Archives: Resources

San Jose African America Community Services Agency

The AACSA Meaningful Life Initiative (AMLI) will ensure the remaining scattered population of African and African American descent is provided the village it needs to thrive, find meaningful purpose in their lives and continue to contribute to the diverse entrepreneurship, ingenuity and economic success of Silicon Valley and Santa Clara County. The Information Referral Center program provides a web portal in which organizations, churches and other non-profit organizations can post a profile advertising services and activities that are value-added services to the community. The community is able to access the portal to search for organizations that provides a service they are seeking. Key Words: SCC

Immigration reform could prevent food prices from harming consumers

6/3/22 Our national security is tied to our ability to feed ourselves. As former officials who served in the Bush administration, we see an urgent need to address the labor shortage in the agricultural industry by fixing our immigration system. That would allow farmworkers to contribute to the economy free from uncertainty and fear and keep food on the tables of America’s families at lower costs.

HOUSES OF WORSHIP SECURITY SELF-ASSESSMENT

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has developed a baseline security self-assessment that is designed for a person, with little to no security experience, to complete a security assessment.
Houses of Worship (HOW) security self-assessment USER GUIDE | Houses of Worship
Security Self-Assessment | The assessment, when completed, will provide an easy to follow road map for implementing suggested voluntary options for consideration
|

San Jose Bridge Communities (SJBC)

SJBC is a grass roots organization with the philosophy of service that facilitates opportunities to form cross cultural and cross class friendships. Programs include: Parenting Classes, Language Exchange Classes, Food Distribution, Tutoring, Getting Ahead Class, Hands and Voices (focus on equipping students with the tools to express themselves through painting, drawing, Film, photography and more), Arte y cafe (an art class design for destressing and self care) . Multi-language: Spanish

UndocuSpartan Student Resource Center

Helping Undocumented Students Thrive at SJSU
The UndocuSpartan Student Resource Center provides for undocumented students”and connects them with supporters throughout the SJSU community.
The UndocuSpartan Student Resource Center (USRC) provides direct services such as financial aid resources and legal support to students who are undocumented and to those from mix-status families. Our goal is to ensure that students, regardless of their immigration status, have access to reliable information, equitable resources, and opportunities that support their academic and personal success.

SCC Section 8 Interest List

Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA) would like to remind you to update your information or refresh your application in the Interest List for the Section 8 program. Or, if you haven’t signed up yet, the Interest List is always open and taking applications!
The Section 8 Program is a federally funded rental assistance program that helps eligible low-income individuals and families pay for rental housing. Interested households may register to be considered for two types of rental assistance, either a Housing Choice Voucher or a Property Voucher. Multi-;language:
Spanish |
Vietnamese |

Vibes & Smiles

Our ultimate mission is to bring back the roots of love, kindness, and positivity in all communities by being of service to others. We are dedicated to cultivating & fostering growth of positivity through community actions. From music, families, the homeless, education, sports organizations, underserved neighborhoods, and many more communities, we are always looking to collaborate in ways that create change and make a positive impact. Vibes & Smiles works with businesses, i.e. nonprofits, small businesses, restaurants, schools, etc., and holds events to motivate and inspire others to participate in making a positive impact wherever they can. In this day in age, willingness to help others is often overlooked, but is much needed. Good people bring out the good in people. Join us as we make a difference. Pay it forward!

California Hard-to-Count Index Interactive Map

Many California residents live in areas that, based on demographic, socioeconomic and housing characteristics, may be hard to count in the 2020 Census. This interactive map* shows California census tracts and block groups shaded by their California Hard-to-Count Index, a metric that incorporates 14 variables correlated with an area being difficult to enumerate. Census tracts and block groups with higher CA-HTC indexes likely will pose significant challenges to numerate in 2020, while tracts and block groups with lower indexes should be easier to count.

Board Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis

6/23/21 Our County’s Division of Equity and Social Justice was created to address social inequities that exist within County services including racial and ethnic disparities. The coronavirus outbreak laid bare the disproportionate number of people of color getting COVID-19 in our County, including our Latino population countywide and our Latino, African American and Asian American communities in East San Jose.
Other communities across the Country have declared racism a public health crisis including the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Madison County, Cook County, the City of Pittsburgh, the City of Boston, Kansas City and the State of Arizona.

