Archives: Resources

Transgender Law Center

Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.

Archive – Joint Statement – URGENT POLICY ACTION NEEDED BY WHITE HOUSE TO SUPPORT THE AFGHAN PEOPLE

1/11/22 As detailed in a joint statement issued by the nine humanitarian organizations, more than half the country’s population of 23 million people are facing acute food insecurity, including 9 million who are on the brink of famine. According to the United Nations, if no action is taken, more than 100,000 children could die of starvation. While prices skyrocket, Afghan families cannot access cash to pay for food, medicine, or other items.
The 9 global charities include:InterAction
Alliance for Peacebuilding, |
CARE USA |
Catholic Relief Services |
International Rescue Committee |
Norwegian Refugee Council USA |
Save the Children US |
War Child USA | and
World Vision U.S

SCC COVID Testing Guidance

1/14/22 With a high demand for COVID-19 testing locally and throughout the nation, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is offering guidance to those unsure of what kind of test to use and whether or not they need one.
The testing options are a PCR test, typically administered in a clinic or drive-through operation; and an antigen test, which are also available for home use.
The County recommends that the antigen tests be used for purposes of shortening isolation or quarantine periods for those who have tested positive or been exposed to a person with COVID.
Positive antigen results should be recognized as valid – there is no need for a follow up PCR test at a healthcare or County facility.
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |

Health Equity Considerations & Racial & Ethnic Minority Groups

Health equity is when all members of society enjoy a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Public health policies and programs centered around the specific needs of communities can promote health equity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought social and racial injustice and inequity to the forefront of public health. It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality as COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. Multi-language: Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Korean |
Social determinants of health (SDOH)

Nixle Alerts

Nixle keeps you up-to-date with relevant information from your local public safety departments & schools
Text your zip code to 888777 to opt in to receive emergency alerts. Nixle asks new subscribers for both their mobile phone number (for emergency texts) and their email address if they want to also receive informational messages. Multi-Language: Spanish option.
Frequently Asked Questions

Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Virus Mandate for Large Employers

1/13/22 The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a vaccine-or-testing mandate for large employers, dealing a blow to a key element of the White House’s plan to address the pandemic as coronavirus cases resulting from the Omicron variant are on the rise.
But the court allowed a more modest mandate requiring health care workers at facilities receiving federal money to be vaccinated

News Literacy Project

The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan national education nonprofit, provides programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn and share the abilities needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.

A Limiting Lens: How Vaccine Misinformation Has Influenced Hispanic Conversations Online

12/8/21 It isn’t possible to tell a single story about how this vaccination gap came to be. A history of medical exploitation and discrimination may play one role [4][5]. Data shows that language barriers, as well as concerns about immigration status, childcare and work schedules may also impede access to care [6][7].
All of these factors create a foundation of doubt and mistrust that allows misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines to flourish on social media.

Bay Area Vanpool Program

Enterprise and MTC (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) connect employees who live near each other and provide them with a recent-model van or SUV. Riders commute together, saving money, freeing up time to relax or catch up on work. MTC will subsidize eligible* commutes up to $350/month. Vanpools must start or end in one of the 9 eligible Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties). Check for other program requirements.

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.

Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law

9/30/21 Foundational Principle: The Exercise of Prosecutorial Discretion – It is well established in the law that federal government officials have broad discretion to decide who should be subject to arrest, detainers, removal proceedings, and the execution of removal
orders. The exercise of prosecutorial discretion in the immigration arena is a deep-rooted tradition.
Icr New Enforcement Policies

ILRC Immigration Enforcement Tracker

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) and Detention Watch Network (DWN) are actively collecting examples and trends in immigration enforcement around the country.
We are asking partners to please fill out this form to share details of what you’re seeing in your communities, specifically on enforcement actions and decisions since January 2021. This includes immigration detainers, arrests, and detentions by ICE or CBP, including when local police or sheriffs are involved. Centralizing this information is critical to track patterns of enforcement, identify of problematic trends, and advocate for improvements.

Who Are the Adults Not Vaccinated Against COVID?

12/28/21 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that as of December 14, roughly 85% of adults ages 18 and over in the United States had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but 15% remained unvaccinated.
Who are the unvaccinated and why are they choosing not to get a COVID vaccine? Household Pulse Survey Shows Many Don’t Trust COVID Vaccine, Worry About Side Effects

CA Community College Immigration Legal Services & DACA Scholarship Funds

Free immigration legal services are available to students, staff and faculty affiliated with the Community Colleges. Priority for services is given to undocumented students, staff and faculty. The immigration legal service providers offering services at the 65 campuses have developed scheduling, intake, and reporting processes that ensure student information remains confidential and protected. Contact the closest provider in your region. For questions contact Alonso Garcia at algarcia@foundationccc.org or at 916-400-2778.
.Legal Service Providers
DACA Scholarship Fund

Assyrian American Association of San Jose (AAASJ)

Promoting the Assyrian language, heritage, and culture among all Assyrians and to assist Assyrian charitable, cultural, and educational organizations.
COVID-19 RAPID RESPONSE INITIATIVE – Santa Clara County & Surrounding Bay Area HOTLINE: 408-800-2799
*Delivering meals to the hungry and elderly who are home-bound.
*Providing health counseling for local community members in crisis.
*Supplying financial guidance for basic needs and vital social services to those affected by COVID-19
*Alleviating social isolation by ensuring that seniors receive regular phone calls, support and the services they require.
*Promoting location businesses that depend on daily transaction to remain viable.

