Progress by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders During President Obama's Administration

Guest Post by Doua Thor, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders



As President Obama's term comes to an end, we celebrate the progress Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) throughout the nation have made during this Administration.

AAPIs are the fastest growing racial group in the nation, and with that tremendous growth is the urgent need to address the pressing, unique needs and uplift the tremendous assets of our community.

Recognizing the challenges and barriers AAPI across the country face, on October 14, 2009, President Obama reauthorized the White House Initiative on AAPIs, which would be housed in the Department of Education and work to help address issues facing AAPIs from all corners of the country, from civil rights to immigration, healthcare to education, and economic development to data disaggregation.

Since then, we've come a long way. And to share this story, we're unveiling a new time capsule documentary to share highlights of our journey.

Filipino veterans to be awarded Congressional Gold Medal

President Obama signs the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act.



On Thursday, President Obama signed the "Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act," awarding a Congressional Gold Medal, our nation's highest civilian honor, to the thousands of Filipino veterans who fought for the United States during World War II.

S. 1555, sponsored by Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Tulsi Gabbard, honors more than 260,000 Filipino and Filipino American soldiers who fought under U.S. command during the second world war. The bill unanimously passed in both chambers of Congress earlier this year.

"The Filipino veterans of World War II overcame many challenges in their fight for compensation, family reunification, and verification of wartime service," Senator Hirono said in a statement, calling the medal a long overdue but fitting tribute. "By signing our bill into law, President Obama recognized these veterans' courage and perseverance, both during the war and in the decades of battles for benefits that followed."

New York lawmakers ask Obama for official U.S. apology for Chinese Exclusion Act

"To Chinese Americans, their descendants, and all whose lives were affected by the Chinese Exclusion Act."


A soap advertisement from the 1880s, sub-titled 'The Chinese Must Go'
In New York, a group of state lawmakers have sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to issue a government apology for the passage and enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which specifically targeted and barred Chinese immigrants from entering or becoming citizens of the United States.

Signed into federal law by President Chester A. Arthur in 1882, and fueled by widespread anti-Chinese sentiment, the Chinese Exclusion Act was one of the most significant restrictions on free immigration in U.S. history, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers. It was the first law implemented to prevent a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the United States, and lasted for over sixty years.

The letter, written by state Assemblyman Ron Kim and signed by twenty other state legislators, calls for the President to issue an official apology on behalf of the United States Government "to Chinese Americans, their descendants, and all whose lives were affected by the Chinese Exclusion Act."

Obama signs bill removing "Oriental" from federal laws

Rep. Grace Meng's bill eliminating outdated term for Asian Americans from U.S. code.



As of last week, the words "Oriental" and "Negro" will no longer be part of federal law.

On Friday, President Obama signed a bill eliminating the outdated racial descriptors after the legislation passed unanimously in the House and Senate. Yes, they were still on the books. Yes, this was a long time coming.

Obama Signs Bill Removing 'Oriental' and 'Negro' From Federal Laws

H.R.4238, sponsored by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), aimed to "modernize" two references to "Orientals" and "Negros" in the U.S. Code governing public health, social welfare and civil rights, dating back to the 1970s. The words will be replaced with "Asian Americans" and "African Americans," respectively.

Rep. Meng introduced the bill in December, and it passed the House easily in February. It reached the president's desk last week after the Senate unanimously approved it on Monday.

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2016

"Let us celebrate the many contributions our AAPI brothers and sisters have made to the American mosaic."



Hey, everybody! It's May, and that means it's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! As I say every year, for many of us in the community, every month is AAPI Heritage Month. But it's nice that the powers that be have officially designated May as the month for everyone else to care. So let's celebrate.

"Our nation's story would be incomplete without the voices of countless Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who have called the land we all love home," says President Obama, proclaiming May as AAPI Heritage Month. "This month, we honor the irreplaceable roles they have played in our past, and we recommit to ensuring opportunities exist for generations of AAPIs to come."

Here is President Obama's official proclamation of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2016:

Judge Lucy Koh nominated to federal appeals court

President Obama nominates Judge Koh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.



As expected, San Jose-based U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, one of the most influential federal judges in Silicon Valley, was nominated Thursday to the nation's largest federal appeals court.

