Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

  • AAPI Vets: A Rich History of Service

    Posted by Tammy Duckworth on May 30, 2011 at 11:17 AM EDT

    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.

    One hundred and fifty years ago, it was Asian laborers who literally moved mountains with their bare hands and bent backs, uniting the nation from East to West by laying the rail line of the first transcontinental railroads.  During the Civil War, Chinese Americans fought in white units mostly in the North, while some united under the Confederate banner.  Edward Day Cohota, a Chinese immigrant, served in the Union Army during the Civil War and remained in the United States Army for more than twenty years.  Unlike other soldiers who were granted US citizenship under the 1862 Alien Veteran Citizenship act upon their honorable discharge, he was never granted citizenship because of the later 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act which made it illegal for Chinese to become U.S. citizens.  And of course we are all familiar with the heroism of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th battalion of Japanese Americans during World War II.  Even while their families were herded into internment camps and stripped of their constitutional rights and liberties, these brave Americans fought with a ferocity seldom seen before or since. 

    What hasn’t changed throughout American history has been the undivided love that AAPIs have for our nation.  The story repeats itself throughout American history of AAPIs serving honorably.  Today, our Pacific Islander Veterans, along with Native American Veterans, serve in the U.S. military at the highest per capita rates of any population in the nation.  There are currently only two Asian Americans in the United States Senate, Senators Inouye and Akaka, and both are Veterans.  There is no question of our AAPI service members’ ability to excel in the military, something clearly demonstrated by the military service of people like Secretary Shinseki, Brigadier General Coral Wong Pietsch (1st female AAPI Army general officer) and the 32 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from the first, José B. Nísperos, to the 22 who were recognized decades after their service on the battlefield such as Senator Daniel Inouye and onto the most recently named Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho'ohanohano. 

    Today, as other nations develop and become more globally competitive, the United States must draw on the skills of all our citizens in order to win the technological, innovation and production race for the future. So as we celebrate the contributions of AAPIs to our nation’s rich heritage, we should also look forward to where AAPI’s varied contributions will add to the toolkit our nation will use to win the future.

    Tammy Duckworth is the Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

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  • Creating Quality Education for English Learners

    Posted by Rosalinda Barrera on May 27, 2011 at 3:30 PM EDT

    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.

    Limited English Proficient students, also referred to as English Learners (ELs), perform at levels far below those of their English-proficient peers and are more likely to drop out.  In fact, the high school drop-out rate among Southeast Asian Americans is a staggering 40% for Hmong American students, 38% for Laotian American students, and 35% for Cambodian American students.  These numbers are simply not acceptable, which is why I view the work we do in the  Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) as being so critically important to achieving President Obama’s goal for the United States to have the best-educated workforce and the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.   

    English Learners are the fastest-growing student population in the United States, and we must do a better job of educating them in order to achieve the President’s goal.  Making this a priority, I partnered with other offices in the Department of Education to lead a series of national stakeholder meetings in six cities across the country over the past four months to define quality education for English learners in the 21st century.

    Attended by more than 600 diverse EL stakeholders including educators, researchers, and policymakers, these conversations were aimed at identifying major concerns, sharing promising practices, and defining new directions for reform and transformation in English Learner Education.  These gatherings underscored the fact that we have our work cut out for us when it comes to addressing the needs of English Learners.  And no one knows this better than President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as they strive to push for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA):  

    • The Administration is maintaining $750 million in its FY 2012 budget request for States to provide high quality English Learner Education, train teachers of ELs, and fund evaluation activities and a clearinghouse for the dissemination of research-based information and data on effective programs for ELs.
    • The President’s ESEA proposal would strengthen English Learner Education by ensuring States’ implementation of a system to evaluate the effectiveness of programs for ELs.  It would also provide new competitive grants to support innovative practices, including dual-language programs that promote literacy in both English and the student’s native language.
    • The Race to the Top Assessment program provided $350 million to two consortia of States to develop high-quality assessments aligned with common, college- and career-ready standards in reading or language arts and mathematics.  The designers of these assessments will be required to ensure, from the very beginning, that they are reliable and valid for ELs. 

    While creating quality education for English Learners is a major challenge, I prefer to look at it as an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of this growing population of learners from diverse backgrounds and native languages.  I urge that we all work together to ensure these students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge they will need to achieve success in college and their careers.

