On October 14, 2009, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13515 reestablishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Initiative) and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Commission) to address issues concerning the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. This historic executive order carved out another avenue of access to the Federal government for AAPI communities and affirmed President Obama’s commitment to AAPI communities.
Since its inception, the Initiative has been engaging diverse AAPIs across the country on critical issues facing the community. Over the last two years, the Initiative has hosted over 200 events including national summits, roundtables, open dialogue sessions, and workshops in 23 states, the District of Columbia and Pacific Islands, and in 50 cities, reaching more than 22,000 people.
Additionally, as part of the Administration’s commitment to improving the quality of lives for AAPIs, the Initiative has been working with more than 23 Federal agencies and executive offices to create and implement plans to increase the AAPI community’s access to Federal programs and services. The following highlights the accomplishments of the Initiative, Commission, and agencies, made possible through the work of community partners in the past two years.