KNOW, AS AN ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

WHAT OTHER WAYS IF YOU SEEN THAT SORT OF GROW IN CHICAGO IN ILLINOIS OVER THE LAST, YOU'RE THE LAST 5 YEARS, GRACE WILL START WITH YOU.

SURE I'M ONE OF THE ADVOCACY SO WE ARE ORGANIZATION HAD BEEN LEAD ORGANIZATION IN WAS ADVOCATING FOR A MAJORITY ASIAN AMERICAN WARD.

THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL 2 YEARS AGO.

I THINK I'M BEING ABLE TO SEE.

>> ASIAN AMERICANS ON TOGETHER TO ASK FOR TO ACTUALLY DEMAND POLITICAL POWER POWERFUL.

IN THIS CASE.

IN QUESTION TO IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS YEAH, I MEAN, IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK WE ESPECIALLY AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAVE REALLY SEEN AMERICANS COME TOGETHER.

AND AS CHRIS MENTIONED, BUILD OUR POLITICAL POWER OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

WE'VE ALSO GOTTEN INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT COALITIONS ACROSS THE CITY.

AND WE MADE PEOPLE ARE MADE IT KNOWN THAT ISSUES THAT IMPACT OTHER COMMUNITIES ALSO IMPACT ASIAN AMERICANS AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A SEAT