San Jose Judge Lucy Koh nominated to federal appeals court

News broke earlier this month that the White House intended to nominate Koh, who has served as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of California since 2010, to the San Francisco-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. President Barack Obama officially nominated Koh on Thursday.

"Judge Lucy Haeran Koh has distinguished herself as a first-rate jurist with unflagging integrity and evenhandedness," President Obama said. "I am grateful for her service to the state of California and look forward to adding her considerable wisdom and experience to the Ninth Circuit Court."

Happy Lunar New Year from the White House

Wishing you happiness, prosperity, fortune and good health in the Year of the Monkey.



Happy Lunar New Year! May you and your loved ones eat delicious food and share in happy times.

In case you missed it, President Obama and the First Lady wished everyone happiness, prosperity, fortune and good health as we celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the Year of the Monkey.

Here's the President's message:

White House to nominate Lucy Koh to federal appeals court

Koh is expected to be nominated to fill a spot on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.



San Jose-based U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, one of the most influential federal judges in Silicon Valley, is expected to soon be nominated by the White House to the nation's largest federal appeals court.

White House expected to nominate high-profile Silicon Valley-based Judge Lucy Koh to federal appeals court

According to layers and judges familiar with the Obama administration's vetting process, Koh is expected to be nominated to fill a spot on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later this month.

Koh, who has served nearly six years on the Bay Area's federal bench, is best known for presiding over the smartphone patent feud over between Apple and Samsung, as well as antitrust litigation over hiring practices at some of Silicon Valley's largest tech companies.

Minoru Yasui to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Human and civil rights leader will receive the award posthumously at a White House ceremony on Tuesday.



On Tuesday, President Obama will present seventeen individuals, included civil and human rights leader Minoru Yasui, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Min Yasui Wins Presidential Medal of Freedom

Yasui is best known for his legal case challenging the racial discrimination of military orders that resulted in the incarceration of Japanese-Americans in U.S. concentration camps during World War II. After the war and throughout his life, he fought for the human and civil rights of all people. He died in 1986.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is presented to individuals who have made "especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." This year's recipients also include public servants, artists and activists.

Here's more about Minoru Yasui, from the White House's announcement:

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2015

Watch a video message from the White House and read President Obama's proclamation.



It's May. Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Of course, around here, that's pretty much every month. But I appreciate the dedicated thirty-one day gesture, America. Let's celebrate.

In June 1977, Reps. Frank Horton of New York and Norman Y. Mineta of California introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week. Twelve years later, the week was extended into a month-long celebration. In 1992, the official designation of May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month was signed into law. And here we are.

Here's a video message from Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Konrad Ng, Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific Center:

Michelle Obama and Michelle Phan Go To Japan

Popular beauty guru gives support to the First Lady's "Let Girls Learn" education initiative.



First Lady Michelle Obama is currently on a five-day trip to Asia to promote her new global education initiative, and she brought along none other than beauty vlogger Michelle Phan to give her hand.

YouTube Star Michelle Phan Joins First Lady Michelle Obama In Tokyo

The popular entrepreneur and YouTube celebrity joined Mrs. Obama in Tokyo to provide support and spread awareness for the "Let Girls Learn" campaign, which aims to get more girls in school around the world. Phan posed questions to the First Lady submitted by her followers through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Honouliuli Internment Camp declared National Monument

"A monument to a painful part of our history so that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past."



Last week, President Obama announced the creation of three new National Monuments across the country, including the Honouliuli National Monument in Hawaii, where Japanese American citizens, resident immigrants, and prisoners of war were held captive during World War II.

President Obama announced the new designation along with the launch of the "Every Kid in a Park" initiative, providing all fourth grade students and their families with free admission to National Parks and other federal lands and waters for a full year. Honouliuli National Monument will help tell the difficult story of the internment camp's impact on the Japanese American community and the fragility of civil rights during times of conflict.

Kathy Pham is on Michelle Obama's guest list

Pham, a member of U.S. Digital Service, will be seated in the First Lady's box at the State of the Union.



President Obama will deliver his 2015 State of the Union address tonight at 9:00pm ET. If you're planning on tuning in, keen-eyed viewers might catch a glimpse of Kathy Pham, a computer scientist with a passion for public service, among the guests seated in the First Lady's box during the address.

The 22 guests seated in the box with Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett include students, educators, health care officials and recipients, government officials, and a wounded veteran who fought in Afghanistan. The invitees represent some of the key themes of the President's speech.

