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Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

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Sustainable Growth Summit - July 8th

On July 8, 2011, the Initiative will host a Sustainable Growth Summit at North Seattle Community College in Seattle, Washington, to raise awareness in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community on federal opportunities for communities to drive sustainable growth.
June 23, 2011 at 5:54 PM ET by WHIAAPI

Commemorating World Refugee Day

Farooq Kathwari, Commissioner on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, shares his story in commemoration of World Refugee Day.
June 20, 2011 at 1:51 PM ET by Farooq Kathwari

Ending the Stigma of HIV/AIDS in the Asian Pacific Islander Community

Jury Calendario, Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team Director, was nominated and selected as a Champion of Change. Read his blogpost! Chapmions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.
June 10, 2011 at 12:09 PM ET by Jury Candelario

WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights June 3, 2011

Last month, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month provided ample opportunity to celebrate and honor the diversity of the AAPI community and the many great strides our Federal agency colleagues have made on behalf of the AAPI community. Read about our May events and accomplishments, a listing of blogs highlighting the administration’s work and the AAPI community, and other announcements and upcoming events from our Federal agency partners in the WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights.
June 3, 2011 at 4:01 PM ET by Miya Saika Chen

Reflecting on the Month of May

What an incredible month of celebration it has been. As Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month draws to a close, we are honored and humbled by the many great strides our Federal agency colleagues have made on behalf of the AAPI community, by our dynamic and tenacious staff and community partners, and by the principled and visionary leadership of our President.
May 31, 2011 at 12:49 PM ET by Kiran Ahuja

AAPI Vets: A Rich History of Service

It’s an understatement to say that the United States benefits from its diverse citizenry. The very nature of our country is one where Americans of different races and ethnicities come together to contribute to the rich blend of American culture. Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are one of the many populations to contribute to the patchwork quilt of America—even though many of these contributions are not widely known. Even as AAPIs have been part of American history, we are also an important part of America’s future as a global economic and innovation leader.
May 30, 2011 at 11:17 AM ET by Tammy Duckworth

Creating Quality Education for English Learners

As we celebrate the successes and great contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to our nation, let us not forget that there are still many unmet needs in the AAPI community, particularly when it comes to education. For example, nearly one out of four AAPI students is Limited English Proficient (LEP) and/or lives in a linguistically isolated household. This does not bode well for these students’ educational attainment and their prospects for future employment.
May 27, 2011 at 3:30 PM ET by Rosalinda Barrera

Telling the American Story

This month I returned to our nation’s museum to serve as Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American (APA) Program. That this month is also Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month only deepens my reverence for the generations of Americans of Asian, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian descent who have served this country. The Smithsonian Institution plays an important role in telling this story through our collections, research, exhibitions, education and public engagement.
May 26, 2011 at 9:01 AM ET by Konrad Ng

Celebrating LGBT Pride & AAPI Heritage Month

Earlier this week at an event hosted by the White House, I listened as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) youth told compelling stories about the challenges and triumphs of living at the intersections of race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity.
May 25, 2011 at 9:07 AM ET by Hector Vargas

Increasing Access to Higher Education for AAPI Students

Higher education policy needs to be better informed about the experiences of all American students if we are going to meet President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. I am a former community college president at Mission College in Santa Clara, CA, and at Laney College in Oakland, CA. I also served as Dean of Student Affairs at City College of San Francisco. Throughout my career, one of the prevalent misconceptions I have encountered is the “Model Minority Myth,” which stereotypes all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) as a successful group of students.
May 24, 2011 at 8:58 AM ET by Frank Chong

Transportation is the Heart of AAPI Communities

When it comes to big issues that are important to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, transportation doesn’t always spring to mind first. Other matters such as civil rights, immigration, education, health care and small businesses have historically been at the forefront of concern.
May 23, 2011 at 9:43 AM ET by David Kim

WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights May 20, 2011

It’s nearing the final week of May, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. It’s been a whirlwind of activity for WHIAAPI! Read about our events commemorating the month of May, as well as a listing of blogs highlighting the administration’s work and the AAPI community in the WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights.
May 20, 2011 at 4:19 PM ET by Miya Saika Chen

Confession of Error: The Solicitor General's Mistakes During the Japanese-American Internment Cases

It has been my privilege to have served as Acting Solicitor General for the past year and to have served as Principal Deputy Solicitor General before that. The Solicitor General is responsible for overseeing appellate litigation on behalf of the United States, and with representing the United States in the Supreme Court. There are several terrific accounts of the roles that Solicitors General have played throughout history in advancing civil rights. But it is also important to remember the mistakes. One episode of particular relevance to AAPI Heritage Month is the Solicitor General’s defense of the forced relocation and internment of Japanese-American during World War II.
May 20, 2011 at 9:53 AM ET by Neal Katyal

Toward Green Nail Salons

I get my nails done in the name of beauty. I sit in a chair across from an immigrant Asian American woman, and we chat about work, family, and friends. Sometimes, I think about the dust mask she wears because it reminds me of my mother’s overprotective nature. “Audrey,” my mother always says to me, “wear a mask when you clean the house. Bad chemicals.” But I never wear a mask because I reason that it isn’t worth my time to go get a mask and put it on for some quick housecleaning. Then again, I’m not a nail salon worker.
May 19, 2011 at 9:34 AM ET by Audrey Buehring

Fighting the New Global Slave Trade

As a human rights lawyer and a Korean-American, I am honored to take part in this month-long celebration of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States and to help advance the cause of human rights both within our country and across the globe.
May 18, 2011 at 9:14 AM ET by Harold Koh

DHS’s Commitment to and Engagement with the AAPI Community

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, I want to share with you some of the exciting work that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been doing with the AAPI community.
May 17, 2011 at 10:17 AM ET by Ivan Fong

Launched Into a Life of Diversity

In January, I had the privilege of being assigned from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to work as the special assistant to the director of the newly created Office of Diversity & Inclusion. So how does someone who started off 26 years ago as a software engineer at Kennedy Space Center end up as a diversity and inclusion specialist?
May 16, 2011 at 9:09 AM ET by Sharon Wong

Helping AAPI Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners Create Jobs and Win the Future

My parents emigrated from China, to Mexico, to the U.S. They started a restaurant in Arizona where I worked when I was growing up. So, I come from a small-business family, and I consider it to be a great privilege and responsibility to serve as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Small Business Administration.
May 13, 2011 at 10:10 AM ET by Ana Ma

Let’s Put an End to Housing Discrimination

May, as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, immediately follows April which is Fair Housing Month. In tandem, these months highlight the real work ahead of us at HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), and across governmental agencies to ensure that the promise of civil rights for all Americans is fulfilled equally among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).
May 12, 2011 at 10:58 AM ET by John Trasviña

Working Together to Reduce Drug Use in America

The Bible on which I took the oath of office for Deputy Director of Demand Reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) was my grandfather’s. He was a faithful man to his family, his community, and his new country. Yet after December 7, 1941, my grandfather, who was born in Japan, was branded unworthy of the most basic trust and imprisoned because of where he was from, how he looked, and the accent with which he spoke. Federal agents took him to an undisclosed prison in North Dakota. Now, two generations later, it is the same executive branch in which his grandson now serves our Nation.
May 11, 2011 at 11:21 AM ET by David Mineta

To Papa

I dedicate this post to my father, Haruo Hayashi (“Papa”), who in many ways symbolized the contributions, achievements, and sacrifices made by many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
May 10, 2011 at 11:44 AM ET by Seiji Hayashi

Achieving Health Equity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we recently issued our plan for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health (AANHPI) Health. Our plan outlines the Department’s top priorities and strategies for improved health by focusing on critical improvements in the areas of data collection, workforce development, treatment and prevention.
May 9, 2011 at 12:30 PM ET by Howard Koh

Making Government Work Better to Unleash the Ingenuity of the American People

As General Counsel & Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) within the Executive Office of the President, I have the privilege of being part of the team charged with implementing a sound fiscal policy for our nation. In addition to these budgetary responsibilities, I play a central role in OMB’s efforts make government work better for people by making it more effective, accountable, efficient, and transparent for the public.
May 6, 2011 at 11:08 AM ET by Preeta Bansal

Across Asia, Reaching out a Hand in Support of Development

In 1954, South Korea was still reeling from the devastation of the Korean War. Its economy was poorer than 2/3 of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa and its people had an average life expectancy of 54 years. In that same year, the International Cooperation Association—USAID’s precursor—developed a partnership between the University of Minnesota and the National University in Seoul.
May 5, 2011 at 9:20 AM ET by Raj Shah

Watch Live: White House AAPI Leaders Briefing Beginning at 1:50 PM EDT

WHIAAPI will host a briefing for over 500 AAPI community leaders from across the country. Tune into the livestream to hear from Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Initiative Executive Director Kiran Ahuja and many others.
May 4, 2011 at 12:17 PM ET by Miya Saika Chen

Engaging Communities and Supporting Families

It seems my career and life have been made to bring me to this moment, and each day I am amazed and honored to serve as Assistant to the President, Chief of Staff to the First Lady, and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls. Serving this Administration gives me a sense of pride and wonder at the great country we live in, and it is an honor to witness the dedication of the men and women who serve in our Government. Simply put, walking through the iron gates of the White House every day takes my breath away.
May 4, 2011 at 9:18 AM ET by Tina Tchen

Contributions of AAPIs in the Federal Government

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the many contributions Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have made to our great nation. As the head of the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs, I have the privilege of working with many dedicated AAPIs across the federal government.
May 3, 2011 at 6:00 AM ET by Chris Lu

WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights: AAPI Heritage Month Edition

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! There are a host of events commemorating the month of May, including a White House AAPI Leaders Briefing in Washington, D.C. with key Obama Administration officials on the economy, immigration, healthcare and education. Read about this important event and many other events happening across the country and important announcements from our federal agency partners in the WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights.
May 2, 2011 at 6:08 PM ET by Miya Saika Chen

Kicking Off Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

As co-chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, I’m honored to bat lead-off in what promises to be an interesting and informative month of blog posts on this site.
May 2, 2011 at 9:52 AM ET by Gary Locke

The Affordable Care Act and AAPI Minnesotans

As a Hmong American woman who is well versed on health issues of Hmong in the United States, I was stunned by the staggering statistics I recently learned about diseases that affect Southeast Asian American women. After spending the past several days in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, attending the 15th Hmong National Conference and participating in round table discussions with community members, I am convinced that the work of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAPPI) is more important than ever.
April 29, 2011 at 11:16 AM ET by Doua Thor