On April 20 the Assembly Committee on Education approved AB 2536, authored by Assemblymember Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park), which clarifies that sexting, with the purpose or effect of humiliating or harassing a pupil, is a part of cyberbullying and incorporates sexting curriculum as a part of comprehensive sex education programs.

“Many teens who consider sexting normal are not only at risk of facing serious legal consequences, but are also subject to acts of bullying or harassment when their intimate images are taken without their knowledge or disseminated without their consent,” said Assemblymember Chau. “This presents a complex challenge to schools as they strive to provide safe environments for learning.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a recent survey found that 20 percent of teenage boys and girls have sent a sext message. Sending sexually explicit photographs, videos or messages via cell phone or instant messenger has real dangers and consequences, because it is nearly impossible to control the flow of digital information once it leaves a person’s mobile device. With the click of a button an image can be sent out to hundreds of people.  In California, sending sexual images of minors is specifically prohibited under Penal Code Section 311.11.  Some states have begun prosecuting teenagers who sext under state child pornography laws.  Last year, three Connecticut high school students were arrested and charged for participating in a sexting ring that sold sexually explicit images and videos of other students. Unfortunately, some teenagers have committed suicide because of the effect of sexting. In 2010, a thirteen-year old Florida teen committed suicide after a photo she had sent to her boyfriend was later disseminated to students at six different schools in the area by another female student. In 2012, a fifteen-year old California teen committed suicide after she was sexually assaulted by three teenage boys who took photos of the incident then texted, emailed, and posted those photos on social media.

California public schools already provide sex education programs to students, and adding curriculum about the risks of sexting, including the social, academic, and legal consequences related to the behavior, is arguably a logical addition to current sex education programs.

“Sexting needs to be part of a comprehensive sex education program, but egregious acts should also be coupled with appropriate forms of discipline for causing irreparable harm to another student,” concluded Assemblymember Chau.

California state Assembly recognizes may 2016 as Asian Pacific islander American heritage Month

On May 9, Members of the California State Assembly and the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus joined Assemblymember Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) in co-authoring Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 125, which declares May 2016 as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

“APIAs have made significant contributions to the history of California and United States,” said Assemblymember Chau.  “APIA Heritage Month serves as a time to honor this history and to recognize how APIAs continue to contribute to all aspects of our society.”

The California API Legislative Caucus celebrated the accomplishments of outstanding Asian Pacific Islanders in their respected professions. The 2016 honorees include the following:

• Fresh Off the Boat, the first network sitcom to feature an Asian American cast in over 20 years, was honored for excellence in Arts and Entertainment. Accepting the recognition were Hudson Yang, Cast Member, and Melvin Mar, Executive Producer.

• David Tsai, Partner in Vinson & Elkins LLP’s San Francisco office and co-head of the firm’s Taiwan practice, was honored for excellence in Civil Rights.  David is committed to pro bono work, has successfully represented a number of API clients in immigration, and is responsible for the founding of numerous scholarships for API students.

• Cathlyn Choi, TV personality, celebrity chef and cookbook author, was honored for excellence in Culinary Arts.  She is the host and producer of a popular PBS cooking show “Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen,” the first and only Korean cooking show produced in English by a Korean chef in the U.S.  She is also the creator of Asian Voices, the first regional TV show produced in English featuring Asian and Pacific Islanders in Southern California.

• Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, full professor in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University (SFSU), was honored for excellence in Education.  She has published books and articles that focus on the development of ethnic studies curriculum, and helped pass a resolution to have ethnic studies in all schools in San Francisco.

• Vince Chhabria, federal district judge in the San Francisco Division of the Northern District of California, was honored for excellence in Law. Vince was nominated by President Barack Obama on July 25, 2013, and confirmed by the Senate on March 5, 2014.

• Dr. Paul Truong, cardiologist, was honored for excellence in Health.  Dr. Truong’s family resettled in the United States after the Vietnam War in 1975, and he is actively involved with the Vietnamese-American communities in California and Texas.

• Bill Wong, political strategist, was honored for excellence in Public Service. Bill currently leads efforts to increase the civic engagement and political empowerment of the API community and dedicates hundreds of hours every year to the recruitment, mentorship, and advancement of API legislative staff.

• Shuji Nakamura (B.E., M.S., and Ph.D.), electrical engineer, was honored for excellence in Science.  He developed the first group-III nitride-based high-brightness blue and green LEDs, and is the 2014 Nobel Laureate in Physics for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes, which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources.

• Johnnie Giles, Executive Director of External Affairs for Comcast Corporation and Vice President of Government Affairs for Comcast Cable, was honored for excellence in Business. A seasoned cable veteran with more than 20 years of industry experience, Giles was recognized in 2010 by CableFax Magazine as one of the “Most Influential Minorities in Cable.”

• Thuy Vu, host of KQED Newsroom, was honored for excellence in Journalism. Thuy is a five-time Emmy award winning journalist, anchor and program host who’s covered everything from presidential debates to culinary creations.

ACR 125 passed with 67 co-authors.

Assemblymember Ed Chau represents the 49th Assembly District, comprised of the communities of Alhambra, Arcadia, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Temple City and portions of Montebello, and South El Monte.