COVID-19 Funding Stalls Over Immigration Dispute as Virus Cases Tick Up

4/8/22 For weeks, the White House has pressed Congress to pass new funding in order to keep up the federal government’s testing capabilities and purchasing power of therapeutics and vaccines. Senate negotiators struck a bipartisan agreement on Monday to replenish those funds. But a day later, the GOP blocked a procedural vote over an immigration-related public health order.

26 Steps to Preparedness Workbook

This workbook from Campbell CERT shows you how to build an emergency preparedness food, water and supply kit over the course of several weeks or months at a pace that fits into your already busy life. We’ve created this tool drawing from the guidelines of several authoritative agencies (FEMA, Ready.gov, Red Cross, and Santa Clara County Fire). Our Food & Water Calculator is designed to give you an idea of your food and water needs for the number of people in your household.
For more information, contact 26steps@campbellcert.org.

Adult Refugee Services Unit (ARSU) newsletter #7

April 14, 2022 The ARSU NEWSLETTER shares pertinent information relevant to the needs of Refugees and Non-citizen Crime Survivors and includes
resources and updates for Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), Entrant Cash Assistance (ECA), Refugee Social Services (RSS), Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance
Program (TCVAP), and the California Repatriation Program. Published by the CA DSS.

Path to Permanent Residency for TPS Beneficiaries Restored

On March 21, 2022 USCIS agreed to restore a path to permanent residency for Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries. Because of this settlement, TPS beneficiaries impacted by then-Acting Director Cuccinelli’s policy will be able to reopen and dismiss their removal orders and apply to adjust their status to become permanent residents”eliminating the threat of deportation if their TPS protections are revoked in the future.
Multi-language: Spanish

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW WHEN ENROLLING MY CHILDREN IN PUBLIC BENEFITS?

3/21 Programs like Medicaid, CHIP, ACA Marketplace Coverage, School Breakfast & Lunch, WIC and SNAP (“food stamps”) help your children lead healthier lives. You may have questions about whether your child’s use of these health and nutrition programs will affect your
immigration status or your application for a green card. This document provides answers to frequently asked questions to help you make good decisions for your family. Key Words: Public Charge

County creates New Office to Address Systemic Inequities that Negatively Impact Historically Marginalized Communities

1/10/22 The new Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer will collaborate and partner with County departments to integrate values of diversity, equity, and belonging into their operations and to build organizational capacity to address systemic inequities that contribute to poor outcomes for historically marginalized communities. Dr. Analilia García, who is trained in public health and has built a career championing social justice, started today as Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, and will lead the newly created Office of Equity, Diversity and Belonging.

Types of Student Loan Forgiveness, Cancellation, and Discharge

The terms forgiveness, cancellation, and discharge mean nearly the same thing, but they’re used in different ways. If you’re no longer required to make payments on your loans due to your job, this is generally called forgiveness or cancellation. If you’re no longer required to make payments on your loans due to other circumstances, such as a total and permanent disability or the closure of the school where you received your loans, this is generally called discharge.

IAN Non-profit Resource Center (Immigrant Advocate Network)

The Immigration Advocates Network (IAN), a program of Pro Bono Net, is dedicated to expanding access to immigration legal resources and information through collaboration and technology. IAN was created in 2007 by leading immigrants’ rights organizations, to increase access to justice for low-income immigrants and strengthen the capacity of organizations serving them. We create our own tools, build platforms for others, and work with partners to harness the power of technology and collective action to better support immigrants and their advocates.

Adult Refugee Services Unit (ARSU) newsletter #7,

April 14, 2022 The ARSU NEWSLETTER shares pertinent information relevant to the needs of Refugees and Non-citizen Crime Survivors and includes resources and updates for Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), Entrant Cash Assistance (ECA), Refugee Social Services (RSS), Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP), and the California Repatriation Program. Published by the CA Dept of Social Services (CA DSS).

Understanding the Impact of Extreme Heat Events

3/28/22 The Los Angeles Times recently published an article detailing the impact of heat-related deaths in California and found that extreme heat caused approximately 3,900 deaths in California over the past decade”that is six times more than the state’s official count. Even so, extreme heat receives substantially less awareness than other disasters, despite killing more Americans each year than wildfires, hurricanes, and floods.

Extreme heat is one of the deadliest consequences of climate change.

10/7/21 Between 2010 and 2019, the hottest decade on record, California’s official data from death certificates attributed 599 deaths to heat exposure.
But a Times analysis found that the true toll is probably six times higher. An examination of mortality data from this period shows that thousands more people died on extremely hot days than would have been typical during milder weather. All told, the analysis estimates that extreme heat caused about 3,900 deaths.

