APSEA was founded in 1975 by a small group of Asian and Pacific Islanders employed in California State government who wanted to protect Asian Pacific people from racial and gender discrimination and to improve the hiring and promotional opportunities for Asian and Pacific Islanders.
The founding members identified and discussed the many problems Asian and Pacific Islander men and women in State government encountered such as negative stereotyping, racial and gender harassment, and discrimination in hiring and promotions as well as how our communities were struggling to be properly recognized, respected, and served. They used their own time and money to identify problems and solutions for helping Asian and Pacific Islander men and women have equal opportunities to work, promote, and serve our citizens and communities through our state government system.
Today, APSEA continues to advocate for equal employment opportunities and provide our members with the skills to advance in their careers. As part of this effort, APSEA launched the Career Development Program (CDP) featuring a series of lunchtime workshops. APSEA has also been a proud sponsor of the California Innovative Playbook for Government Change Agents (Cal-IPGCA), an immersive, experimental learning experience.
Archived videos of CDP and Cal-IPGCA sessions are available to APSEA members to view on demand on the APSEA Training page.