by Joseph Shoji Lachman (ACRS), Derek Lum (InterIm CDA), Velma Veloria (EEC), Tweetie Fatuesi (UTOPIA Seattle), and other AAPI Candidate Forum planning committee members

For many of us in the South Seattle area and in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, 2020 has been a tough year in unprecedented ways. Events such as wildfires, presidential election politics, and of course above all else, the outbreak of COVID-19, have undoubtedly transformed our lives. Many of our community members are experiencing discrimination and economic distress that we haven’t felt in decades, and countless small businesses and organizations are struggling to survive. These difficulties are only magnified further for AAPIs without many of the protections that come with American citizenship and English fluency.