Addressing Learning Loss in Disadvantaged Kids

4/8/22 Students with disabilities, those learning English and students who live in rural communities learn at the same rate during the academic year – and often faster – than their peers who are not disadvantaged, but they lose much more ground over the summer, according to new research from the nonprofit education policy and assessment organization NWEA.

The finding bolsters calls by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona for state education officials and school leaders to offer intensive summer learning programs for students who have incurred the steepest academic losses due to chronic interruptions to learning during the pandemic.

Will the U.S. receive Ukrainian refugees?

3/11/22 The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the swiftest refugee displacement crisis in Europe since World War II, prompting more than 2.5 million people to flee the country during the conflict’s first two weeks.
While President Biden said Friday that the U.S. should welcome them “with open arms,” the U.S. will likely not receive large numbers of Ukrainian refugees in the immediate future, immigration policy experts said.
As of March 11, most Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighboring countries, 1.5 million of them to Poland, 225,000 to Hungary and 176,000 to Slovakia. Tens of thousands have also crossed into Russia, Romania and Moldova. Another 282,000 have left for other European countries, including Germany.

UndocuBlack: The Cruelty Behind Title 42 and Its Impact on Black Migrants

3/19/22 The official reason for the enaction of the policy by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is to protect Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and the public health from COVID-19, public health emergencies. And to curtail the swarm of people in congregate settings such as that in immigration detention centers. But as all harmful policies, this policy, specifically and disproportionately, affects the Black and brown immigrants who are making the treacherous journey to the U.S. seeking safety from violence, civil unrest, murder and natural disasters.

FHFA’s Request for Input on the Enterprise Equitable Housing Finance Plans

Comment from the National Consumer Law Center,
Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, CA Reinvestment Coalition, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, Consumer Action, National CAPACD, National Fair Housing Alliance, National Housing Law Project, National Housing Resource Center, Public Counsel, and UnidosUS on behalf of its low-income clients in response to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (“FHFA”) Request for Input on the Enterprises’ Equitable Housing Finance Plans. Key Words: LEP, Language Access, equitable

SAVE Fact Sheet – Information for SAVE Users: Afghan Arrival Categories, Documentation, and SAVE Responses

4/3/22 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is leading and coordinating ongoing efforts across the federal government to support vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked alongside us in Afghanistan for the past two decades, as they safely resettle in the United States. These Afghan arrivals generally fall within one of four categories that are eligible for resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits available to refugees admitted under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Drowning just below the surface: The socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

11/22/21 The COVID-19 pandemic has had major economic, as well as health, impacts on every nation in the world. It has amplified existing inequalities, created new ones, and destabilized communities”reversing development gains made in recent decades.
The enormous socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 are wide-ranging and have not affected everyone equally. Throughout this pandemic, those facing the greatest vulnerabilities have been the people and groups most neglected by society”those who were already drowning just below the surface. Multi-language:
Spanish |
Arabic |
French |

San Jose council ends COVID mask mandate

4/5/22 The city’s masking guidelines now align with the county and state, which lifted mask mandates earlier this year in almost all public indoor settings. The City Council unanimously approved ending local restrictions Tuesday with no discussion.
Residents, regardless of vaccination status, are no longer required to wear a mask except in certain high-risk settings such as hospitals, jails, homeless shelters, long-term care facilities and on public transit.

Trauma-informed instruction for immigrant students

More and more educators across the country are learning about the impacts of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on students. Researchers estimate that half of the U.S. student population has experienced or is still experiencing some type of trauma, violence, or chronic stress
For immigrant students, the sources of trauma may be complex and may be related to:
***the reasons the family left their home country (such as war or wide-spread violence)
***difficult conditions, violence, sexual assault, or casualties during the journey to this country
***forced separation from a parent or sibling on the journey
***Experiences related to immigration enforcement
trauma and anxiety can impact students’ behavior and the importance of getting a complete picture of the source of the issue before taking steps that can have long-term consequences for the student.

