To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Resources Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Meira Bowcut 707-565-1851
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Recommended Action:
Title
Adopt a Gold Resolution Proclaiming May 2024 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Sonoma County. (Countywide)
End
Executive Summary:
Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of North Bay is inviting the Board of Supervisors to adopt a gold resolution proclaiming May 2024 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Sonoma County. To celebrate and honor the Asian and Pacific Islanders in Sonoma County, one must recognize their struggles and hardships they go through first.
Discussion:
Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) have lived in Sonoma County since the Gold Rush, contributing in many ways to the labor pool and economic growth of the area. For too many years, APIs were met with discrimination and exclusion, to the point of violence in too many instances. According to the 2020 US Census, APIs currently comprise 5.4% of the population and continue to contribute in myriad ways. Current data systems, however, do not capture the true picture of the needs and economic status of the over 40 different ethnicities that comprise the API diaspora. The API Data Report shows that 60% of Sonoma County APIs are immigrants; only 40% were born in the United States. Chinese, Filipinos and East Asians comprise the largest API ethnic groups in Sonoma County. Data from the US Census, growth, show that the Nepalese population is the fastest growing one in Sonoma County with a 165% growth rate between 2010 and 2020. Data from the US Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics show that some Asian ethnicities have some of the highest employment rates and salaries; the same data show that the Pacific Islander population ranks the lowest in all economic measures of all ethnic groups. Average data that show APIs are “doing well” is inadequate: it does not measure the smaller populations, who are not reported, and who are hidden in the “mixed race” category.
There is need to find alternate ways to capture data that helps Sonoma County understand the needs of the silent, invisible API residents. When the cultural traditions of secrecy and reluctance to seek help combine with the inadequacy of data gathering, plus the inadequacy of communication with the API immigrant population, we are left with unknown, uncounted, and unaddressed segments of our county’s population.
Sources for the above information:
• Nationalequityatlas.org
• aapidata.com
• Portrait of Sonoma, 2021 update … page 11
• Portrait of California, pages 37-38.
Prior Board Actions:
2023-0575: Adopt a Gold Resolution Proclaiming May 2023 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Sonoma County. (Countywide)
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
Gold Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
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