Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) worked as the evaluation and learning partner with the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) Racial Equity Initiative to support the development of this racial equity framework for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Working with community-based partners in Hawaii, California, Michigan, Mississippi, and Louisiana, SPR and APIAHF hosted a series of innovative conference call “tea talks” to discuss issues of racial equity. The community partners identified the elements of the framework during these conference calls, and then refined the framework during a final in-person meeting. The themes that emerged were:
- Visibility of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities and issues
- Culture as a foundation
- Building capacity for change
- Interconnectedness and shared ownership
- Self-determination
- Breaking silence and reclaiming narratives
Ignatius Bau 