Assistance for Governments and Private Non-Profits After a Disaster

FEMA helps state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and certain types of private nonprofit organizations respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. After an event like a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or wildfire, communities need help to cover their costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and restoring public infrastructure.
FEMA Public Assistance and Program Policy Guide 6/1/20

Housing for Ukrainian Refugees

3/10/22 UkraineTakeShelter.com is an independent platform connecting Ukrainian refugees with potential hosts and housing.
This website is a public bulletin. We encourage everyone with spare space to post a listing and to mark their listing as filled once they have successfully taken in refugees.
For refugees, UkraineTakeShelter.com asks for your nearest city to display the closest listings. We do not track your precise location. Hosts are only required to provide minimal information, such as their city and contact information. Multi-language: English, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, German, French, Dutch, Slovakian, Spanish and more.
For more information: ukrainetakeshelter@gmail.com.

CA has new benefits for undocumented immigrants. They’re not enough, workers say

4/3/22 Introduced last month by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, a Democrat from Coachella, and currently under review in the legislature, AB 2847 would create the Excluded Workers Pilot Program, a two-year program that would provide funds to undocumented workers who lose their job or have their hours reduced during the calendar year 2023. The proposal, estimated at $597 million, plus administrative costs, would allow qualifying, unemployed individuals to receive up to $300 a week for 20 weeks.

FHFA Mortgage Translations Clearinghouse

An easy-to-use collection of translated documents and tools to assist lenders, servicers, housing counselors, and others in helping mortgage borrowers who have limited English proficiency? (LEP). Created by FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac in collaboration with industry, consumer, and government partners, the SITE contains resources such as translated documents, borrower education materials, a standardized glossary of mortgage terms, and more.
Multi-language: English, Spanish, traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Tagalog.
Key Words: Language Access, housing

SEPARATION AND STIGMA: Transgender Youth & School Facilities

2017 Schools across the country have a legal obligation to
enforce policies that protect students from harassment
and discrimination”and that obligation includes
protecting transgender students from discrimination,
harassment, and violence. Unfortunately, too many
transgender students experience school to be a place
where they are unsafe and unsupported”a place where
they can’t even safely use the restroom. A school’s
responsibility and ability to keep all students safe is not
compromised by allowing a transgender student to use
the facilities consistent with their gender identity. When
schools deny transgender students access to these
facilities, they are inflicting profound harm on these
students, and making it impossible or unsafe for some
transgender students to attend school at all.

San Jose mandala ceremony offers universal lesson in change

4/6/22 As chanting filled the main hall of a local Buddhist temple Sunday afternoon, San Jose resident Trang Huynh joined with about 50 people in praying and celebrating a sand mandala dissolution ceremony.
The monks, assigned by the Dalai Lama, spent more than three days meticulously pouring sand by hand onto a blueprint to create the mandala. The holy ceremony ends with the breaking of the sand circle, as colorful grains of sand are swirled together into a gray pile. This symbolizes a core lesson of impermanence: Everything is bound to change and nothing lasts forever.

The Black-White Wealth Gap Left Black Families More Vulnerable

12/20/20 The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted devastating effects on the U.S. economy, with job losses especially concentrated among women, minorities, and low-wage workers. Economists have described the uneven and unequal economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession as a “K-shaped” recovery, characterized by divergent recovery trajectories for the affluent relative to those of less means. While considerable attention has been devoted to examining the preexisting disparities in labor market outcomes that left some households more vulnerable than others to the COVID-19 recession, less attention has been paid to the role of wealth in determining a household’s ability to buffer the pandemic’s economic shocks. Key Words: Equity

With protections ending, what tenants and landlords need to know

4/1/22 After two years, four extensions and untold numbers of public and private aid programs, California’s broad safety net for renters struggling through the pandemic is being dismantled this month. Lawmakers this week extended a statewide eviction moratorium through June but only for families that have applied to the state’s emergency relief assistance program, Housing is Key. The $5.5 billion relief fund closed to new applications March 31.

Santa Clara County Tackles Children’s Covid-19 Grief

2/25/22 More than one in 330 children in the state have lost at least one of their caretakers to Covid-19, a disease that has now killed more than 928,000 people nationwide.
Loss is crushing for anyone, but the death of a parent or guardian carries potentially lifelong impacts for children ” and could very well be one of the most enduring consequences of this pandemic.

California leaders rush to improve student mental health care

3/4/22 As California kids struggle with the emotional toll of the pandemic, natural disasters and community-wide trauma, and schools grapple with an inadequate supply of mental health care services and clinicians to support students, state leaders are sprinting to pass a bill that could allow public schools to hire as many as 10,000 new mental health counselors.

