Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

  • The Affordable Care Act and AAPI Minnesotans

    Posted by Doua Thor on April 29, 2011 at 11:16 AM EDT

    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.  For example,  a Minnesota Department of Health study found that between 1993 and 2003, disparities in gestational diabetes widened among Southeast Asian American women increasing by over 8 percent, the highest among all racial and ethnic groups in Minnesota (compared to 3.6 percent among non-Hispanic White 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.

    On Monday, I participated in a WHIAAPI listening session on health issues organized by the Minnesota Asian/American Health Coalition and held at the Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota. I was struck by the realization that almost every recommendation put forth by community advocates and leaders on how to improve health care in their communities can beaddressed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was passed and signed into law in March 2010. For example, community health advocates spoke about the shocking rates of diabetes and obesity among Southeast Asian Americans.  Prevention of diseases like these is an important component of the ACA. Under the ACA, elders enrolled in Medicare can now receive preventative services without any co-payment deductibles or “out-of-pocket” costs; and infants, young children, and adolescents can receive preventative care at no cost.

    Community advocates also discussed the tremendous need for community health centers to better serve the cultural and linguistic needs of the Asian American community.  The ACA provides an opportunity to address this issue by investing in community health centers and improving the services they can provide.  The ACA also requires collecting and reporting of data on race and ethnicity- another issue raised by community advocates.  Additional provisions in the ACA that help the Asian American and Pacific Islander community include the expansion of Medicaid to help more vulnerable families, and the closing of the Medicare donut hole so that seniors are able to afford their medication.

    At the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) where I serve as executive director, we recently launched a campaign to help Southeast Asian Americans better understand their rights and benefits under the new health care law and how to influence its implementation. We realize that due to language barriers and the complexity of the health care system, vital information about the ACA may not be reaching all community members. As a commissioner, I appreciated the chance to hear directly from community members about their challenges, and I was especially excited to respond that there is hope and that there are programs addressing these concerns.

    My time in Minnesota this past week illustrates the incredible opportunity that WHIAPPI has to visit people on the ground, speak with communities, listen to their concerns, and share information with them. That is why we participated in the 15th Hmong National Conference this past weekend—which brought together over 800 multi-generational individuals from several states—to learn from participants and share information with them about the Affordable Care Act. It is only through listening and learning from individuals on the ground that we can better highlight the concerns and ideas of AAPI community members.

    Medicare.gov provides consumer information in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean - “The New Health Care Law and You” is available at: http://www.medicare.gov/multilanguage.aspx. Additionally, in-language materials from our partners are available at: http://www.apiahf.org/policy-and-advocacy/health-care-reform-resource-center/education-outreach-and-action/frequently-aske, http://www.healthhelp.ca.gov/, and http://www.opa.ca.gov/about/consumer_information/index.aspx.

    Doua Thor serves on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and is the executive director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), a national nonprofit organization advancing the interests of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans through leadership development, capacity building, and community empowerment.

    Learn more about

  • WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights

    Posted by Miya Saika Chen on April 15, 2011 at 6:52 PM EDT

    Welcome to this edition of the WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights. Read below for details on the coming week, including a Minnesota panel discussion on the Affordable Care Act and AAPI communities and a webinar on innovation and economic growth. See also an announcement regarding free translated publications and a health hazard alert on formaldehyde exposure.

    Events for the Week of April 18:

    On, April 18, WHAAPII Deputy Director Christina Lagdameo will speak at the Korean Churches for Community Development Conference and 10th Anniversary Dinner in Los Angeles, California.  This national conference brings together policy makers, elected officials, corporations, Asian American pastors, media, community leaders and others devoted to community development. Visit www.kccd.org for more information.

    On April 19, President’s Advisory Commissioner Debra Cabrera will deliver remarks at the Second Regional Conference on Island Sustainability at the University of Guam themed “Guam 2050 - Developing our Sustainable Future: What is the Cost of Doing Nothing?”  The conference will focus on sustainability issues and indigenous solutions. Visit http://www.uog.edu/dynamicdata/IslandSustainabilityConference.aspx for more information.

    Join a webinar onApril 19 at 2:00pm ET, i6 Green: Bringing Technology to Market, designed to encourage and reward innovative approaches to accelerating technology commercialization, new venture formation, job creation, and economic growth. Register at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/279553330 and visit http://center.ncet2.org for upcoming webinar announcements. i6 Green is led by the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, in partnership with the Departments of Agriculture and Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, and the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and Patent and Trademark Office.

    On April 21, WHIAAPI will host a meeting between the project directors for 10 Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) and Department of Education Under Secretary Martha Kanter.  AANAPISI speakers will make recommendations to the Department of Education on how to increase the effectiveness of the AANAPISI program.  Following this meeting, these institutions will meet with various agency representatives to discuss partnership opportunities for minority serving institutions.

