Advocacy

 To stay engaged with our policy initiatives, send us a line at aabac@aabac.org to get involved.

Policy Advocacy Overview

Legislative Action by the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce

Since 2004, Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce has been “The Voice of Asian American Businesses” working on behalf of our Asian owned business owners.  We work with the Virginia General Assembly, local, and federal representatives and elected leaders to address issues that directly affect the Asian business community in targeted sectors.  

Throughout the VACC twenty years of advocacy work, the sttae and federal legislature have heard our voice We have successfully acted to protect the interests of the Asian American businesses such as:

• Support the expansion of Asian languages (Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese) to be made available in most all state resources.

• Establishing state regulations expanding Asian languages to be incorporated into certifications and exams for the Virginia nail - beauty industries.

• Bringing awareness for the importance of contract de-bundling by local and state procurement contracting offices. We host listening sessions to address the concerns of small Asian businesses and the Asian community at large regarding: Workplace concerns, medical access, vaccinations, impact on insurance, access to business opportunities, and access to government resources made available to small businesses.

• Counties and cities such as Chesterfield, Henrico, Richmond, Fairfax, and Alexandria have addressed their government operations (medical health, vaccination, community and retail stores; safety, procurement, supplier diversity, and minority business certifications are some examples of major improvements being made by the government as a direct result of our advocacy work.

• VACC also advocates for the Asian community and small businesses in collaboration with the National Asian trade association, community groups, community activists, the White House, US Senate, US Congress, and state policymakers. These include fair access to fair housing, capital financing (PPPs, EIDL), vaccination regulations at the workplace, supplier diversity, and inclusion concerns during the global pandemic across a broad range of cities, towns, and state levels in all major Virginia regions.

• In response to the bias and violence against the AAPI community, VACC issued dozens of grants to community groups and sponsored local Asian community groups in Central Virginia to promote #STOPASIANHATE and sided with local and state law enforcement in their contribution to bringing peace and safety to our Asian communities and small retail businesses.

• By partnering with AT&T, we advocated for fair broadband access in the rural areas and among the underserved Asian and other diverse communities.

• In collaboration with Dominion Energy, we helped to distribute more than $100,000 in energy grant relief to more than 200 Asian American small businesses in the Commonwealth.

• We actively promoted the better implementation and promotion of the DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) as important federal certification programs in the transportation sector by the Commonwealth of Virginia in Virginia localities such as the City of Alexandria.

• Our statewide AAPI Minority-Owned Small Business Roundtables support the Virginia Small Minority Business Commission in helping to shed a light on the serious issues facing minority businesses in the Commonwealth.

Our Legacy Community Advocacy Records

2024 During the 13th Annual Asian Policy Summit hosted in downtown Richmond on January 31 of 2024, VACC gathered small AAPI businesses from 13 Asian ethnic community groups, diverse geographic regions, and industries to gather at the state capital to advocate for our community issues in health, jobs, mental health, small business safety, and doing business with the State. AAPI Businesses and AAPI community leader spoke to more than a dozen of law makers, elected officials, and state policy makers on their most pressing issues.

2024 During 2024, VACC successfully helped advance George Mason university’s NOVA Democratization Project through the Project Council which establishes a multi-year study on helping to bring equality in resources and wealth creation for all under-served communities, and AAPIs are among these under-reached communities throughout Northen Virginia.

2023 During the 2023, VACC successfully helped advance the Commonwealth ‘s vision to reform its workforce development system via series of advocacy actions resulting in dozens of state laws being enacted by the Virginia General assembly, making Virginia one among the friendliest states for business investment. (SB 1470 & HB 2195).

2023 Several VACC Members names were submitted to the Secretary of the Commonweath. As a result, several Asian American community leaders and small business owners were appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin to serve on several Boards and Commissions thanks to our connections and personal referrals.

2023 My Lan Tran, VAF Foundation Administration, was appointed by the Governor Glenn Youngkin to be the State Workforce Transition Advisor for Virginia Office of the Secretary of Labor (HB 2025)

2023 My Lan Tran, VACC Executive Director, was appointed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to be Board Member of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board, of the Commonwealth of Virginia (HB 2859).

