Amid Multiple Crises, Leaders Urgently Call on Biden Administration to Reestablish and Elevate the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2021
Viet Tran | viet@dawndesignstudios.com

WASHINGTON — Today, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Progressive Action — an organization that works to empower AAPI communities by connecting community leaders and promoting awareness and action for progressive AAPI causes — announced its release of a memorandum urging for the reestablishment and revamp of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI). The memorandum received input from former Executive Directors and Co-Chairs of WHIAAPI from previous Democratic administrations.

The memorandum outlines several key recommendations:

  • Reestablishment of WHIAAPI by Executive Order by May 31, during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month;

  • The previous Executive Order 13515 must be enhanced and expanded to further meet the needs and challenges facing the AAPI community today, including health and economic disparities, discrimination and poverty, unemployment and resurgent racism — all which have been exacerbated by COVID-19;

  • Placement of team or staff with centrally delegated authority inside the White House or Eisenhower Executive Office Building to ensure effective coordination with policymaking, communications and public facing White House offices;

  • Recommendation that WHIAAPI be co-chaired by the Director of Office of Management and Budget alongside a key agency Secretary; and

  • Recommendation that WHIAAPI have at least 20 Commissioners with the ability to add more as needed to have full and deep representation from the AAPI community.

“In the last year, we have seen how AAPIs contribute to this country, from working and dying on the frontline of the COVID pandemic as healthcare and other essential workers, to being the margin of victory in elections,” says Dr. Tung Nguyen, Chair of AAPI Progressive Action and former Chair of President Obama’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs. “Yet, AAPIs are facing a massive wave of racism, both from individuals and institutions. We need an empowered and diverse Commission to help the Biden administration to address the issues facing our communities.” Dr. Nguyen, along with other former Obama Commissioners, founded AAPI Progressive Action in 2017 in response to the Trump administration’s ongoing anti-AAPI and anti-immigrant policies. 

“AAPIs are the fastest growing population in the country. Their needs are deep, diverse, and deserving of attention across and at the highest levels of government,” says Doua Thor, former WHIAAPI Executive Director. “If the Biden White House reestablishes WHIAAPI with stronger infrastructure and access from previous administrations, this new WHIAAPI will be able to do more to better serve the community.”

"The pandemic has had a significant health and economic impact on Asian Americans and led to a disturbing increase in violence directed at our community," says Chris Lu, former Deputy Labor Secretary and White House Cabinet Secretary. Lu also served as WHIAAPI Co-Chair. "A reinvigorated WHIAAPI is needed to highlight and address these critical issues."

The White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders was originally established by President Clinton and housed under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reestablished by President George W. Bush and housed under U.S. Department of Commerce, and reestablished by President Obama and housed under the U.S. Department of Education. Under President Obama’s Executive Order 13515, the Initiative’s mission was to improve the quality of life and opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through increased access to, and participation in, federal programs. In addition, WHIAAPI worked to advance relevant evidence-based research, data collection, and analysis for AAPI populations and subpopulations.

President Obama’s WHIAAPI succeeded in elevating domestic policy issues, initiatives and programs that have an outsized impact on Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians. Past key initiatives and programs include:

  • Hosting the first-ever White House Summit on AAPIs convening nearly 2,000 federal officials, community leaders, and individuals;

  • Leading enrollment efforts for the Affordable Care Act, leading to the majority of AAPIs getting covered by health insurance;

  • Reaching over 30,000 people at more than 200 roundtables, stakeholder meetings, and summits in 25 states, the District of Columbia, and the Pacific Islands;

  • Convening more than 200 foundation, federal, and community leaders at a National Philanthropic Briefing, resulting in a $1 million commitment to promote public/private partnerships to benefit AAPIs; and

  • Coordinating an Interagency Working Group representing 20 federal agencies that developed and implemented agency plans to increase access to federal programs and services for the AAPI community.

Today the AAPI community continues to face issues endemic to the community, including economic and health disparities, discrimination and poverty, and high underemployment and unemployment. As the nation continues to navigate a public health crisis, COVID-19 has only exacerbated the disparities faced by the AAPI community. 

  • According to a 2021 National Women’s Law Center report, Asian American women constituted the largest group of unemployed individuals in the last six months of the pandemic.

  • Data has also shown that COVID-19 mortalities among the Pacific Islander population in some areas of the country were fourfold their proportion of the population.

Our country has also seen an alarming rise in white supremacy, specifically against Chinese-looking or Asian-looking individuals in due in large part to COVID-19 origins, the trade war against China and the accompanying rhetoric in the last four years, has led to a resurgence racism and acts of hate against Asian Americans in all sectors of life. 

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