    On April 22, WHIAAPI will host a luncheon plenary session at the 15th Annual National Hmong Conference in Minneapolis, MN. The session will feature a Federal interagency panel discussion on implementation of the agency plans as they relate to the Hmong American community. Visit www.hndinc.org for more information.

    On April 23, WHIAAPI will co-host a plenary session entitled, “Healthcare and the AAPI Community” in conjunction with the 15th Annual National Hmong Conference in Minneapolis, MN. One in six Asian Americans, and one in four Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are either uninsured or underinsured.  The Affordable Care Act expands affordable coverage to as many as 2.5 million AAPIs who will become eligible for new insurance coverage options because of the law. 

    Other Important Announcements

    FREE Publications on Health and Government Benefits in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese: Now is your chance to share valuable information about health and government benefits with your community. These educational publications are available in Chinese, Tagalog, Korean and Vietnamese. The health package includes three booklets on cholesterol, high blood pressure and lung cancer. The government benefits package includes two booklets on Social Security. These publications are available FREE in bulk for you to share with people who want to receive information in these languages.

    To order these packages, go online to www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/asianoffer.htm and fill out the online order form. Supplies are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Order yours today and allow up to six weeks for delivery. This offer is provided by the U.S. General Services Administration’s Federal Citizen Information Center in partnership with WHIAAPI, the Social Security Administration and U.S. Food and Drug Administrations’ Office of Women’s Health.

    Hazard Alert: The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a hazard alert to hair salon owners and workers about potential formaldehyde exposure from working with some hair smoothing and straightening products.  The hazard alert, available on OSHA’s website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/hazard_alert.html, provides information about OSHA’s investigations, the health hazards of formaldehyde and how to protect people who are working with hair smoothing and straightening products.

    If you have friends or family that would like to join our efforts, please have them click here.

    Learn more about

  • WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights

    Posted by Miya Saika Chen on April 11, 2011 at 11:42 AM EDT

    Welcome to this edition of the WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights.  It has been an exciting few weeks for the WHIAAPI: More than 1,500 people joined Commissioners Sefa Aina and Hines Ward for the first Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth Health and Fitness Day on April 2 in Los Angeles, CA. Read below for more details on this event and New York AAPI community roundtables, and a Minnesota panel discussion on the Affordable Care Act, plus other federal agency announcements.

    On March 29, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights on extensive Department efforts to protect the rights of Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South-Asian Americans. AAG Perez also indicated the importance of these communities and that they “contribute to our economy, play a vital role in our civic institutions, serve in our armed forces, and work in and with law enforcement to keep our communities safe.” Read the full testimony here.

    On April 2, WHIAAPI staff and Commissioners Sefa Aina and Hines Ward were joined by Congressional APA Caucus Chair Judy Chu, Interior Assistant Secretary Tony Babauta, professional athletes Troy Palomalu, Marcus McNeill, trainer Jillian Andrews, and 1,500 youth and their families to increase awareness around the alarming rates of obesity in the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.  Read about the activities promoting healthy eating and physical activity during the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth Health and Fitness Day.

    On April 4, Vice President Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan introduced comprehensive guidance to help schools, colleges and universities better understand their obligations under federal civil rights laws to prevent and respond to the problem of campus sexual assault. The new guidance, announced at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire, makes clear the legal obligations under Title IX of any school, college or university receiving federal funds to respond promptly and effectively to sexual violence. The guidance also provides practical examples to aid educators in ensuring the safety of their students. Read the Department of Education’s full press release here or a White House blog post here.

    On April 7, WHIAAPI Director Kiran Ahuja and Commissioner Amardeep Singh joined the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) in New York City for a discussion with community leaders and federal officials about key recommendations on how to ensure federal resources are designed to meet the diverse needs of AAPI communities.  CACF members provided a report with recommendations to the WHIAAPI that addressed building capacity of Asian led community based organizations, increasing funding to support services to the Asian Pacific American community, and improving language access to services and programs.

    On April 8, Kiran Ahuja and Miya Saika Chen met with AAPI women advocates from New York and New Jersey to discuss agency recommendations on how to improve the lives of AAPI women and girls.  Similar meetings with other women’s advocates will be held in the future and an assessment will be submitted to the White House Council on Women and Girls.

    Upcoming Event

    On April 23 in Minneapolis, MN, the WHIAAPI, in conjunction with the 15th Annual Hmong National Conference, will hold a panel discussion on the Affordable Care Act.  One in six Asian Americans, and one in four Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are either uninsured or underinsured.  The Affordable Care Act expands affordable coverage to as many as 2.5 million AAPIs who will become eligible for new insurance coverage options because of the law.  Space is limited and on a first come first serve basis. Please RSVP with your name and e-mail address to WhiteHouseAAPI@ed.gov by April 14, 2011 to reserve a seat.

