Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

  • July 2015 Event Roundup: Regional Outreach with the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

    Posted by Mary Lam on August 7, 2015 at 9:00 AM EDT

    The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) continued its outreach to communities across the country last month. One of the most important elements of the Initiative’s outreach is the Regional Network’s schedule of community events. Through these events, the Initiative is able to reach hundreds of AAPIs in their local communities in order to discuss federal programs and other opportunities. The Initiative facilitated a grant writing training program, conducted a mental health Twitterstorm, and held several notable community roundtables nationwide.  Here are a few highlights from last month.

    Grant Writing Workshop in Los Angeles: Helping Turn Great Ideas into Reality

    On July 15, the Initiative’s Southwest Regional Network hosted a grant writing training in Los Angeles, California. Nearly 100 community leaders representing over 70 organizations from Southern California attended this training on the campus of California State University Los Angeles. AAPIs are by far the fastest growing population in the United States and Southern California has the largest number of AAPIs in the country according the 2010 Census. The training brought together community leaders who provide services to the AAPI communities in the areas of health access, job training, business development, housing, arts and entertainment, and others. In addition, leaders from faith-based institutions, academia, and local governments also attended this training.

    Community leaders participate in grant-writing training on July 15, 2015

    Community leaders participate in grant-writing training on July 15, 2015. (Photo by Paul Chang)

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  • Young AAPI Leaders Convene for the Fifth White House AAPI Youth Forum

    Posted by Bessie Chan on July 16, 2015 at 4:20 PM EDT

    On July 9, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), the White House Office of Public Engagement (OPE), and the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) hosted the fifth White House AAPI Youth Forum and launched the second year of the Initiative’s E3! Ambassadors youth engagement program. Over 150 young AAPI leaders attended the event, along with leaders in the Administration and community organizations throughout the country.

    Participants at the Fifth White House AAPI Youth Forum

    Participants at the Fifth White House AAPI Youth Forum on July 9, 2015. (Photo by WHIAAPI staff)

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  • A Hard-Fought Battle: Reuniting Filipino-American Veterans with Family Members

    Posted by Jason Tengco on July 16, 2015 at 3:20 PM EDT

    Jason Tengco and his grandfather

    Jason being held by his grandfather, surrounded by family members in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, 1989.

    I was only four years old when my Lolo (meaning grandfather in Tagalog) passed away, but I grew up on stories about his brave service in the Philippines during World War II and still draw inspiration from his sacrifice.  The stories describe his acts of heroism: fighting valiantly, even being jailed and eventually rescued, and returning to protect his fellow countrymen.  He and more than 260,000 Filipino soldiers fought under the American flag during World War II, and many made the ultimate sacrifice as soldiers in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Far East and as guerilla fighters.

    Since taking office, President Obama has recognized the extraordinary contributions made by our veterans, including these heroic Filipino veterans.  In his first year in office, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law, which included a provision creating the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund.  To date, over 18,000 claims have been approved through this fund where eligible Filipino veterans who are U.S. citizens received a one-time payment of $15,000, and non-U.S. citizens received $9,000.

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  • Bringing Our Immigration System into the Digital Age

    Posted by Cecilia Muñoz, Mikey Dickerson on July 15, 2015 at 3:00 PM EDT

    In November, President Obama announced a series of Executive Actions to fix the broken immigration system. As a part of these efforts, he charged the key federal agencies responsible for administering our legal immigration system to explore ways to modernize and streamline the system. The goal was to develop recommendations to bring the system into the 21st century to grow our economy, help businesses and workers, and protect families.

    Today, we are taking the next step in this effort, releasing a report on Modernizing and Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21st Century. This report includes a wide range of new actions that federal agencies will undertake to improve the visa experience for families, workers, employers, and people in need of humanitarian relief.

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  • Join Us on July 22 for a Twitter Storm Spotlighting AAPI Mental Health

    Posted by Diane Narasaki on July 13, 2015 at 6:18 PM EDT

    National Minority Mental Health Month

    July is National Minority Mental Health Month. Please join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), and community leaders from across the country on Wednesday, July 22, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET for a Twitter storm spotlighting AAPI mental health. We will also focus on AAPI mental health throughout the week.

    AAPIs experience mental health issues such as depression, serious thoughts of suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder and co-occurring mental illness and substance use conditions, but they are less likely to use mental health services than any other racial/ethnic group. This may be due to negative attitudes about seeking treatment, language and cultural barriers, lack of outreach by service providers, and lack of awareness of the services and resources available.

    On July 22, join us on Twitter by sharing a photo, video, story, or resource with the hashtags #AAPIMentalHealth and #MMHM2015. Together we can bring attention to AAPI mental health, ease the shame and stigma that many people experience, and let our friends and families know there is support.

    Diane Narasaki is a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

  • June 2015 Roundup: Engaging with the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

    Posted by Mary Lam on July 9, 2015 at 4:51 PM EDT

    The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) was busy throughout the month of June engaging with AAPI community leaders. The Initiative’s mission is to increase access to and participation in federal programs, and we regularly leverage our Regional Network to conduct outreach throughout the country. In June, we facilitated grant writing and technical assistance training programs, expanded professional networks, and increased leadership development opportunities. Here are a few highlights from last month.

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