Jump to main content

This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.

Search form

Continuing Progress for the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

February 11, 2013 at 1:17 PM ET by Courtney Chappell
Summary: 
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) releases 2013 federal agency plans.

Today, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) released Fiscal Year 2013 federal agency plans and a report entitled “Continuing Progress for the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community, Federal Agency Accomplishments”.  The report showcases the accomplishments made by the federal government to address the needs and improve the quality of life of AAPIs across the country. 

The Initiative has partnered with 23 federal departments and agencies to develop and implement specific plans that will increase the participation of AAPIs in federal programs and services.  Some notable accomplishments include:

  • The Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration published a new health and safety guide for nail salon workers.  Given that approximately 40% of nail salon workers in this country are AAPI, the guide has also been translated into Vietnamese and Korean.   
  • The Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted outreach and provided education materials to Hmong communities about the nutritional benefits of USDA programs in California, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. 
  • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission expanded its ability to collect demographic information from individuals filing a charge of discrimination from five Asian national origin categories to twelve.  

The agency plans establish program goals that relate to several overarching themes: expanding data disaggregation systems to help us better understand the needs of the AAPI community; ensuring that individuals with limited English proficiency have access to federal programs and services; expanding workforce diversity programs; and utilizing existing federal grant programs to help support AAPI communities. 

The Initiative will collaborate with federal agencies to continue to provide for the 16 million AAPIs living in the U.S. 

Courtney Chappell is a senior advisor at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.