    Join our partner agencies and learn how their programs can benefit you!

    The Department of Energy’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (OED) works to ensure that everyone is afforded an opportunity to participate fully in the energy programs of the Department. OED helps the Department partner with minority-owned and serving entities to advocate for small businesses and diverse institutions as Department-wide assets. We also advocate for equal employment opportunities, civil rights concerns and non-discriminatory practices at the Department. Sign up to get free email updates about our work and learn how you can get involved.

    If you have friends or family that would like to join our efforts, please have them click here.

    Learn more about

  • Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health and Fitness: Winning the Future for Our Youth

    Posted by Sefa Aina and Hines Ward on April 4, 2011 at 9:39 AM EDT

    Over the weekend, more than 1500 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) youth and family members joined celebrity fitness trainer, Jillian Michaels, and professional athletes Troy Polamalu and Marcus McNeil at the University of California, Los Angeles, to answer the First Lady’s call.  Our goal: draw attention to the increasing rate of childhood obesity among NHPI youth and promote physical activity and healthy living.

    Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled.  Among NHPIs, the numbers are especially dismal: one out of five NHPI high school youth is obese, one of the highest percentages among all racial groups in the country.  Diabetes, heart disease and hypertension are plaguing the community.  The time to address this crisis is now. 

    This is about inspiring our communities to eat healthier and get active. 

    We may come from different backgrounds – one of us is an educator, the other, a  professional athlete -- but we both know how important exercise and eating a balanced diet is for our youth.  But staying healthy and fit isn’t something only professional athletes can achieve.  You don’t need to sacrifice delicious food or stick to a strict workout regimen.  Being healthy is about a lifestyle of responsible choices.  For thousands of years, NHPIs remained active through work and expression of their culture in the forms of sports, work and dancing.  They nourished their bodies with nutritious foods harvested from the land and ocean around them.

    Our lives have changed quite a bit, and many of us are not able to fully emulate the lives of prior generations – when many of the NHPI ancestors lived off the land as fisherman and farmers.  But in the modern world, we can still make responsible choices for our children and ourselves.  We can snack on an apple instead of a chocolate bar; walk or ride a bike and not drive; and turn the TV or computer off and get active.

    And the Administration, through the Let’s Move! Initiative is supporting these decisions and making it easier for all of us by promoting healthy eating and living, coordinating key federal programs, providing helpful information to families, and working with numerous partners across the country to address poor health outcomes in our community that are related to poor diet and lack of exercise.  We’re working together across the country to make these changes.

    We all have a part to play in achieving this goal.  Let’s challenge each other to lead healthier, more active lives, so that young people can reach their full potential.

    Sefa Aina is the vice chair of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and serves as Director of the Asian American Resource Center at Pomona College.

    Hines Ward is a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the Founder of the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation, and the MVP-winning wide receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    Learn more about

  • WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights

    Posted by Miya Saika Chen on March 24, 2011 at 5:03 PM EDT

    Welcome to this edition of the WHIAAPI Weekly Highlights.  It has been an exciting few weeks for the WHIAAPI: our Commission and Interagency Working Group on AAPIs met with President Obama about how all the federal agencies can help win the future for AAPI communities.  Next week WHIAAPI and Commissioners Sefa Aina and Hines Ward will host the first Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth Health and Fitness Day event on April 2 in Los Angeles, CA!  Read below for more details on more of these exciting events.

    On March 14, AAPI  leaders appointed by President Obama presented a report entitled Winning the Future: A Road Map for the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Community, to the White House with recommendations on how 23 federal agencies and offices can improve the everyday lives of AAPIs. The report addresses problems uniquely facing AAPIs, such as linguistic isolation, health problems that disproportionally affect AAPIs and bullying and other civil rights issues.  Details outlined in the report were submitted by each agency to address priorities established by the White House Initiative -- creating healthy communities and sustainable neighborhoods, expanding educational opportunities, increasing economic growth and improving civil rights.

    There is still an opportunity to comment on many of these agency plans.  This is your opportunity to influence and shape policy in a meaningful way, and we want you to check them out and tell us what you think!  Comments are due on March 31, 2011.

    Read a blog by Pat Shiu, DOL Director of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, about the recent Interagency Working Group meeting and the plan by DOL to bring their vision of “Good Jobs for Everyone” to the AAPI community. 

    Check out another blog by WHIAAPI Commissioner Kamuela Enos, who gives his perspective on the recent Interagency Working Group meeting and outlines a few winning strategies that agencies are using to help AAPIs achieve the American dream.

    Next week, on March 29, WHIAAPI Deputy Director Christina Lagdameo will provide keynote remarks at the University of Maryland, Annual Celebration of Women.  The celebration will grant four major awards to faculty, staff and students for their dedication, commitment and outstanding service related to women. 