Improving Access to Public Websites and Digital Services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Persons

12/21 Many entities – government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses – use websites and digital services to provide information and services to the public, to accept applications, and to manage accounts. Individuals with Limited English proficiency (LEP) access these websites and digital services.
Digital services involve the electronic delivery of information, including data and content, across
multiple platforms or devices, such as text, audio, video, mobile applications, and graphics that are transmitted for viewing over the internet. This includes social media (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.), websites, and applications that enable users to create and share information and content or to participate in social networking. Vital information displayed on these platforms or devices should be accessible to persons with LEP in frequently encountered languages.

Neither Safety nor Health – How Title 42 Expulsions Harm Health and Violate Rights

7/21 Report from Physicians for Human Rights – Toward the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Trump administration overrode the objections of public health experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and compelled them to issue an order under Title 42 that closed the border to migrants and asylum seekers. The government used public health as a pretext to summarily expel children and adults seeking refuge at the U.S. border more than 980,000 times, while at the same time allowing other types of travelers to continue to cross the border with no testing or quarantine requirements.

Stanford Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic

Students in the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic have full responsibility for defending clients against deportation in San Francisco Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the federal courts of appeals. As part of that work, students write complex legal briefs, argue cases, conduct fact investigation, interview witnesses and clients, and represent clients in mini-trials. Students also engage in cutting-edge litigation and advocacy in partnership with local and national immigrants’ rights organizations.

Ukraine Community Resources

3/11/22 The City of San José is closely monitoring the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and proudly stands in solidarity with Ukraine and our Ukrainian community in this extraordinarily challenging time. We are ready to support our community now and long into the future.
We will continue to share resources and information as it becomes available both on this page and on our social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
SJ Ukranian Resources
Bay Area Ukrainian Resources
Keu Words: TPS, Temporary Protected Status

Immigrants in California

3/21 Report from the Public Policy Institute of CA (PPIC)- California has more immigrants than any other state.
California is home to almost 11 million immigrants”about a quarter of the foreign-born population nationwide. In 2019, the most current year of data, 27% of California’s population was foreign born, more than double the percentage in the rest of the country. Foreign-born residents represented at least one-third of the population in five California counties: Santa Clara (39%), San Mateo (35%), Los Angeles (34%), San Francisco (34%), and Alameda (33%). Half of California children have at least one immigrant parent. Multi-language:
Spanish

Cyberattack on International Committee of the Red Cross

2/4/22 Recently, a sophisticated cyberattack was detected against computer servers hosting information held by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The attack compromised personal data and confidential ICRC information of more than 515,000 vulnerable people, including those separated from their families due to conflict, migration and disaster, missing persons and their families, and people in detention.
The attack impacted the ICRC system that the American Red Cross uses to conduct the Restoring Family Links program. The ICRC, along with the wider Red Cross and Red Crescent network, jointly runs Restoring Family Links, which seeks to reunite family members separated by conflict, disaster or migration.

Elevate Mt. View guaranteed basic income (GBI) pilot program

2/22/22 The City Council approved over $1 million in funding for 166 families The Elevate MV pilot program will involve:
**Aiding extremely low-income Mountain View families and custodial caregivers with at least one child under the age of 18. Income eligibility would be set at 30% Area Median Income (AMI).
**Restricting eligibility to Mountain View residents without regard to immigration documentation and/or housing status.
**Providing participants $500 a month from 12 to 24 months ($6,000 per year), serving approximately 166 families.
The City anticipates applications for Elevate MV will start being accepted in the May/June timeframe through an online portal available in multiple languages.

Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law

9/30/21 Revised Policy from Alejandro Mayorkas – The immigration enforcement guidelines require the protection of civil rights and civil liberties. A noncitizen’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, political associations, or exercise of First Amendment rights cannot be factors in deciding to take enforcement action. For the first time, they explicitly guard against the use of immigration enforcement as a tool of retaliation for a noncitizen’s assertion of legal rights, such as the right to exercise workplace or tenant rights. The guidelines make clear that immigration enforcement authority shall not be used as an instrument of unscrupulous employers seeking to exploit their employees’ immigration status.

SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together)

South Asian Amer­i­cans Lead­ing Togeth­er (SAALT) is a nation­al move­ment strat­e­gy and advo­ca­cy orga­ni­za­tion com­mit­ted to racial jus­tice through struc­tur­al change, which means we focus on trans­form­ing insti­tu­tions while lever­ag­ing incre­men­tal change as a means to shift con­di­tions and pow­er.
Know Your Rights Pock­et Cards. in Pun­jabi, Hin­di, Urdu, Bangla, and Nepali Pro­duced by Restau­rant Oppor­tu­ni­ties Cen­ter.