Ms. Pham is a member of U.S. Digital Service, where she's working to improve health IT for more Americans, expand veterans' access to benefits, and transform how government provides services to families in need.

The Nurse Who Beat Ebola

Nina Pham officially declared virus-free, gets a hug from President Obama



Nina Pham is going to be okay. Two weeks after she tested positive for Ebola, the Dallas nurse was declared virus-free and discharged from the Maryland hospital were she had been receiving care for the past week.

Nina Pham, Nurse Infected With Ebola, Is Now Virus-Free

26-year-old Pham, the first person known to contract Ebola within the United States, was infected while caring for patient Thomas Eric Duncan, who later died of the virus at Pham's hospital, Texas Health Presbyterian.

The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, where Pham was placed in a special isolation care ward for infectious disease cases, announced Friday that she no longer tested positive for Ebola and was being discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health.

Happy Diwali from President Obama

"...remember, even in the midst of darkness, that light will ultimately prevail."



Today, President Obama wished a Happy Diwali to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and all those who celebrate the festival of lights here and across the world. Here's his video message:

Vanita Gupta to lead Justice Department's civil rights division

ACLU attorney is the first South Asian American appointed to lead the division.



On Wednesday, Attorney General Eric H. Holder appointed top civil rights lawyer Vanita Gupta to the position of Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.

New DOJ Civil Rights Chief Vanita Gupta Known For 'Trailblazing' Work

Gupta, currently Deputy Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union and Director of its Center for Justice, will take over next week as acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

Also, according to a White House official, President Obama is expected to nominate Gupta to be the permanent assistant attorney general for civil rights, a division that oversees voting rights and civil rights investigations, and has been without fixed leadership for more than a year.

Gupta will be the first South Asian American lawyer appointed to lead the division. Here's more on her background, according to the ACLU's press release:

Jenny R. Yang appointed chair of EEOC

First Asian American to serve as chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

On Tuesday, President Obama announced that Jenny R. Yang has been appointed chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

This Jenny Yang should not be confused with my good friend, comedian Jenny Yang. (Though I'm sure comedian Jenny Yang would be pretty good at the job too.)

Jenny R. Yang, who has served as Vice Chair of the commission since April, was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 25, 2013. This appointment makes her the first Asian American to serve as chair of the EEOC.

Here's some more information on Yang's background, from the White House press release:

Petition: Protect immigrants and keep families together

Sign the petition urging President Obama to go big and bold on executive action for immigration relief



Helping to get the word out... Our friends at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC recently launched an online petition urging President Obama to go big and bold on executive action to stop or limit deportations and make other important changes to immigration enforcement.

Protect immigrants and keep families together!

We need changes to protest immigrants from deportation, reduce family visa backlogs, and end programs that encourage racial profiling. In light of the continued failure of the House to move progressive immigration reform legislation, it's more critical than ever for the administration to provide relief.

Here's what the petition is calling for:

Veterans Affairs secretary Eric Shinseki resigns amid scandal

Apologizes for agency's "systemic, totally unacceptable lack of integrity."



Amid mounting criticism and calls for his ousting, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki has resigned, apologizing to veterans and lawmakers for the agency's mismanagement of the nation's veterans hospitals.

Shinseki resigns amid VA scandal over veterans' health care

Calls for Shinseki's resignation had intensified in the wake of an independent review by the inspector general outlining widespread misconduct by VA officials throughout the medical system. With rapidly dwindling support from across the political spectrum, including the White House, Shinseki's resignation seemed inevitable.

In a speech Friday morning to a veterans group, Shinseki apologized and accepted responsibility for his agency's "systemic, totally unacceptable lack of integrity." He then met with President Obama, who said he accepted the retired Army general's resignation "with regret."

Presidential Proclamation: AAPI Heritage Month, 2014

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, my friends. Let's make it a good one.

It's May, and you know what that means. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! It's the officially recognized, government-designated month to celebrate and highlight the history of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and our many contributions to the United States of America.

Though on this blog, as I like to point out every year, that's kind of like every month.

Still, AAPI Heritage Month is always a great opportunity to tout the accomplishments of our pioneers and everyday heroes, and further examine the many significant struggles and challenges still facing our community.

So, for the record, here is the proclamation signed by President Barack Obama regarding Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2014. From the office of the White House Press Secretary: