Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

“We Are Beyond”: Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month at Our Opening Ceremony with Vice President Joe Biden

Posted by Tung Nguyen on May 9, 2014 at 10:17 AM EDT

Vice President Joe Biden addresses the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Opening Ceremony, at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., May 6, 2014. May 6, 2014. (Official White House Photo by David Lieneman)

This week, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the U.S. Department of the Interior hosted the 2014 Opening Ceremony for AAPI Heritage Month. The Opening Ceremony was the first in a series of events to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.

We were honored to be joined by Vice President Joe Biden, who spoke about the importance of the growing AAPI demographic, and the pressing need for immigration reform. As Congressman Mike Honda, Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and Congresswoman Judy Chu, Chair of CAPAC, remarked, the Vice President has been one of the biggest advocates for the AAPI community. We were also honored to be joined by Rhea Suh, the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Chris Lu, the Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department Labor, and a former chair of the Initiative. To watch the video click here.

For me, the most exciting part of the event was to be ceremonially sworn into the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs. The Commission, which is charged with improving the quality of life for AAPIs through increased participation and access to federal programs, advises the President on innovative ways to engage AAPIs across the country. During the event, U.S. Circuit Judge Sri Srinivasan ceremonially swore in 14 new and two returning Commissioners.

U.S. Circuit Judge Sri Srinivasan ceremonially swore in 14 new and two returning members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, May 6, 2014. (by Edmund Chiang)

To open the program, the Initiative’s Executive Director Kiran Ahuja and Deputy Director Audrey Buehring led an interactive monologue to highlight the Initiative’s work and included a social media “selfie” with Commissioners and audience members.

The official non-sponsored #APAHM2014 Opening Ceremony selfie! @MaulikPancholy @KathyKoChin @DaphneKwok522 @BillyDec pic.twitter.com/CO6nzPOOKl

— White House AAPI (@WhiteHouseAAPI) May 6, 2014

This year’s theme for AAPI Heritage Month was “I Am Beyond,” a phrase that captures the aspirations of the American spirit and the rich and complex diversity of the AAPI community. In light of the theme, DJ Yoon, the Executive Director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Maulik Pancholy, an acclaimed film, television, and stage actor, Helen Zia, an influential activist and journalist, Mary A.Y. Okada, the President of Guam Community College, and Konrad Ng, the Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, participated in a panel discussion about “I Am Beyond.” In addition, spoken word artists George Yamazawa Jr. and Maxie Moua, ukulele singer Kama Hopkins, dancer Mike Song, and beatboxer KRNFX performed their own interpretations of the theme.

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center Director Konrad Ng moderates a panel with actor Maulik Pancholy, activist and journalist Helen Zia, and National Korean American Service & Education Consortium Executive Director DJ Yoon, and President of Guam Community College Mary A.Y. Okaha to discuss the “I Am Beyond” theme, May 6, 2014. (by Gaolunha Vang)

Dancer Mike Song and beatboxer KRNFX perform during the AAPI Heritage Month Opening Ceremony, May 6, 2014. (by Gaolunha Vang)

AAPI Heritage Month serves as an opportunity to celebrate and re-dedicate ourselves to the ongoing work of improving the community. As a returning Commissioner, I am deeply grateful to the previous Commission, and the leadership of former Chair Daphne Kwok. To highlight this Commission’s tremendous work, a report on its accomplishments was released this week. In the last four years, we’ve hosted over 200 national gatherings, roundtables, opening dialogues, and workshops, reached more than 30,000 people, held 24 federal agencies accountable through annual Federal Agency Plans, and launched the Regional Interagency Working Group as a platform to connect regional federal representatives with local community leaders. Within the past four years, the AAPI population established itself as a civically engaged and politically important community. However, we know that there is much work to be done. As the new Chair of the Commission, we will continue to build upon our efforts by opening the doors of government to the AAPI community. Together, the community will push towards better health, immigration policy, education, and jobs. Together, we will be beyond.