Know Your Rights Poster to hang in the home with a reminder of your rights, what to say, and what to document in case of an ICE (immigration raid 11″ x 17″ POSTER, available in )
English |
Spanish |
Traditional Mandarin |
Simplified Mandarin |
Tagalog |
Korean |
French |

The importance of race, gender, and religion in naturalization adjudication in the US

3/1/22 This study examines group disparities in naturalization approvals by race/ethnicity, gender, and religion. We find that all else being equal, non-White applicants and Hispanic applicants are less likely to be approved than non-Hispanic White applicants, male applicants are less likely to be approved than female applicants, and applicants from Muslim-majority countries are less likely to be approved than applicants from other countries. In addition, we find that race/ethnicity, gender, and religion combine to produce a certain group hierarchy in terms of approval probabilities. For example, Blacks from Muslim-majority countries are much less likely to be approved than Whites from other countries. These findings underscore the continuing importance of race, gender, and religion in the making of US citizens.

Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.  The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.  The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Go to Affordable Connectivity Program Consumer FAQ for more information and to GetInternet.gov to check your eligibility and start the application online. Eligible households can also enroll through an approved provider.
Spanish |   Vietnamese |   Chinese |   Tagalog |   Korean |

2021 Trafficking in Persons Report

Human Trafficking in the Context of a Global Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis with unprecedented repercussions for human rights and economic development globally, including in human trafficking. COVID-19 generated conditions that increased the number of people who experienced vulnerabilities to human trafficking and interrupted existing and planned anti-trafficking interventions. Governments across the world diverted resources toward the pandemic, often at the expense of anti-trafficking efforts, resulting in decreased protection measures and service provision for victims, reduction of preventative efforts, and hindrances to investigations and prosecutions of traffickers. At the same time, human traffickers quickly adapted to capitalize on the vulnerabilities exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.

Multilingual COVID-19 Resources

This FDA toolkit is designed to help community, health and social service organizations, lay health advisors (promotoras), YMCAs/YWCAs, fraternities, school organizations (e.g., PTAs/PTOs), senior centers, faith-based organizations, and others to share accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines in their social media networks and educational channels using FDA official COVID-19 messages to fight misinformation and vaccine hesitancy. In this toolkit, you will find Twitter, Facebook and Instagram messages and images about the most common myths about the COVID-19 vaccines. Multilingual COVID-19 Vaccines Myths Social Media Toolkit in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Korean Tagalog, Vietnamese

Training for Mental Resilience and Well-Being for Nurses

Osmosis and #FirstRespondersFirst have collaboratively developed an interactive e-learning course on mental health training for first responders. Self paced and open ended, based on materials and subject matter experts provided by #FirstRespondersFirst, the course includes custom Osmosis animations/videos, text resources, and assessments within 8 core modules each consisting of one or more videos (approximately 11 videos in total for a total of 50+ minutes of video content), other learning materials, and assessment items. The total estimated time to completion will be 3 – 4 hours. This course is entirely free for nurses.
IPMA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 6971, for 3.75 contact hours.

Economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Asians in the U.S.

10/10/20 Economic and social impacts of the current pandemic that are based on immigration status, employment opportunities, and healthcare access are major issues for South Asians in the U.S. There is wide income inequality with nearly 10% of South Asians in the U.S. living in poverty. Many have low paid and temporary jobs, including in the informal sector, and little to no savings. The pandemic disproportionately impacts these communities but there has been little media coverage. To highlight this gap, we present selected research from our forthcoming manuscript to be published later this month, which are complemented by community-based findings from the recent SAALT report on the disparate impact of COVID-19 across South Asian communities.

SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Biden’s Bid to Rescind ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy

2/18/22 The Supreme Court will hear a proposal by the Biden administration to rescind a controversial Trump-era immigration policy.
Despite the official end of the policy in June 2021, Remain in Mexico was ordered to reinstate the policy by a federal judge in Texas in August 2021. It came after Texas and Missouri filed suit against the Biden administration for its removal, saying that it was improperly terminated. A week after the order, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to restart the program. Since the policy’s restart, 572 people have been deported to Mexico from the United States.

