Elected API leaders across the US gather for the first time in SF

About the event: Happening on the heels of the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in San Francisco, the National API Elected Officials Summit was held at The Westin St. Francis in Union Square on Saturday and Sunday. The event marked the first time AANHPI leaders across the country assembled in a single location.

Who’s invited: About 1,200 people were invited to the event. They included 300 AANHPI elected officials, 200 government and business leaders from 21 APEC member countries, as well as community leaders and special guests.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed was present at the event. In her speech, she lauded the city as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.

“One of the things I always appreciated about San Francisco is we have been the gateway to the Asian Pacific. This city has been really important in building those bridges in the United States – mostly because of our API community,” Breed said.

Why it matters: The National API Elected Officials Summit was organized to provide a space for AANHPI officials, business and community leaders to exchange ideas, experiences and build relationships, according to organizer API Coalition.