I'm excited to announce that $14 million in Stop AAPI Hate grants have been distributed to 80 organizations throughout California to combat the rising number of attacks targeting members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. I joined leaders and nonprofits at the Jackie Chan Senior Center today to celebrate the announcement.

Bay Area grant recipients include:

The funding will help provide victims with essential services and resources, as well as strengthen violence prevention programs. This is as a necessary step toward creating a safer environment for all Californians, as the number of incidents continue to rise, wrongly blaming one community for COVID-19.

The grants are part of the $166.5 million API Equity Budget that I championed last year as Assembly Budget Committee Chair. I also secured $26 million for a new arts and media center in San Francisco's Chinatown and $5 million to renovate a commercially vital one-block stretch of Buchanan Mall in the City's Japantown. Both projects are key to educating visitors, promoting cultural understanding and ensuring small API businesses survive.

I can't wait to see the impact of these state investments. Round 2 of the grants will announced this summer, so stay tuned. I'm headed to host a Community Coffee at 2 p.m. today with Assemblymember Kevin Mullin. I hope to see you at the Colma Town Hall to discuss legislation and the California Budget. If you miss it, drop by my other events listed on my website.