Omicron in Santa Clara County and Boosters for Everyone 16+

12/11/21 County Public Health Department publichealth@phd.sccgov.org via mailchimpapp.net
As anticipated, the COVID-19 variant Omicron has been detected in Santa Clara County.
“Although there are still many unknowns about this variant, we strongly recommend getting vaccinated and getting your booster if you haven’t already to help guard against Omicron” said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer and Director of Public Health, County of Santa Clara. “It is a new variant, but we know what to do, and that’s to continue with all our layers of protection: Vaccinate, boost, mask, ventilate, distance, and test often.” Multi-language:
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |

Archive – Closing the Connectivity Gap for Older Americans

12/31/23  Site gone

1/27/21 Older Adults Technology Services, Inc. (OATS), in partnership with the Humana Foundation, today released a new report that for the first time quantifies the size and degree of the digital isolation crisis among seniors in the United States, finding nearly 22 million older Americans continue to lack broadband access at home. Stressing the importance of digital health tools and social connectedness amid the coronavirus pandemic, OATS and The Humana Foundation are launching a new effort to close the technology adoption gap through Aging Connected – a national campaign to bring at least a million older Americans online with high-speed internet by 2022.

SCC Quick Guide to Services 2019

Santa Clara County provides essential services that people need on a daily basis to work and live in Silicon Valley – whether residents need a marriage license, access to children’s health services or want to know about local recreational facilities. Customer service is a top priority for the County, which oversees services and programs for a multilingual, culturally diverse community. This is a Quick reference for many services that are provided to the community.

San Jose expands community use at Viet Heritage Garden, after years of dispute

12/30/21 After sitting empty for 6 years due to a lack of funding, a garden honoring San Jose’s vast Vietnamese community sprouts signs of life.
San Jose is expanding a community garden program at the Viet Heritage Garden located at 1499 Roberts Ave.
The Viet Heritage Garden, which spans 4 acres will include 45 plots where people can farm their own vegetables and herbs.
The community garden in District 7 will be the newest addition to a list of 20 community gardens across the city, some of which have provided a place for residents to grow vegetables since 1977. Key Words: Food

SCC Division of Equity and Social Justice (DESJ)

DESJ departments provide numerous resources to the community. The County of Santa Clara provides fiscal resources to numerous community organizations or agencies within the county to help best serve the community. The DESJ is a partner with many organizations to provide information, resources and leadership in efforts to assist the most marginalized individuals within the county.
Office of Cultural Competency |
Office of Immigrant Relations |
Office of Labor Standards Enforcement |
Office of Women’s Policy |
Office of Gender Based Violence Prevention |
Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Affairs |

Archive – $165 million California fund to battle anti-Asian hate could come this year

11/16/21 Community groups will get the bulk of money to battle tide of bigotry and violence.
Community groups fighting against the rise of hate crimes and related actions directed at Asians could start seeing some of a new $165.5 million state fund by the end of this year, state and local leaders said Monday, Nov. 15, during a news conference in Garden Grove.
Most of the California API Equity Fund, roughly $110 million, is expected to be awarded over the next three years to organizations with deep ties in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that they serve. Such groups were the first to respond to the rise in hate crimes and hate incidents faulting Asian Americans for the coronavirus pandemic.

CDC is expanding eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old

1/5/22 CDC is expanding eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old. CDC now recommends that adolescents age 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series.
Data show that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 12-17.

Six men arrested in connection with 70 crimes targeting Bay Area Asian women, police say

12/15/21 Six men have been arrested in connection to a string of robberies allegedly targeting Asian women in the Bay Area, concluding a yearlong investigation, according to authorities.
Ethnic slurs were allegedly used against some of the women by the three men and officials said the suspects followed the women to their cars in parking lots and waited until they were inside before opening the door or breaking a window to snatch a purse from their passenger seat.
Key Words: Hate Crimes

DiversityInc Job Board

Apply to work at companies that “get it.” In 2020, DiversityInc’s job board included more than 166,000 job listings hiring diverse applicants. Our job board is a useful tool both for recruiters working to hire qualified talent and job seekers looking to work at organizations that value diversity, inclusion, equity and innovation. Free to job seekers.