Training on Conscious & Unconscious Biases in Health Care

Free on-line course from University of Georgetown – Course Purpose and Learning Objectives
This course focuses on conscious and unconscious biases in health care and their impact on people who are disproportionately affected by disparities in health and health care. It will offer an array of innovative activities, based on current evidence and best practices, that are intended to diminish the negative impact of biases.

Guide for Developing HighQuality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship

6/13 This guide provides houses of worship with information regarding emergency operations
planning for the spectrum of threats and hazards they may face. It discusses actions that may be
taken before, during, and after an incident in order to reduce the impact on property and any loss
of life and it encourages every house of worship to develop an EOP.

CISA TABLETOP EXERCISE PACKAGE

The CISA Tabletop Exercise Package (CTEP) is designed to assist critical infrastructure owners and operators in developing their own tabletop exercises to meet the specific needs of their facilities and stakeholders. CTEP allows users to leverage pre-built exercise templates and vetted scenarios to build tabletop exercises to assess, develop, and update information sharing processes,
emergency plans, programs, policies, and procedures.
For more information, email CISA Exercises at
CISAExercises@cisa.dhs.gov
Fact Sheet

Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship –Security Guide

December 2020 Acts of targeted violence against houses of worship are a real”and potentially growing”problem in the United States and a top priority for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA has prepared this comprehensive security guide based on original analysis to help houses of worship develop a comprehensive security strategy to mitigate future incidents.

Webinar (Recording): Preventing Targeted Violence and Protecting the Safety and Security of Houses of Worship through Faith and Community Based Approaches in the US and in Europe
Key Words: FBO, Faith Based Organization,

LatinXCEL Fund

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) created this fund in partnership with the Castellano Family Foundation. This initiative calls for vastly increased funding for Silicon Valley’s Latinx community leaders and Latinx-led nonprofits through targeted, long-term investments.
The LatinXCEL Fund is founded on the belief that investing in Latinx-led organizations will, in turn, build the power and self-determination of Latinx people most impacted by structural racism. The ultimate aim is to transform our region into one that is more inclusive and just, where all Latinx community members can thrive.
Key Words: Ethnic, grants

Schools often fail to identify gifted and talented students”especially if they are Black, Latino or Native American

10/14/20 There were 3.3 million U.S. students identified as having gifts and talents in the 2015-2016 school year. Based on our findings, we estimate that even more – another 3.6 million – ought to be designated this way.
These students are missing from the official data because their school does not identify any students as gifted and talented, they attend a high-poverty school or because they are Black, Latino or belong to another underidentified group.
For example, only 276,840 Black students were identified as gifted and talented in 2016. We estimate that as many as 771,728 would be identified this way if systems were working properly.

Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA)

A majority of our rapidly growing community is comprised of graduate students, and early career rising leaders. We are a proud member of the Council of National Psychology Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests (CNPAAEMI) Leadership Development Institute.
Committed to advancing and promoting, learning and teaching, mentoring and networking about mental health in the AAPI communities! Scholarships, awards, online forums, mentorship programs, leadership development program, and annual conventions.
COVID related Mental Health Resources for Asian Americans

COVID Collaaborative

12-9-21 We’ve assembled a diverse and comprehensive team of leading experts in health, education, and the economy to shape the work of the COVID Collaborative, develop consensus recommendations, and engage with state and local leaders across America – ensuring that our efforts are truly from the nation, for the nation.

Vice President Kamala Harris Swears In President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

2/3/22 Vice President Kamala Harris swore in 23 members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (PACAANHPI) The PACAANHPI was created in May 2021, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to advise the President on ways to advance equity, justice and opportunity for the AAPI and Native Hawaiian communities.

Vietnamese – American Service Center (VASC)

4/10/22 All Health Services now Open
offer a wide range of culturally competent services including resources will eventually include primary care, dental care, social services, on-site child supervision, and an array of community programs to promote wellness. Language capacity at the center will include, at minimum, English, Vietnamese, and Spanish, reflecting the communities and populations that will be served at the Center, located at 2410 Senter Road in East San José.
call (408) 828-4981 or email VASC@ceo.sccgov.org. Multi-language: Vietnamese and Spanish

US flood risk is about to explode – but not for the reasons you think

2/3/22 Most new risk will come not from climate change but from population growth in areas that are already vulnerable to flooding. The findings underscore a hard truth with dire implications for climate adaptation policy: The lion’s share of U.S. flood risk does not stem from the changing nature of storms and seas, but instead from our decisions about where to build and where to live.