2014-2022 During this period, VACC continues to offer direct inputs and insights to help create Virginia’s Economic Blueprint on behalf of the AAPI community, so we can continue to have a strong voice in the mainstream Virginia economic development stage. VACC offered Virginia Chamber of Commerce details on the issues faced by the AAPI community in the areas of entrepreneurship, education, housing, workforce development.

2022 VACC hosted 150 community members and heads of the local, state, and national law enforcement agencies at the Annual Safety Summit 2022 to raise awareness of hate crimes against AAPI communities and small business store owners and restaurants in Chesterfield, Virginia. The event was headlined by Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Bob Mosier and FBI SAIC Director.

2022 VACC Executive Director My Lan Tran became President of the newly established “Virginians for Offshore Winds”, a Bonafede IRS C(4) Non-Profit organization dedicated to promoting offshore wind social and economic benefits in Virginia. 

2022 VACC Executive Director became Board Advisor to advocate for the housing needs and access to equal housing opportunities on behalf of the Asian American businesses and community at this state housing authority.

2022 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, through our advocacy, directly helps Virginia to move to the rank of Best State in Business by CNBC.

2021 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce hosts two listening sessions with Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin, addressing small Asian businesses from the Greater Richmond area and Northern Virginia.

 2021 Together with a host of more than 200 other organizations and businesses, we co-author the Virginia’s Blueprint 2030 as the proposed business plan project by the Richmond based Virginia Chamber of Commerce.  VACC engagement with the project is a clear statement that VACC is the official voice representing more than 97,800 Asian owned companies in all 6 major Virginia regions at Blueprint events. 

2021 Through a six - month long workforce development research and community development project, VACC contributes critical workforce development trends and issues to educate Virginia on the workforce development needs of Asian Americans by working with more than 60 workforce development professionals.

2021 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder and Chairman, Tinh Phan, addressed the public on #StopAsianHate in local Henrico County.

2021 Virginia Asian Foundation donated $1000 to the 13 local Asian Communities in Richmond, Virginia to promote nonviolence toward the Asian community in response to the violent acts it suffered at the hand of the pandemic and social ills. V

ACC Executive Director spoke to the Washington Post about violence against Asian businesses and communities to raise public awareness and support the community. Other media presence includes Loudoun Mirror News, Channel 12 (DC area).  Channel 5 DC station, South Korea TV Network (from Seoul), The Arirang TV Network regarding the #StopAsianHate.

2021 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Director met with leaders from the Northern Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce to collaborate on advocacy needs on behalf of underserved minority mall businesses.

2021 Dozens of Minority Business Round Tables were held to guide the Commonwealth of Virginia in enhancing Minority-Owned Small Business opportunities to obtain fair and just state contracting.

2020- 2021 The Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce volunteers helped with the reauthorization of MBDA (Minority Business Development Agency) by partnering with 30 national advocacy organizations.

2020 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, submitted a press release published by the Committee of 100 regarding the #StopAsianHate trend in the USA caused by social unrest, to raise international awareness about this issue.

2020 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, My Lan Tran, participated in weekly meetings by Henrico Schools to discuss health and school issues to help advocate for Limited English-speaking students and parents.

2020 The Virginia Asian Foundation distributed thousands of dollars to local Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, and Hampton Roads community groups and non-profits to support them during the pandemic.

2020 In partnership with the US Small Business Administration in Richmond and Washington DC, Virginia Asian Foundation coordinated a dozen Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean language workshops on how to apply for PPP loans and other grants resources to thousands of Asian businesses via our online education sessions between 2020 and 2021.

2019-2021 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce joined several Asian trade associations (Ex: ACE) to advocate for federal policy and programming designed to help improve national policy and protect the existence of the only federal Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)  that would allow for more opportunities for small and minority business.

2019 At the onset of Covid 19, VACC helped local Henrico County to create a network of local Asian community members to discuss health risks, vaccination, and public safety issues. Thanks to our guidance and participation efforts, Henrico has successfully assembled a network of Asian community groups supporting its various initiatives.

