Advocacy

Policy Overview

Legislative Action by the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce

Our Advocacy Activities include:

• Policy Development: Researching and proposing policies that benefit the business community.

• Legislative Engagement: Meeting with local, state, and federal lawmakers to discuss business concerns.

• Public Awareness Campaigns: Educating the public and stakeholders about economic issues.

• Networking and Resources: Hosting events and providing tools to help businesses grow.

ISince 2004, Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce has been hard at work advocating for our members. We work with the Virginia General Assembly, local, and federal representatives and elected leaders to address issues that directly affect our members in targeted sectors.   We have successfully acted to protect the interests of the Asian American businesses such as:

• Support legislation promoting cost increase of medical products that would negatively impact low income residents and their families

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

• Help establish full state regulations expanding newly added Asian languages such as Vietnamese to be incorporated into certifications and exams for the Virginia nail - beauty industries.

• Make sure the Virginia Department of Minority Business Enterprise (Today, the Virginia Department of Small Business Supplier Diversity) to retain its funding and the agency to avoid closure by the Virginia General Assembly during the year 2005-2012.

• Host annual listening sessions to address the concerns of small businesses regarding: Workplace concerns, medical access, vaccinations, impact on insurance, access to business opportunities, and access to government resources made available to small businesses.

• Advocate for members in collaboration with the U S Chamber of Commerce, state Chambers, and local trade groups, the White House, US Senate, US Congress, and state policymakers. These include fair access to fair housing, capital financing across a broad range of cities, towns, and state levels in all major Virginia regions.

• Support policy events and side with local and state law enforcement in their contribution to bringing peace and safety to Asian American small retail businesses.

• Advocate for fair broadband access in the rural areas and among the under-served Asian American and other diverse communities.

• Distribute more than $100,000 in energy grant relief to more than 200 Asian American small businesses in the Commonwealth.

• Up until 2026: We actively promoted the 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.

Legacy Advocacy

Record Highlights

2024 - Today: Each year: Since 2010: Year round we advocate for our small business communities on their most pressing small business issues. We helped pass dozens of legislation supporting the growth of small businesses in Virginia

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 Commonwealth. As a result, several Asian American community leaders and small business owners were appointed to serve on several Boards and Commissions thanks to our connections and personal referrals.

2023 My Lan Tran, VAF Foundation Administration, was appointed 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 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.

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.

2022 VACC Executive Director My Lan Tran was named 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 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 37,800 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 trends 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. VACC 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 under-served minority mall businesses.

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

2020 The Virginia Asian Foundation distributed more than $ 10,000 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 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 the state legislature to 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 under-served 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 our members (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 our membership.

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- Present Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce has been hosting an annual policy summit averaging 300 participants and between 40 to 50 policymakers, five governors, Virginia Attorney Generals, Lieutenant-Generals in addressing small Asian businesses.

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 Sessions “.  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 Asian Americans 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 under-served Virginians and women by providing better access to state health prevention programs.

2016 Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce was invited to participate in helping Senator Mark Warner create (and pass) the historic 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 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 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 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 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.