     Rosalinda B. Barrera is the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition at the U.S. Department of Education. 

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  • Telling the American Story

    Posted by Konrad Ng on May 26, 2011 at 9:01 AM EDT

    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.

    Nearly 15 years ago, the Smithsonian Institution created the APA Program from a recommendation by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American National Advisory Group.  The Advisory Group was composed of leading members of our AAPI communities and chaired by the Honorable Norman Mineta, an American known for his decades of public service and congressional action to create an AAPI heritage month.  The goal of the Smithsonian APA Program was to help us recognize and preserve the rich diversity that composes the American story.  Today, we continue to build bridges of mutual respect and understanding of the diversity of the American experience and world cultures.

    The founding of the Smithsonian APA Program and Mr. Mineta’s own journey symbolizes the importance of AAPI Heritage Month in celebrating our national culture.  Mr. Mineta’s story opens with the blemish of Executive Order 9066, which relocated Japanese Americans to internment camps, but then blossoms with his decades of service as a Mayor, Congressman, Smithsonian Regent and finally, Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Transportation in both Democratic and Republican administrations.  Last year, the Smithsonian APA Program commissioned and presented a portrait of Mr. Mineta to the National Portrait Gallery because his story tells our nation’s story through history, art and culture.

    Mr. Mineta is one of America’s many exceptional stories; the list is long.  But for every story like Mr. Mineta or ones like my congressional representatives from Hawai‘i such as Senator Daniel Akaka or Senator Daniel Inouye or the beloved Congresswoman Patsy Mink, there are many more young children across this country wondering how they can rise from adversity and improve the lives of others through service.  For these future leaders, AAPI Heritage Month and the Smithsonian APA Program can offer parables to live by, points of empathy and roles to play in the next great chapter of the American story.

    Happy AAPI Heritage Month.

    Konrad Ng is Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program and an assistant professor in the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

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  • Celebrating LGBT Pride & AAPI Heritage Month

    Posted by Hector Vargas on May 25, 2011 at 9:07 AM EDT

    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.

    I heard stories about the heartbreak of being rejected by families who felt that being LGBT was against culture or religion, about teachers and counselors not being prepared to work with LGBT students of color, and about constant bullying and harassment from other students who often combined racial and homophobic slurs and taunts to further isolate and marginalize their fellow students.

    And I heard stories of reconciliation with families, of organizing to strengthen gay-straight alliances, of leading campaigns for safe school policies and laws, and of learning self-worth and respect through programs designed to specifically serve LGBT AANHPI youth. The stories were about courage, resilience and empowerment.

    These were the experiences of 19 LGBT AANHPI youth who gathered for a White House AANHPI LGBT Pride and Heritage Event. The youth came from all across the nation, including from Minnesota, Indiana and Missouri, representing the diversity within the AANHPI and LGBT communities.

    The common denominator among them all is leadership. Each and every youth who attended is a leader in their own right, pushing to ensure that the issues and concerns of LGBT AANHPI communities are being addressed in their schools, communities and at all levels of government. I am inspired by each of them and their experiences and leadership.

    Hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the event brought together LGBT AANHPI youth with representatives from the Departments of Education, Justice and Health and Human Services so that they could incorporate the specific needs of this community into federal anti-bullying, comprehensive sex education, and HIV preventions programs. A handful of advocates working with LGBT AANHPI youth also shared specific recommendations in these areas.

    The stories that were told underscore the experiences of LGBT AANHPI people who live at the intersections of race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, class, immigration status, age and so many other characteristics. That’s why I feel honored that as an openly gay Filipino-American serving on the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs that I have been given a unique opportunity to bring all of who I am to the Commission’s work to serve AANHPI communities.

    As we continue to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and as we prepare for LGBT Pride celebrations that often occur in June, the notion of “Pride & Heritage” has special meaning. It presents the opportunity for me, and the entire LGBT AANHPI community and allies, to celebrate and recognize all aspects of who we are. This is a part of the American experience that isn’t often heard but in a rare and unique moment was given voice to at the highest levels of our government.

    Hector Vargas serves on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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  • Increasing Access to Higher Education for AAPI Students

    Posted by Frank Chong on May 24, 2011 at 8:58 AM EDT

    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.

