Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA)

Having to act as a cultural translator for a parent who speaks limited English is a role that many Californian children face.  One in four children in the K-12 California school system is an English Learner (EL) and comes from a home where English is not the primary language.  In the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), nearly 30% of the student population is comprised of native Spanish and Cantonese speakers. 

There are federal and state laws that require schools to provide adequate translation for limited English proficient (LEP) parents. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) stipulates that the California Department of Education is responsible for ensuring access to school forms and programs in translation.  The California Education Code also mandates that schools translate documents when at least 15% of the student population are ELs and share a common language.

While these laws have been in place for many years, it has been the grassroots efforts of dedicated parents in the Visitacion Valley Parents Association (VVPA) that has put this law into community practice. VVPA is only one example of the many leadership development programs and effective policy changes that Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) has supported since its inception in 1969.  Several years ago VVPA surveyed over 125 LEP Cantonese speaking parents and found that an overwhelming majority of families lacked critical information regarding their child’s education and were unaware that anyone at the school spoke their language.  Using the results of the survey, CAA sponsored AB 680 (D-Chan), a bill that requires the state to monitor and notify school districts of their legal obligations to its EL constituency under the California Education Code.  VVPA members assisted in the successful passage of AB 680 by testifying in state legislative  hearings and collecting over 500 letters of support. 

And the momentum continues!  Parents and students will maintain an active role in monitoring the translation needs in San Francisco schools.  Last year VVPA parents in coalition with other community members successfully advocated for $550,000 to expand the district’s translation services for all major language groups and to improve the coordination of LEP parent involvement opportunities.  This year the parents will advocate to continued funding and look into other resources at the state level.

The success of VVPA is due in part to the efforts of more than 200 parents who have supported each other and developed critical leadership skills that have had far reaching effects across multiple ethnic and immigrant communities.  As immigrant parents, they are also able to come together and support each other as they learn how to navigate the education system.

CAA views VVPA as an important example that counters the misinformation or stereotypes regarding the insularity of immigrant communities.  CAA’s work in  language rights, immigrant rights, workforce development, and job placement - to name just a few - includes an awareness of situating Chinese experiences of discrimination within the broader context of racial justice and provides practical skills for creating cross-ethnic leadership and solidarity.