Minimum wage in Silicon Valley going up in January

12/29/21 San Jose workers will see their hourly rate go from $15.45 to $16.20, while those in Mountain View and Sunnyvale will see theirs bump to $17.10 from $16.30″the highest minimum wage in the region.
Once a national leader in increasing the minimum wage, San Jose continues to fall behind other cities who previously followed its footsteps. After voters approved Measure D to bring wages from $8 to $10 in 2012, six other cities in Santa Clara County also adopted their own increases. A decade later, San Jose is trailing behind all of them”almost $1 less than the highest rate in the region. Key Words: Employment

RAINN: Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network

RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country.
Anyone affected by sexual assault, whether it happened
to you or someone you care about, can find support on
their National Sexual Assault Hotline. Call 800-656-HOPE (4673)
Online Chat Hotline |
Spanish Online Chat Hotline |
Multi-language: Spanish

White House Establishes New AAPI Visibility Task Force

1/4/21 With Business Leaders and Actor Daniel Dae Kim
The group will be tasked with advising President Biden and other D.C. lawmakers on issues important to the AAPI community, including initiatives like adding more language options in federal programs, disaggregating AAPI data to improve policy changes and rehabilitating small businesses crippled by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Key Words: Asian

Bill Wilson Here4You Shelter Call Center

Here4You is designed to centralize referrals to temporary housing programs for people needing shelter. It can help:
** Match people to emergency shelters, including transportation
** Provide assistance to sustain current housing situation
Make referrals and linkages to community resources
Here4You: 408-385-2400
Call Center hours: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
In addition to referrals for openings at emergency shelters/ temporary housing programs, BWC’s staff will help those seeking rental assistance by directing them to additional Homeless Prevention Services.
For additional information contact: Malisha Kumar, Program Director at
408-316-4270 or mkumar@billwilsoncenter.org

Santa Clara County offers COVID vaccine booster to all adults

11/10/21 “No one will be turned away who wants a booster” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county’s COVID-19 vaccine officer, setting new rules for county vaccination clinics. With the late summer decline in COVID-19 cases leveling off at an uncomfortably high level and showing signs of rising again, county health officials urged vaccinated adults to get a booster shot ahead of the winter holidays ” fearing another eruption of outbreaks as families and friends gather.

FEMA closes gap that prevented many Black families in South from receiving disaster aid

9/2/21 The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced sweeping changes Thursday to the way the U.S. government will verify homeownership for disaster relief applicants who lack certain legal documents for inherited property.
The change responds to pushback against rules that have stymied Black Americans in the Deep South from getting help to rebuild after catastrophic storms if they can’t adequately prove they own their homes ” and it comes as Hurricane Ida threatened to repeat the cycle. Key Words: Equity

National Advisory Council Report to the FEMA Administrator November 2020 – Equity Gaps

11/20 Emergency management is part of the social safety net across all phases from response to recovery.
As such, first responders do not rescue people who can evacuate themselves, they only rescue people
who need help. Recovery programs, however, seem to do just that. They provide an additional boost to
wealthy homeowners and others with less need, while lower-income individuals and others sink further
into poverty after disasters. In 2045, emergency management is equitable across the full spectrum,
including preparedness, recovery, and mitigation, with resources going to those who need them.

New immigration policy could help some undocumented veterans seek naturalization

11/17/21 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office has issued a new written guidance expanding the eligibility for citizenship of former U.S. armed forces veterans facing deportation, as well as hundreds who were already removed from the country.
non-U.S. veterans can qualify for citizenship if they served during wartime, or what is known legally as a ‘ Designated Period of Hostility’, such as the Korean or Vietnam wars, the Persian Gulf conflict and the ongoing war on terrorism after September 11, 2001.
Multi-language: Spanish

Minority Health Resource Center

The OMHRC Knowledge Center Online Catalog provides access to the nation’s largest repository of information dedicated to the health of minority populations within the United States and its territories. The collection includes over 70,000 documents, books, journal articles, reports, and media related to the health status of racial and ethnic minority populations. In addition, users can access consumer health materials in more than 40 languages. The database identifies print and digital content leading to article, document, journal, and organizational records.

Special Immigrant Juveniles

If you are in the United States and need the protection of a juvenile court because you have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent, you may be eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification. If SIJ classification is granted, you may qualify for lawful permanent residency (also known as getting a Green Card).
Multi-language: Spanish

Archive – Red Cross Volunteers See Hope in Work with Afghan Children

11/1/21 Since the Afghan evacuation began in August, nearly 800 Red Cross volunteers worked on military installations around the globe providing evacuees with more than 1.9 million relief items. On Rhine Ordnance Barracks and Ramstein bases, Ellsworth and Hwang rolled up their sleeves and chipped in where needed, handing out comfort kits, towels, diapers and other critical care items.

