Today, the President and Vice President met with 13 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) leaders representing the rich diversity of the AA & NHPI communities to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Administration's Build Back Better Agenda. The conversation focused on the importance of combating the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, economic opportunity, commitment to equity, protecting the sacred right to vote, and immigration reform. During the meeting, the President and Vice President reiterated their promise to work together to ensure the needs of the diaspora of the AA & NHPI communities are heard, uplifted and met. The meeting also commemorated nine years since the horrific 2019 Sikh Temple mass shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The President and Vice President restated their support for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farm workers, TPS holders, and essential workers through reconciliation, pledging to work with the AA & NHPI community on immigration reform. The President and Vice President acknowledged the AA & NHPI community record turnout in civic engagement and vowed to continue working to strengthen our democracy and the protection of voting rights.
AA & NHPI Leaders:
- Seema Agnani, Executive Director, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD)
- Christine Chen, Executive Director, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
- Quyen Dinh, Executive Director, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
- Satjeet Kaur, Executive Director, Sikh Coalition
- Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
- Kūhiō Lewis, President & CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA)
- Neil Makhija, Executive Director, Indian American Impact
- Gregg Orton, National Director, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
- Tavae Samuelu, Executive Director, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
- Chiling Tong, President & CEO, Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE)
- Alvina Yeh, Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
- Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF)