Dr. Tung Nguyen is Chair of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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Tune in Tomorrow: AAPI Heritage Month Opening Ceremony

Posted by Gautam Raghavan on May 5, 2014 at 1:54 PM EDT

Tomorrow, May 6, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and the U.S. Department of the Interior will host an Opening Ceremony to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

The event will highlight the many contributions AAPIs have made to the arts, science, government, military, commerce, and education in the United States, and will feature performances, special guests and speakers, the ceremonial swearing-in of the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs, and remarks by Vice President Joe Biden. Click here for a schedule.

To watch the event, tune in to the live stream from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT at www.doi.gov/live.

Gautam Raghavan is an Advisor in the White House Office of Public Engagement.

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Olympic Medalist and Miss America Share Their "I Am Beyond" Stories

Posted by Kiran Ahuja on May 2, 2014 at 10:49 AM EDT

Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014, and Julie Chu, four-time Olympic Medalist of the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey Team, participated in a women’s armchair conversation at the White House, April 21, 2014. (by Darren Shim)

On April 21, 2014, the White House Office of Public Engagement, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), and White House Council on Women and Girls hosted an armchair conversation with Julie Chu, four-time Olympic Medalist of the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey Team, Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014, and Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama & Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls.

We were able to sit down with Nina and Julie before the event and listen to their "I Am Beyond" stories, the theme for this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The phrase captures the aspirations of the American spirit and how Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have always sought to excel beyond the stereotypes and everyday challenges facing immigrants, refugees, or even indigenous populations in America.

As an Indian American, Nina Davuluri has used the Miss America organization platform to show young girls and women that you should always be proud of who you are and where you come from. “When I started competing, I really wanted to change the idea or perception of who the girl next door was,” she said. “For me, the girl next door was evolving as the diversity of America evolved.” It was her goal to finally reach out to a new demographic of young women.

Julie Chu, who was the flag bearer for Team USA during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, explained to us that it was not always easy playing a sport that typically only boys played. “Being one of the only girls playing boys hockey growing up, I faced challenges and adversities from some of the boys I played against,” she said. “But what hockey taught me was resiliency. Not really allowing those things to stop me from chasing my dreams.”

As the first Asian American woman to play for the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey team, Julie wanted to build a lasting legacy for young women and “create opportunities for the next generation to be able to pursue whatever they are passionate about.”

Chu displays one of her Olympic medals and Davuluri holds her Miss America 2014 crown prior to a women’s armchair conversation at the White House, April 21, 2014. (by Darren Shim)

These incredible women are nothing short of amazing and have paved the way for the younger generation to find, explore, and pursue their own passions and interests. Their “I Am Beyond” stories are testaments to the power of hard work and dedication and how a dream can one day grow into something that can inspire and change those around you.

Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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Celebrating the Diverse AAPI Experience: 2014 AAPI Heritage Month

Posted by Kiran Ahuja on May 1, 2014 at 9:35 AM EDT

Students at the Ka Waihona o ka Na’auao Public Charter School perform the hula for U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan during his visit in Nanakuli, Hawaii, March 31, 2014. (by Eugene Tanner)

Last month, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and I had the pleasure of visiting Ka Waihona o ka Naauao Public Charter School, a Hawaiian-focused public charter school on the coast of Waianae. Clad in colorful lei, we discussed the importance of preserving the Hawaiian language and the role it plays in improving student outcomes with charter school educators and learned how to make poi (a staple food) with the students.

To us, the trip reaffirmed the deep diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population. The model minority myth, which conveys the sense that all AAPIs are highly successful, masks the diversity within the community and the real differences that exist in socioeconomic status, educational attainment, health, and other areas. Not only are we committed to promoting and releasing relevant data that informs our policy decisions such as the Civil Rights Data Collection and promoting data disaggregation at the local, state and federal level to fully understand the AAPI community, but we also need to continue our efforts to build capacity among AAPI institutions, ensure linguistic access to federal resources, and encourage involvement in public service and civic engagement opportunities.