    This stereotype disregards the culturally and socio-economically diverse populations who comprise the AAPI community.  Broad and inaccurate generalizations can lead to limited or inadequate support to subgroups of this community who are struggling at all levels of our education system.  For example, approximately 38 percent of Cambodian, Hmong and Laotian Americans age 25 and older have less than a high school education compared with just 15 percent of the overall population.  Only 15 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders 25 years of age and older have at least a bachelor’s degree compared to 28 percent for the total population.

    The underlying issue here is how data is collected.  The aggregation of data masks wide disparities that exist within this community and misinforms policy.  This year, the U.S. Department of Education will start complying with OMB Directive 15, which reports Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders separately from Asian Americans.  While this will not completely resolve the problem, it is a step in the right direction.

    Here is another interesting statistic – the largest segment of AAPI undergraduate enrollment (47.3 percent) is at community colleges.  Struggling with the cost of higher education, AAPIs are enrolling in community colleges then transferring to four-year institutions.  Others enroll in adult education classes and career technical education classes to prepare for occupations such as welding and allied health careers.

    Recently I helped organize four Regional Community College Summits in Philadelphia, Houston, Indianapolis and San Diego.  The Summits were comprised of trustees, presidents, administrators, faculty, students, foundations and employers.

    Some takeaways were that employers are turning to community colleges for college-ready and career-ready students.   Our higher education institutions need resources to better equip all Americans, including AAPI students, with the right skills to pursue high-paying and fulfilling careers. Students who attended the summits spoke about the high costs of textbooks, the lack of information about scholarships and financial aid, and the lack of career guidance on their campuses.

    AAPI students face similar challenges coupled with English not being their native language. Many of them are first generation college students and have trouble navigating their way around college campuses.  Increasingly, they choose community colleges because they are more affordable, closer to home, allow for easier school and work schedule, and provide stronger support systems of students and faculty.

    With 8 million students enrolling each year, community colleges are pivotal to developing America’s workforce and reaching our educational goals.  AAPI students at community colleges and other institutions are ready and willing to receive the best education possible and be contributing citizens.  As educators and policy makers, it is vital that we understand and accommodate their needs to ensure we are investing wisely so they can go on to be successful in their fields, and in their contributions to the American workforce and economy.  As we observe AAPI Heritage Month, let us celebrate the successes of the AAPI community but also remember the needs that still exist.  We must unleash the full potential of all students in order to win the future.  

    Frank Chong is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges in the Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE).

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  • Transportation is the Heart of AAPI Communities

    Posted by David Kim on May 23, 2011 at 9:43 AM EDT

    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.

    But if you think further, transportation plays a huge role in revitalizing, reshaping, and defining communities – especially when it comes to public transportation.  Transportation is all about improving mobility, connecting people and places to each other, and making communities accessible.  The way in which transportation systems are created, supported, and operated frequently helps businesses succeed and neighborhoods thrive. 

    And that’s why transportation is critically important to the AAPI community. 

    As part of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the Department of Transportation is launching several important strategies to ensure that the community’s voice can be heard in a meaningful way when it comes to transportation policies, programs and decisions.

    We’ll do this through regular, sustained engagement with AAPI community activists and organizations.  For example, the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), David Strickland, convened a roundtable meeting with the Chinatown Community Development Center in San Francisco to discuss traffic and pedestrian safety issues.  It was a great opportunity for AAPI residents to share their experiences in navigating the challenging pedestrian environment in Chinatown and also discuss possible solutions with Administrator Strickland. 

    Additionally, Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff recently met with Southeast Asian American small business owners in St. Paul, MN, to discuss the Central Corridor Light Rail Project.  Over the years, local businesses have voiced concern over anticipated disruption to restaurants, shops, and other establishments during the construction phase.  Administrator Rogoff made clear that DOT and FTA want to keep the dialogue going with the AAPI business community so that the transit project – Minnesota’s largest public works project in the state’s history – ultimately serves the community in a positive way and the inconvenience is minimized as much as possible.  In the end, we’re eager to see businesses thrive once the project is complete. 

    Both of these roundtables were productive and meaningful.  And they represent the kind of community engagement we’ll undertake – to create opportunities for AAPI input and involvement in DOT programs, projects and issues.

    Transportation is about quality of life, economic and community vitality, access and connectivity, and safety.  These are issues that speak directly to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  And DOT wants the AAPI community to be at the table when it comes to these important issues.

    David S. Kim is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs at the Department of Transportation

     

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