The Complex Motivations and Costs of Central American Migration

11/21 Conducted in Spring 2021 amid the economic instability and changing migration policies brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, these surveys capture a snapshot of migration decision-making during a particularly dynamic period and point to important opportunities for regional collaboration. The report is the result of collaboration between MPI, the UN World Food Programme, and the Civic Data Design Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

US curtails refugee admissions to focus on resettling Afghan evacuees

11/16/21 The U.S. government is curtailing admissions of refugees to focus on the massive effort to process and resettle tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees, the State Department said Monday.
Through January 11, the U.S. will stop booking travel for refugees who don’t qualify for certain exceptions. Refugees who need to reunite with family in the U.S., who are travel-ready, who have “urgent cases” or whose medical and security screenings are set to expire soon will continue to be resettled, the State Department said.

MPI Language Portal

A Translation and Interpretation Digital Library
search the database to find resources used to provide services to Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals. The database gives you thousands of state and local agency documents used to provide services to LEP clients, including contracts, planning reports, and translated material. Key Words: Language Access

U.S. waives work permit and green card application fees for Afghan evacuees

11/8/21 Afghans brought to the U.S. after July 30 under a humanitarian immigration process known as parole will qualify for a fee exemption on their applications for work authorization. The U.S. will also waive permanent residency petition fees for Afghans who are requesting Special Immigrant Visas due to their work with U.S. military forces.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) typically requires work permit applicants to pay $495 in application and biometric collection fees. The agency can charge up to $1,225 in fees to adjudicate petitions for permanent residency, which is also known as green card status.

Culturally and Linguistically Competent Nursing Care – Free Online Course

From Think Cultural Health – As healthcare disparities among cultural minority groups persist in our country, culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) are increasingly recognized as an important strategy for improving quality of care to diverse populations. This e-learning program will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to provide the best care for all patients, regardless of cultural or linguistic background. This e-learning program is grounded in the HHS Office of Minority Health’s National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care.

Why hundreds of thousands of kids in the US dread their 21st birthdays

“All my friends excitedly talk about turning 21 — hitting the bars, all of that…but it’s just something that I dread,” she says.
The day she turns 21, Parvathinathan will no longer be protected by the work visa that allowed her parents to immigrate to the United States from India. And she may face deportation.
It’s known as “aging out,” and experts estimate that about 200,000 people like Parvathinathan are living in a similar limbo. Brought legally to the United States as children, many are scrambling to find ways to stay in the country they love. Some are forced to leave the US when they run out of options.
They’ve dubbed themselves “documented Dreamers,” and they say their plight shows how broken the US immigration system is.

Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index

Every community must prepare for and respond to hazardous events, whether a natural disaster like a tornado or a disease outbreak, or a human-made event such as a harmful chemical spill. Several factors, including poverty, lack of access to transportation, and crowded housing may weaken a community’s ability to prevent human suffering and financial loss in a disaster. These factors are known as social vulnerability. Using U.S. Census data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the first version of the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) in 2011 to enable emergency response planners and public health officials to identify, map, and plan support for communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a public health emergency.

Child Tax Credits a Huge Boost for Many, But Not All, Latino Families

11/23/21 The expanded child tax credits are working to help families make ends meet and experience less stress, a new survey shows.
As part of the American Rescue Plan, Congress expanded the child tax credit in March 2021. Since July, the IRS has been providing cash benefits to most households with children, including some of the country’s poorest families.
Now, given sufficient time to study this effort, a survey by the Center for Law and Social Policy found that the enhanced child tax credit made a difference for many parents and children. Many Latinos and other families of color benefitted, but many immigrants also were left out.

Archive – US considering returning some evacuees who don’t pass vetting process to Afghanistan

11/18/21 The Biden administration is considering sending some of the Afghan evacuees at a US military base in Kosovo back to Afghanistan if they cannot clear the intense vetting process to come to the United States, according to three US officials familiar with the matter.
A return to Afghanistan is only one option on the table — and comes with complicated legal questions — but it is being studied as US officials have yet to develop an overall plan for how to handle the challenge of where to resettle Afghans if they do not clear the US security clearance process.

Language Access: Translation and Interpretation Policies and Practices

created to assist local government administrators, policymakers, and others who are looking for ways to provide high-quality and cost-effective translation and interpretation services.
Practitioners’ Corner Archive
Centralizing Translation Across Agencies Through Computer Assisted Translation (CAT)
Testing and Training Volunteer Translators and Interpreters
Top 10 Best Practices for Multilingual Websites
Doing More with Less on Language Access
How to Assess the Effectiveness of Language Access Programs
Drafting RFP and Contracts for Language Access Services
Tips for Testing and Certifying Multilingual Employees
Tips for Ensuring Translation Quality

El Tecolote

12/21 Longest-running bilingual newspaper in California. Serving the SF Bay Latino community since 1970. #eltecolote #eltecolotesf #accionlatinasf Key Words: Media

Nearly all US COVID-19 deaths now preventable

6/25/21 According to an Associated Press analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data from May, only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people, or less than 1%. This translates to 5 deaths per day attributed to fully vaccinated Americans experiencing breakthrough infections, and roughly 300 deaths per day in the unvaccinated. Key Words: Pandemic

