A broad alliance of Asian Pacific American (APA) grassroots organizations will host

A broad alliance of Asian Pacific American (APA) grassroots organizations will host the sixth annual Asian Pacific American Policy and Resource Forum in Richmond on Feb. 11. Later during the same day, the alliance also will honor Virginia’s new governor (Bob McDonnell) and attorney general (Ken Cuccinelli), as well as second-term lieutenant governor Bill Bolling.

The APA Policy Forum is the premier annual policy event that brings Asian Pacific American organizations to Richmond to meet with the commonwealth’s elected legislative and executive officials.

“We are excited about this year’s Policy Forum because 30 APA groups will convene a ‘listening’ session to shape policy strategies for the future of Asian Pacific Americans in Virginia” said Eric Liang Jensen, Chairman of the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA). “Not only will we hear from communities, and what barriers confront them, but we will be working to find a unified way to solve these problems.”

“The Asian Pacific American population in Virginia has doubled since 1990” said Tinh Phan, Chairman of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce. “APA businesses produce nearly $8 billion of revenues, creating 70,000 jobs in the Commonwealth.”

The policy forum will be held at the Bank of America Building, 1111 East Main Street in Richmond, on the 18th floor from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Asian Pacific American groups are invited to participate by bringing their communities views and issues to the “Policy Listening Session” that will be conducted in front of elected and appointed state officials. The evening “APA Inaugural Reception” will be held in the Crowne Plaza Ballroom, 555 East Canal Street in Richmond, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All APA communities are invited to attend the APA Inaugural reception.

For details about the APA Policy Forum and the APA Inaugural Reception, contact Malik Khan at ibnmajeed@hotmail.com or 216-7860.