Overtime Pay: Why Are Farmworkers Excluded?

2/10/22 Last week, the New York State Wage Board passed three resolutions that will finally provide overtime for farmworkers working for more than 40 hours a week. The resolutions also delineate a ten-year phase-in to ratchet down from the current 60-hour-a-week threshold to 40 hours. Immediately after the announcement, the New York Farm Bureau and other farmer-aligned organizations began rallying Governor Hochul for a reversal.
Until last week, farmworkers were part of a very slim subsection of workers in New York State who lack overtime pay after 40 hours. No other industry as large as agriculture has maintained the restriction of such a basic worker right.

2022 SF LANGUAGE ACCESSCOMPLIANCE SUMMARY REPORT

2/22 This year’s LAO report features direct feedback from community members via a comprehensive Language Access Community Survey conducted in 11 languages from June-September 2021 by OCEIA, in partnership with the IRC and the Language Access Network of San Francisco (LANSF). Survey results from over 2,000 City residents demonstrate that even with a clear commitment, a strong local language access law, and extraordinary efforts by emergency, public health and other City departments, not everyone was able to access the same information and services at the same time during a major public health crisis.

South Asian Therapists

Directory of South Asian therapists, including therapists of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Afghanistani, and Nepali heritage. Multi-language

California’s new plan for moving from “pandemic” to “endemic” COVID-19

2/17/22 State’s top health official unveils a strategy for living with the virus. The plan promises more reliable supplies of essential tools, so California is less dependent on unstable global supply chains. It will stockpile thousands of ventilators, 75 million masks and 30 million over-the-counter tests.

Covid-19 hospitalizations average $4,000 in out-of-pocket costs per visit, research says

2/18/22 Measures to protect patients hospitalized with Covid-19 from financial liability have been rolled back by most insurers in the US, leaving the vast majority of patients with an average out-of-pocket bill of about $4,000 for each hospital stay,.
Between March 2020 and January 2021, less than 9% of patients with private health care insurance had any cost-sharing associated with Covid-19 hospitalization. By March 2021, more than 84% of patients with private insurance had some financial responsibility.
In December, the risk of hospitalization was 44 times higher for unvaccinated adults than it was for adults who were fully vaccinated and boosted, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Census Bureau Releases 2021 Determinations for Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act

12/8/21 The U.S. Census Bureau has released a list of 331 jurisdictions (counties and minor civil divisions) across the nation and three states that are required under the Voting Rights Act to provide language assistance during elections for citizens who are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process.
The list, published in the Federal Register, identifies the jurisdictions that are covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act and must provide language assistance for “persons who are American Indian, Asian American, Alaska Natives, or of Spanish heritage.”

Vacciine Hucksterism – VAERS and the War Against Medical Science

1/23/22 Anti¯vaxxer disinformation activists are intensifying their attacks on medical efforts to combat the pandemic utilizing pseudoscience to manipulate public opinion One example is the perversion of the VAERS database, which is used to drum up opposition to vaccination against Covid19. “VAERS ° the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ° is a data tool run by
both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration
It was created in 1990 to provide citizens with one central location to report their experiences with potential side effects of vaccines This database has become a key piece of §evidence¨ used by anti-vaxxers to cultivate public distrust of vaccines.

Ensuring Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Have the Ability to Work Safely

An extensive list of identified essential critical infrastructure workers in the fields of Healthcare, Law Enforcement, Public Safety / First Responders, Education and Food & Agriculture, It is intended to be overly inclusive reflecting the diversity of industries across the United States.
Providing instructions and guidelines for government and businesses to keep workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)

Family Calming Kit from First 5

A Family Calming Kit is a set of tools that supports children and families with understanding and regulating emotions and lowering feelings of stress. By using the Family Calming Kit, children develop and understanding of their feelings to be better prepared to engage with others and learn in school. To register and schedule a time to pick up a calming kit, please call 1-888-479-0837.
Multi-language:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QgjtBCVy_-N7N6EOfRdqB1qEsM3W-k_P/view
Spanish

Employment-Based Visa Categories in the United States

7/8/21 One of the key principles guiding the U.S. immigration system has been admitting foreign workers with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy. Current U.S. immigration law provides several paths for foreign workers to enter the United States for employment purposes on a temporary or permanent basis. This fact sheet provides basic information about how the employment-based U.S. immigration system works.