    WHIAAPI Executive Director Kiran Ahuja and staff will participate in the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) 2011 South Asian Summit in Washington, DC, April 1-4.  Staff, along with other federal representatives, will participate in roundtables on immigration, civil rights and issues impacting AAPI women, engaging with over 150 participants from around the country.

    WHIAAPI staff and Commissioners Sefa Aina, Hines Ward and Kamuela Enos are leading efforts to increase awareness around the alarming rates of overweight and obesity in the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.  The WHIAAPI will hold a Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth Health and Fitness Day event on April 2 in Los Angeles, CA.  Program speakers and activities will promote healthy eating and physical activity. See the attached flyer and for details on the event.

    Register for Important Upcoming Events:

    WHIAAPI is proud to partner with the Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics to present a series of National Conversations on English Learner Education.  You are cordially invited to attend one of the sessions happening on April 11-12 in New York, NY and Charlotte, NC.  We encourage you to invite your colleagues as well.  If you have any questions, please contact Ryan Edgar at ryan.edgar@ed.gov.

    The Small Business Administration is planning a national tour and you are encouraged to sign up and share this information with other entrepreneurs in the community.  Click here to find out how you can get involved in a city near you. 

    If you have friends or family that would like to join our efforts, please have them click here.

    Learn more about

  • Good Data + Good Policy = Good Jobs for Everyone

    Posted by Pat Shiu on March 23, 2011 at 10:21 AM EDT

    Earlier this week, I joined my colleagues from 22 other federal agencies for an historic meeting with the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Together, we discussed strategies for increasing participation by AAPIs in federal programs where they are underserved.  We were thrilled when President Obama made a surprise appearance at our meeting to receive our plans on how to meet the mandates he set for us.

    At the Department of Labor, we share the President’s vision of ensuring a 21st century workforce that looks like, sounds like and truly reflects the diversity of 21st century America.  I am proud to represent Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis because her vision of “Good Jobs for Everyone” recognizes that we all have a role to play in our economic recovery – workers, employers, policy makers, community leaders and ordinary citizens.

    Much of what we do at DOL is specifically focused on getting people across the nation back to work and ensuring that the reach for good jobs is truly within the grasp of everyone. We are committed to enforcing our laws to keep the doors of opportunity open for all workers – even if we have to pry those doors open from time to time. For those who have jobs, DOL is working to ensure that you are getting a fair deal in exchange for hard work – whether you work in a cubicle, a nail salon, a classroom or a shrimp boat.

    That is why DOL is directing our efforts to engage the most vulnerable workers across the country. A key component to our success is having quality data about the AAPI population. Good data are the lifeblood of good public policy.

    At our meeting Census Bureau Director Robert Groves provided us with a briefing on data collected about our communities which underscores just how important it will be for the government to engage AAPIs. Preliminary 2010 data indicate that the AAPI population has grown by more than 15% in the last 10 years and is projected to grow more than 42% in the next 40 years.  Moreover, we learned that:

    • Over two-thirds of AAPIs are foreign born.
    • Approximately one-third of the population is limited English proficient (LEP)
    • AAPI workers experience disproportionately longer periods of unemployment. In 2009, the median duration of unemployment for Asian Americans was 16.6 weeks.
    • AAPIs in the service industry experienced the fastest growth in the past decade, contributing to an increase in low-wage workers in a population where close to 11 percent live below the poverty line.

    So, how do we plan to tackle the issues?  At DOL, we have proposed an ambitious plan that includes:

    • Data: Producing and collecting timely, accurate data on the economic conditions of AAPI workers. This data must be disaggregated to give an accurate picture of our communities.
    • Outreach: Identifying, disseminating and encouraging replication of “promising practices” to engage AAPIs in the workforce, with a particular emphasis on language access, cultural competency and linkages between employers and community-based organizations.
    • Language access: Producing and translating easily understood health, safety and civil rights materials for workers and employers in the AAPI communities.
    • Inclusion: Preparing AAPI workers to succeed in a knowledge-based economy, including emerging sectors, like “green” jobs.
    • Employment: Fulfilling our obligation to serve as a model employer and holding those who do business with taxpayer dollars – contractors and subcontractors – to the fair and reasonable standard that they take affirmative action and prohibit discrimination in employment.

    For a complete picture of what federal agencies will be doing, please check out our agency plans. DOL’s commitment to this Initiative is part of our plan to transform Secretary Solis’s vision into the reality of “Good Jobs for Everyone.”

    Patricia A. Shiu was appointed by President Obama to serve as Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, a civil rights agency at the U.S. Department of Labor. She is a second-generation Chinese American who represents DOL on the federal Interagency Working Group of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

    Learn more about