The Biden administration announced the DHS will halt workplace raids

10/17/21 NPRInterview: During Donald Trump’s presidency, immigration agents arrested thousands of individuals allegedly living in the country illegally through a series of high-profile raids on workplaces. Officials said these raids were intended to send a message to people skirting federal labor laws. But some criticized the raids for disrupting the lives of hardworking immigrants.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration signaled it would now end the practice. Here to discuss the significance of the move and what comes next is Marielena Hincapie. She is executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. Key Words: Undocumented

Archive – Newly arrived Afghans test a refugee resettlement system that’s rebuilding on the fly

10/7/21 Resettlement organizations are rebuilding on the fly after deep cuts during the Trump administration. Last year, the U.S. accepted the lowest number of refugees since the modern resettlement program began.
Now Congress has authorized more than $6 billion to support Afghan resettlement. The roughly 200 field offices that do this work are scrambling to prepare. They’re trying to find more affordable housing, and hiring as fast as they can.
The numbers are daunting.
Roughly 53,000 Afghans are living on military bases in the U.S., and 14,000 more will soon be on their way from military bases overseas. The vast majority are not technically refugees; they’re entering the U.S. under what’s known as “humanitarian parole.” And they have lots of questions about how it works.

The Facebook Papers

10/24/21 The Facebook Papers represents a unique collaboration between 17 American news organizations, including The Associated Press.
Journalists from a variety of newsrooms, large and small, worked together to gain access to thousands of pages of internal company documents obtained by Frances Haugen, the former Facebook product manager-turned-whistleblower.

Multi-Lingual Counseling Center

In recognizing the need for cultural and language specific mental health services in the Bay Area and lack of multi-lingual speaking counselors, we created Multi-lingual Counseling Center to serve the needs of growing multi-lingual community. Our mission is to provide mental health services and treatment to individuals suffering from different mental health symptoms such as depression, PTSD, Bipolar, anxiety, ADHD and all other mental health
Diagnosis. Multi-language: Dari, Farsi.

How To Protect Yourself During An Earthquake

WHY RESCUERS AND EXPERTS RECOMMEND DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON. OFFICIAL RESCUE TEAMS from the U.S. and other countries who have searched for trapped people in collapsed structures around the world, as well as emergency managers, researchers, and school safety advocates, all agree that “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” is the appropriate action to reduce injury and death during earthquakes. Methods like standing in a doorway, running outside, and the “triangle of life” are considered dangerous and are not recommended (see below).

Facebook Froze as Anti-Vaccine Comments Swarmed Users

In March, as claims about the dangers and ineffectiveness of coronavirus vaccines spun across social media and undermined attempts to stop the spread of the virus, some Facebook employees thought they had found a way to help.
By altering how posts about vaccines are ranked in people’s newsfeeds, researchers at the company realized they could curtail the misleading information individuals saw aboutCOVID-19 vaccines and offer users posts from legitimate sources like the World Health Organization.
“Given these results, I’m assuming we’re hoping to launch ASAP” one Facebook employee wrote, responding to the internal memo about the study.
Instead, Facebook shelved some suggestions from the study. Other changes weren’t made until April.

FBI: Hate crime reports at highest level in 12 years

10/26/21 Increase comes even as fewer agencies reported hate crime incidents in their jurisdictions to FBI than in previous years.
More than 10,000 people reported to law enforcement last year that they were the victim of a hate crime because of their race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion or disability ” a number that has been on the rise in recent years, according to the
FBI’s annual hate crime statistics report

SCC Cultural Communities Wellness Program (CCWP)

A Family Outreach and Engagement Program (formerly known as ECCAC or Ethnic and Cultural Communities Advisory Committee) providing linguistic and culturally competent outreach, education, advocacy and peer support to ethnic communities. The goals are to reduce the stigma and increase understanding of behavioral health issues, increase willingness to seek help, and access to services. CCWP staff is multicultural and multilingual, representing at least 10 cultural communities, and speaking at least 12 languages. There are 7 CCWP teams:
African Heritage Community |
African Immigrant Community (Eritrean, Ethiopian, and Somali) |
Chinese Community |
Filipino Community |
Latino Community |
Native Family Community | and
Vietnamese Community |
Formerly ECCAC
Multi-language:
Language Assistance Services

SAN JOSE COVID-19 RECOVERY TASK FORCE

11/4/21 will be the first meeting of the the San José City Council approved 55 organizations to the COVID-19 Recovery Task Force, an important part of the City’s Community and Economic Recovery strategy.
This Task Force, which will be convened for no more than a year, will be an opportunity for the City to engage with and learn from the people and communities who have been most impacted by the pandemic. Recovery is not for the City to do alone, rather this work must be done with the whole community, for the benefit of those most burdened by the crisis, guided by their wisdom, tapping into their potential, and building on their deep enduring strength.

