August 17, 2022 IRC Executive Committee meeting

This item is to allow the Commission Chair to acknowledge that the Commission is on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula.

This item is to allow members of the public to address the Commission on matters that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission and that do not appear on today’s agenda.

(Discussion/Action)

a. Adoption of resolution making findings to allow teleconferenced meetings under California Government Code Section 54953(e)

Discussion and possible action to approve a resolution making findings to allow for continued remote meetings due to the COVID-19 emergency. Explanatory Document: Findings Resolution

(Discussion/Action)

a. Approval of July 20, 2022 Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Discussion and possible action to approve the minutes of the Immigrant Rights Commission’s Executive Committee meeting of July 20, 2022. Explanatory Document: IRC Executive Committee July 20, 2022 Minutes

(Discussion/Action)

a. Immigrant Parent Voting (Annette Wong, Chinese for Affirmative Action)

Presentation by Annette Wong, director of programs for Chinese for Affirmative Action, and discussion and possible action by the Executive Committee, on the San Francisco Superior Court decision revoking noncitizen voting in School Board elections, and what the Immigrant Rights Commission can do. San Francisco voters approved Proposition N in 2016, and the Commission supported its reauthorization in 2021. The ordinance was challenged in court, and the San Francisco Superior Court revoked the ordinance on July 29, 2022. The Commission participated in a press event on the day of the court hearing, and released statements in support of immigrant parent voting. Explanatory documents: Statement in Support of Immigrant Parent Voting Rights in San Francisco, Statement on San Francisco Superior Court Ruling Revoking Noncitizen Voting

 

b. Proposed Statement/Letter on Resources for Newcomer Students

Discussion and possible action on proposed statement/letter on resources for newcomer students. This is a continuation of an item proposed by Commissioner Souza in response to reports of attacks at Everett Middle School. The Executive Committee voted to move forward with drafting a statement or letter around the provisioning of additional resources for newcomer students promoting the general safety of students within SFUSD.

 

c. Planning for IRC Hearing on Immigrant Perspectives on Housing in San Francisco

Discussion and possible action to plan the Commission’s hearing on housing scheduled for September 12, 2022. This is a continuation of an item proposed by Commissioner Souza to hold a special hearing on the inclusion of immigrants in San Francisco’s plans for housing. Explanatory Document: IRC Hearing on Immigrant Perspectives on Housing in San Francisco

Staff Reports

(Information)

a. Director’s Updates

Report on OCEIA and IRC activities and announcements. This item allows the Director to provide brief updates on activities and announcements.  If the Commission would like a full report, we can place that matter on the agenda for a future meeting.

 

b. Reappointment Hearings

Report on vacant seats and four Board-appointed Commissioners whose seats are up for reappointment: Commissioners Ruiz, Gaime, Khojasteh, and Enssani.

 

c. IRC Annual Report

Update on the publication of the 2022 IRC Report, summarizing the Immigrant Rights Commission’s accomplishments throughout its history, the current challenges faced by San Francisco’s immigrant communities, the Commission’s activities over the past year, and its recommendations on how to improve the well-being of immigrants in San Francisco. The Executive Committee voted to adopt and publish the annual report. Explanatory Document: IRC 2022 Report

 

d. Letter to City College of San Francisco

Update on the letter sent to City College of San Francisco in support of ESL, Cantonese and other language courses that serve immigrant students. This is a continuation of an item proposed by Commissioner Wang to write a letter in support of City College’s Cantonese program. The Executive Committee voted to approve the letter, asked OCEIA to revise it to include broader language, and voted to approve and send the revised version.

(Information)

This item is to allow Commissioners to provide updates on items the Commission has previously discussed, and to introduce new agenda items for future consideration by the Commission.