Today marks the first day of this year’s AAPI Heritage Month. This month, hundreds of community and government leaders will join to celebrate and re-dedicate themselves to the ongoing work of improving the well-being of the AAPI community. Together, we will reflect on the theme of “I Am Beyond”— a theme that captures the depth, breadth, and dignity of the AAPI experience.

We invite you to the AAPI Heritage Month Opening Ceremony on Tuesday, May 6, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET, at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. The Opening Ceremony, which will kick off a month of events to celebrate the AAPI community, will include the Swearing-In Ceremony of the new President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs, performances from #IAMBEYOND artists, and a panel of leaders who have excelled in their respective fields.

You can RSVP to the Opening Ceremony here.

Please continue to share your AAPI experiences and inspire us through the #IAMBEYOND hashtag. We hope that you join us in reflecting on the rich and complex past and present of AAPI communities, and in striving towards a better future. Learn more about AAPI Heritage Month.

Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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Join the 2014 AAPI Heritage Month Opening Ceremony on May 6

Posted by Kiran Ahuja and Rhea Suh on April 23, 2014 at 12:46 PM EDT

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time for us to celebrate and honor the accomplishments that generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made throughout American history. We highlight their many contributions to the arts, sciences, government, military, commerce, and education in the United States.

This year, the AAPI Heritage Month theme is “I Am Beyond." The phrase captures the aspirations of the American spirit and how Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have always sought to excel beyond the challenges that have limited equal opportunity in America.

On behalf of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), we invite you to join us for our Opening Ceremony on Tuesday, May 6 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm ET, in DOI’s Yates Auditorium in Washington D.C., where we will kick off the month of May with live performances, special guests and speakers, and remarks from Administration officials. The Opening Ceremony is a free event and open to all.
- WHAT: AAPI Heritage Month Opening Ceremony
- DATE: Tuesday, May 6, 2014
- TIME: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
Registration for this event is closed. If you are interested in watching the event, tune in to the livestream at http://www.doi.gov/live

If you have questions, please contact WhiteHouseAAPI@ed.gov.

Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Rhea Suh is Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior.

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Anti-Bullying Efforts in the AAPI Community

Posted by Bertha Fertil on April 17, 2014 at 12:28 PM EDT

Did you know that in many cases it is against the law to bully or harass a person in the workplace or at school? And individuals have several avenues to address these issues? According to published reports, nearly 13 million students are bullied each school year and many do not seek a way to resolve these serious issues. A significant portion of these students who experience bullying are Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students.

On Tuesday, April 8, 2014, the New York Regional Interagency Working Group of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Initiative) in collaboration with the New York Public Library—Science, Industry and Business Library hosted a Google+ Hangout discussion on effective means of dealing with bullying as a young adult in the AAPI community.

The information presented in the Hangout provided tools that will empower the thousands of kids, teens, and young adults around the country who are bullied. Representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), U.S. Department of Education—Office for Civil Rights, and U.S. Department of Justice—Southern District presented information on individual rights and cases that highlighted these rights and the tools individuals have to deal with bullying. Speakers emphasized the importance of constructively confronting the person who is bullying you and speaking with those in charge at school or the workplace, such as a principal or EEOC (workplace), until a resolution to the bullying is obtained. An individual should not be fearful of continuing to seek assistance until this serious issue is resolved. It is very important that a person who is being bullied speak to the authorities.

Presenters also answered questions from the live audience and those on the Hangout. If you missed the live stream, you can watch the YouTube download.

The Regional Interagency Working Group and the Initiative will continue to work together to combat this serious issue facing AAPI youth.

Bertha Fertil is VISN Strategic Planner for the New York/New Jersey Health Care Network (VISN 3) at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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