Only in America Podcast with Ali Noorani – Welcoming Afghans

11/3/21 Thousands of Afghan evacuees are still unmoored months after the U.S withdrawal from Afghanistan. Many remain on military bases in the U.S. and across the world. Their stories don’t end with evacuation – in fact, it’s just the beginning of a resettlement process that requires a formidable amount of planning, resources, and cooperation across communities. This 3 part series looks at the stories of those helping these evacuees.

We Debunk 5 Anti-Vax Myths About Kids’ COVID-19 Vaccines

10/28/21 On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11. That approval could come any day now”listen closely, and you may hear a collective sigh of relief emanating from millions of parents.
But not everyone is celebrating: Anti-vaccine activists are already planting seeds of doubt. Among disinformation experts, there’s a strategy called “prebunking””basically, educating people about the kinds of rumors they can expect to encounter. It’s like, well, an immunization”but for disinformation. In that spirit, here are five claims that anti-vaxxers are already making, along with the reasons they’re wrong.

Biden Vastly Expands “Protected Areas” Where ICE Can’t Arrest Immigrants

10/28/21 Starting this week, the number of places where immigration enforcement officials are not allowed to arrest people is growing. The Biden administration issued a new policy Wednesday that directs agents to stay away from playgrounds, domestic violence shelters, healthcare facilities, public demonstrations, disaster response centers, and other locations.
The new “protected areas” policy
went into effect immediately and supersedes all previous guidance for what used to be called “sensitive locations.”

6 Tips for Managing Medical Misinformation at Your Next Family Gathering

11/6/21 Given the divisiveness that has developed in our society over the last several years, there’s a good chance that the holiday spirit might not prevail, despite our best intentions. Misinformation and disinformation are often the uninvited guests at some holiday events.
But don’t give up hope! We have the perfect “gift” to help address all sizes, shapes, and beliefs of misinformation that your loved ones might have embraced. The News Literacy Project, a national nonpartisan education nonprofit, shares advice for navigating tricky conversations. They have created an infographic, “How to speak up without starting a showdown: Six best practices for talking to friends and family about sharing falsehoods online” precisely for the situations that we might encounter over the holiday season or any time of the year.

Archive – COVID-19 Vaccination Shots Now Available for Children Ages 5-11 in Santa Clara County

11/3/21 SCC is now providing COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5-11. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is the only option for this newly approved age group, which numbers just over 167,000 members of our community. All children ages 5-11 who sign up for an appointment are eligible.
Parents and guardians should visit www.sccfreevax.org to sign up for an appointment or to find a convenient drop-in location. Vaccines for children ages 5-11 are smaller doses and specially formulated. Families are also encouraged to check with their primary care physician or their local pharmacy about vaccine appointments for children. Multi-language:
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |

More than 10 million US citizens live with an undocumented immigrant

9/10/21 Analysis: – More than 10 million U.S. citizens share a household with an undocumented immigrant, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by immigration advocacy group FWD.us. Nearly half of those U.S. citizens, 4.9 million, are children who have at least one undocumented parent.
The report shows the extent to which undocumented immigrants are integrated in their communities, with 22 million people living in mixed status households.

San Jose small businesses get break on paying taxes

9/29/21 After being hammered by the pandemic, small businesses will have one less expense to incur ” at least for now.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a nine-month extension of a program that waives the city’s business license tax for businesses hurt by COVID-19. The extension will run from Oct. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. The program started on Oct. 1, 2020, and was set to expire on Thursday.

Wildfires ignite California insurance”¦

9/12/21 As if California needed another crisis, the state’s seemingly perpetual wildfires are forcing millions of homeowners in fire-prone areas to pay skyrocketing premiums for insurance coverage ” if, indeed, they can buy it at all.
As the number and severity of wildfires increase, insurers are increasingly reluctant to renew policies and even if they do, premiums often double or triple.
Insurance is required for most homeowners since their mortgage lenders demand it. And if they cannot obtain regular coverage, they are forced into the insurer of last resort, FAIR, that has very high premiums and limits on coverage.

Santa Clara County renters, landlords prepare for life after eviction ban

9/29/21 The eviction moratorium, which protects tenants from being kicked out for not paying rent, ends on Thursday. Starting Friday, tenants have to pay at least 25% of their owed rent from the past year and can apply for rental assistance from the state to avoid eviction. Recent data suggests thousands of tenants across the county still haven’t applied for assistance, which indicates many could be at risk of losing their homes.

Suicide Prevention Muslim Community Action Guide

Muslims are not immune to mental illness. Even though suicide is disallowed in strong language in the Qur’an (see 4:29; 2:195), it does not diminish the fact that countless Muslims struggle every day with suicidal thoughts.
While you may not be trained as a mental health
professional, this guide is meant to equip you with the
knowledge and tools to better prevent, intervene, and
address suicide in your community and help save lives.

