OCA Praises Selection of USTR Katherine Tai as Co-Chair of the White House Initiative on AANHPIs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates applauded the Biden-Harris administration Thursday after it officially launched the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The historic initiative, established via executive order by President Biden, is charged with coordinating the federal government’s efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Since its creation in 1999, WHIAANHPI has primarily worked to ensure federal programs and resources are accessible and to bolster AANHPI participation in public service.

In May, the Biden-Harris administration gave the office a broader mandate to tackle numerous crises facing AANHPI communities, including the rise in anti-Asian violence, poverty, climate change, and “significant health inequities” during the pandemic—especially those burdening Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. In a majority of states that report disaggregated data, COVID-19 infection and death rates among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are the highest of any racial and ethnic group.

“We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for its deep commitment to support and elevate our communities,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ National President Linda Ng. “The launch of the White House Initiative on AANHPIs is a much-needed step that ensures the federal government has a comprehensive strategy to combat anti-Asian bias, address health and economic disparities, and provide aid as AANHPI families recover from the pandemic.”

On Thursday, the Biden-Harris administration also announced that United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai will join HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra as the new co-chair of WHIAANHPI, and that the initiative’s Interagency Working Group (IWG) and Regional Network (RN) will also be relaunched.

“As the first Asian American and woman of color to serve as U.S. Trade Representative, Katherine Tai has a record of breaking barriers and is uniquely qualified to co-lead the White House Initiative on AANHPIs,” said OCA’s Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “We hope that she, along with WHIAANHPI Executive Director Krystal Ka'ai, will continue to push for the expanded collection and use of disaggregated data at the federal level.”

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About OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates

Founded in 1973, OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national, member-driven social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.