2016-2019 As an active member of the US Department of Transportation, the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce joined USDOT on a dozen of forums and trade events to help raise awareness on the need to promote diversity and equity in contracting small and minority businesses in the transportation sector. This resulted in hundreds of Asian and other small minority firms gaining access to transportation contract opportunities and quality employment opportunities at the federal level.

2019 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce helped Delegate Jason Miyares provide advocacy for a new state law, and successfully create Virginia and the nation’s first-ever Minority Business Commission to facilitate efficiency in government, thus allowing for more opportunities for small businesses, minorities, and women in all industries.

2018 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, was invited to become Commissioner of the Virginia General Assembly’s “Commission on Economic Opportunity for Virginians in Aspiring and Diverse Communities” to champion more efficient state resources to go to the underserved Virginians and minority businesses in a bid to gain better access to state contracting.

2004-2021 The Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce has advocated actively on industry-specific issues on behalf of Dominion Energy, AT&T, Verizon, Walmart, The Port of Virginia, The Hampton Road Connected Partners, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Education, Greater Richmond Partnership, City of Richmond and City of Alexandria with activities in enhancing minority business opportunities, broadband access to rural areas, initiatives that will allow for better opportunities for youth and better  state and federal business contracting opportunities (8A-DBE-SWaM program) for the transportation sector.

2010- 2021 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, and Executive Director, My Lan Tran - with the support of VACC Board members Dr. Kajal Kapur, Michael Chinn and dozens of other Directors and community volunteers - participated in two dozens of meetings at the Virginia General Assembly, virtually at our annual policy forums and at private one on one meetings with delegates and senators, resulting in the Commonwealth of Virginia ‘s ability to pass numerous bills that will protect the interest of Asian American and other small minority businesses.

2006-2018 Each year, the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce continues to advocate for retaining the existence of the only state Virginia Department of Minority Business Enterprise (DMBE) which coordinates education, opportunities and the SWaM certification process to increase maximum opportunities for small and minority businesses in Virginia.

2004 to 2021 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, was invited to participate in dozens of Minority Business Round Tables to guide the Commonwealth of Virginia in the need to enhance Minority-Owned Small Business opportunity to obtain fair and just state contracting.

2010-2019 For the last nine years, the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce has been hosting an annual policy summit averaging 300 participants and between 40 to 50 policymakers, three governors (The Honorable Bob McDonnell, Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam ), Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, and the Lieutenant-General Justin Fairfax, addressing small Asian businesses throughout Richmond.

In addition, a dozen of Cabinet Secretaries from Education, Commerce and Trade, Finance, Health, and Public Safety Departments came to visit our policy Forums where they actively participated in our annual “Listening Session “.  Each Forum has gained full support from all major local and regional partners from Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads.

2018 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, was invited to be Keynote Speaker at the Federal Reserve Bank Region 5, on his personal Asian American Business journey to encourage other Asians to learn from immigrants’ success stories.

2017 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, My Lan Tran, was invited to become an Advisor of the Virginia Department of Minority Health to champion more efficient state public health resources geared at underserved Virginians and women by providing better access to state health prevention programs.

2016 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, was invited to participate in helping Senator Mark Warner create (and pass) the critical SWaM bill, opening doors of opportunities to hundreds of thousands minority businesses in Virginia to gain better access to state contracting.

2015 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan met with Senator Chap Peterson and 12 small businesses at the Virginia General Assembly to discuss the need for Virginia to have a fairer approach to small minority businesses in the state contracting system.

2014 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, and Executive Director, My Lan Tran, met with Delegate Betsy Carr (D) to discuss equal opportunities for Asian and other small minority businesses in the state contracting system, and the need for a better policy in state contracting.

2013 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, and 50 small Asian business companies met with Delegate Ron Villanueva (R) at his office to discuss the need for a better contracting policy, especially in the construction trade.

2011 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Founder, Tinh Phan, and 40 small Asian business companies met with Delegate Tim Hugo (R) at his office to discuss equal opportunities for Asian and other small minority businesses in the state contracting system.

2010 The Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce co-hosted its first Asian Policy Forum at the Virginia Assembly, which was attended by 40 statewide small businesses.