Archive – Funding Bill Will Help Afghans Resettle, Integrate

9/30/21 WASHINGTON, D.C. ” Congress today passed legislation that includes funding and additional benefits for Afghans resettling in the U.S.
The continuing resolution passed today includes $6.3 billion in supplemental funding for Afghan resettlement, as well as benefits for Afghan parolees who were admitted to the U.S. under humanitarian parole and are not technically deemed “refugees.” Key Words: Refugees, Evacuees

Amala Hopeline for Muslim Youth

10/21 If you are feeling sadness, anxiety, fear, or any emotions that you need to process, please call Amala Hopeline. We aim to provide a culturally competent, confidential, and non-judgmental counseling and resource referral over the phone. We are available Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 6PM-10PM. Please give us a call, we are here for you. 855-95-Amala

DHS Updates Immigration Enforcement Priorities

9/30/21 Safety and security remain top priorities. “We will prioritize for apprehension and removal noncitizens who are a threat to our national security, public safety, and border security” the memo states.
The guidelines shift how the department will employ prosecutorial discretion, moving away from rigid enforcement categories in favor of individualized assessments. Unauthorized status, on its own, will not be the basis for enforcement actions, according to the memo. Key Words: Undocumented, deportation

Across Parties, Americans Support People Seeking Refuge

9/22/21 WASHINGTON, D.C. ” Strong majorities of Republicans, Independents and Democrats agree that the U.S. should have a legal, secure way to welcome people from oppressed or war-torn countries.
In a new poll of 1,200 adults, including 1,000 registered voters, 65% of Americans ” including 61% of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 75% of Democrats ” agreed “that the United States should have a legal, secure process in place to take in people from oppressed or war-torn countries, such as Afghanistan.” The nationwide, online survey was fielded Thursday through Sunday. Key Words: Refugees, Asylum

FREE Bilingual Children’s Picture Dictionary – Clothes

Learn types of clothing with this bilingual children’s picture dictionary. Free download in:
English/Afrikaans, English/Albanian, English/Amharic, English/Arabic Egyptian, English/Arabic Formal, English/Arabic Gulf, English/Arabic Levantine, English/Arabic Maghrebi, English/Armenian, English/Azerbaijani, English/Basque, English/Belarusian, English/Bengali, English/Bosnian, English/Bulgarian, English/Burmese (Myanmar),
English/Catalan, English/Chinese Mandarin, Traditional, English/Chinese Simplified Mandarin, English/Chinese Traditional Cantonese, English/Chinese Traditional Mandarin (Taiwan), English/Croatian, English/Czech, English/Danish, English/Dari, English/Dutch,English/Estonian, English/Finnish, English/Flemish (Belgian), English/French, English/French Canadian, English/Georgian, English/German, English/Greek, English/Gujarati, English/Haitian Creole, English/Hebrew, English/Hindi, English/Hungarian, English/Icelandic, English/Indonesian, English/Irish Gaelic, English/Italian, English/Japanese, English/Kannada, English/Kazakh, English/Khmer, (Cambodian), English/Korean, English/Kurdish, English/Lao (Laotian), English/Latvian, English/Lithuanian, English/Macedonian, English/Malay, English/Malayalam, English/Maltese, English/Marathi, English/Mongolian, English/Nepali
English/Norwegian, English/Pashto, English/Persian (Farsi), English/Polish, English/Portuguese (Brazil)
English/Portuguese (Portugal), English/Punjabi
English/Romanian, English/Russian, English/Serbian Cyrillic, English/Serbian Latin, English/Slovak, English/Slovenian (Slovene), English/Shanghainese
English/Sinhala, English/Somali, English/Spanish (Castilian), English/Spanish (Latin America), English/Swahili, English/Swedish, English/Swiss, French, English/Swiss German, English/Swiss Italian,
English/Tagalog, English/Thai, English/Tamil,
English/Telugu, English/Tigrinya, English/Turkish,
English/Ukrainian, English/Urdu, English/Uzbek,
English/Vietnamese, English/Welsh, English/Xhosa, English/Yoruba, English/Zulu

Muslim American Society-Social Services Foundation (MAS-SSF)

10/21 The (MAS-SSF) offers peer mental health and social support services in five languages: English, Dari/Farsi, Pashto, Arabic, and Urdu. Support Services in-person, on the phone, and over the internet include: * A completely confidential and HIPAA-compliant peer mental health service that gives you the ability to interact with a dedicated peer specialist from virtually anywhere. Call 916 486-8626, Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm * Email MAS-SSF at counseling@mas-ssf.org

STAND TOGETHER: Welcoming Muslim Refugees in Challenging Times

2016 This guide was created for advocates, service providers, and supporters like yourself as a tool to address
this backlash toward refugees and Muslim Americans, and to help you proactively engage with community leaders and neighbors. Through the messages, sample conversations, story ideas, and worksheets in this toolkit, we will help you develop straightforward yet persuasive language to use in the spoken or written communications you use in your work to support the needs of your whole community,

