Sacramento, CA – APAPA was founded to empower the American API community in an open and inclusive system of government. We are shocked and disappointed that someone took advantage of our organization’s goal of civic engagement, in an effort to undermine our organization’s principles.
At no time was APAPA’s leadership aware of this effort or the background of the individual volunteer under surveillance. Had we known about her background we would have notified the proper authorities immediately.
Protecting our country from espionage is important and we appreciate the hard work of the FBI in this investigation.
America is at its best when the freedom and promise of this country is extended to all of its citizens. APAPA strives to fight against discrimination and prejudice against individuals or communities based on ethnicity, race, gender, orientation, or disability. We believe in the importance of protecting the rights and civil liberties of all Americans. We sincerely hope that the actions of law enforcement in this case do not cause a “chilling effect” within our Asian American community and its civic engagement. American expect law enforcement to not overreach in surveillance efforts of groups engaged in civic matters.
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APAPA is a non-profit, nonpartisan and grassroots organization. Its mission is to empower Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Americans through education, leadership, and active participation in civic and public affairs.