CDC Guidance for Refugees Upon Arrival in the United States

2021 Refugees come from diverse regions of the world, and professionals working with them need to understand the health risks, including the risk of COVID-19, in the countries from which they are departing. One resource is CDC’s Travel Health Notices, which are resources for travelers, including refugees, to help understand the risk of COVID-19 in destinations around the world. Learn how CDC determines the level of a destination’s COVID-19 Travel Health Notice. Multi-language: :Welcome Booklet for Refugees Amharic, Arabic Burmese, Dari, Farsi, French, Haitian, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya Ukrainian

COVID-19: The Unvaccinated Pose a Risk to the Vaccinated

9/25/21 An unvaccinated person who is infected with COVID-19 poses a much greater risk to others who are also unvaccinated. But vaccines are not 100% effective, so there is a chance that an unvaccinated person could infect a vaccinated person ” particularly the vulnerable, such as elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Fact Check from SciCheck’s COVID-19/Vaccination Project.

STRUCTURAL COMPETENCY

Clinical training often restricts the scope of cultural competency training to the beliefs and behaviors of individual patients. Structural competency aims to develop a language and set of interventions to reduce health inequalities at the level of neighborhoods, institutions and policies.

Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI)

9/15/21 Hiring Dari/Pashto speaking Therapist to serve arriving Afghan Refugees. Founded in 2005 by a group of bilingual/bicultural mental health professionals, CERI provides culturally-relevant mental health and other social services. We are dedicated to transforming the lives of refugees and immigrants and their families, many of whom suffer from weakening intergenerational relationships, layers of complex needs, and exposure to violence and trauma both in their current environments and in their native countries.

7 Immigration Myths We Must Unlearn to Reclaim Our Humanity

Our immigration system is broken and cruel. Trump was enabled in turning the cruelty up to 11 by an infrastructure he inherited. It must be reengineered before another madman is allowed to hack American ideals to that extent again.
But fixing it demands that we examine ” then toss into the ash heap of history ” the myths on which our archaic, even barbaric, immigration apparatus rests.

Racial Equity Institute

AN ALLIANCE OF TRAINERS, ORGANIZERS, AND INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS WHO HAVE DEVOTED OURSELVES TO THE WORK OF CREATING RACIALLY EQUITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND SYSTEMS. WE HELP INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOP TOOLS TO CHALLENGE PATTERNS OF POWER AND GROW EQUITY.

Welcoming San Jose 2021 – 24 Plan

With recent changes in the national landscape that
allow for greater forward movement for immigrant
communities, building an inclusive and cohesive
San José is work that requires a deliberate investment from all sectors. A bold local strategy and
infrastructure to support immigrant inclusion is
critical to a successful city for all, regardless of national origin or immigration status. The Welcoming
San José Plan: 2021-2024 is another step towards
building and implementing this local strategy, in
collaboration with our many community partners.

Where Afghan refugees are expected to be resettled, by state

9/16/21 The Biden administration this week notified state authorities of the number of Afghan evacuees each state could receive in the coming weeks as part of the first phase of a massive resettlement operation that is slated to place nearly 37,000 refugees from Afghanistan in U.S. communities.
California is expected to receive 5,225 Afghan evacuees, the most of any state. Texas is set to receive 4,481 Afghans, followed by Oklahoma, which is expected to host 1,800 evacuees. Washington state and Arizona are each slated to receive more than 1,600 evacuees.

Asian American lawmakers urge DOJ to give updates about hate crimes law

9/22/21 President Joe Biden signed the legislation, co-sponsored by Hirono and Meng, on May 20 after it win bipartisan support in Congress. It directed the Justice Department to expedite the review of Covid-19-related hate crimes that were reported to law enforcement agencies to help them create ways to report such incidents online and to conduct public outreach.

California 1st to Set Quota Limits for Retailers Like Amazon

9/22/21 California on Wednesday became the first state to bar mega-retailers from firing warehouse workers for missing quotas that interfere with bathroom and rest breaks under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that grew from Amazon’s drive to speed goods to consumers more quickly.
The measure also bars Amazon, the online retail giant, and similar companies from disciplining workers for following health and safety laws and allows employees to sue to suspend unsafe quotas or reverse retaliation. The bill applies to all warehouse distribution centers, though proponents were driven by Amazon’s dominance.

A Mental Wellness Activity Book for ASIAN AMERICANS

The University of Connecticut’s Asian and Asian American Studies Institute has partnered with the #IAMNOTAVIRUS campaign and the Asian American Literary Review to provide students with this Mental Health Workbook. With the way that the world is now, many of us are struggling. Wellness and mental health are not often recognized as important issues for Asian Americans and we are 3 times less likely to seek mental health services than our White peers. At the Institute we believe that Asian American Studies is good for your health because it connects you to the history, culture, and politics of the life and struggle of our communities.