Last week, the Senate voted to confirm Miranda Mai Du to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Judge Du is the first Asian American Pacific Islander to serve as an Article III judge in Nevada and the second Vietnamese American to become a federal judge.

Nevada Senator and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had suggested Judge Du to President Obama, who in turn nominated her.

Judge Du’s confirmation brings the number of AAPI federal judges to 16 – double the number when President Obama took office just over three years ago. When the President took office, there were only eight AAPI Article III federal judges out of 874, and there hadn’t been an AAPI judge on a U.S. Court of Appeals since 2004. Now, there are 16 AAPI judges on the federal bench and, in 2010, Judge Denny Chin was unanimously confirmed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

In all, almost six percent of President Obama’s confirmed judges have been AAPI, compared to just one percent for Presidents Bush and Clinton. President Obama has quadrupled the number of AAPI female federal judges in history, including the first women judges of South Asian, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese descent. He also has nominated Judge Jacqueline Nguyen, the first Vietnamese American to become a federal judge, and to be the first AAPI woman to serve on a U.S. Court of Appeals.

“President Obama’s judges and judicial nominees not only have the necessary intellect, fair-mindedness, and integrity for the federal bench, but also resemble the nation they serve,” Christopher Kang, Senior Counsel to the President, said in a White House blog.

Judge Du and her family fled from Vietnam by boat when she was eight years old. After spending a year in refugee camps in Malaysia, her family immigrated to Alabama. Judge Du attended the University of California-Davis, where she graduated with honors, and the University of California-Berkeley.

 “[Judge Du’s confirmation] is an important milestone for the AAPI community,” Kang said. “And while we are very proud of all of the “firsts” that the President has nominated and the Senate has confirmed, we’re already looking forward to the ‘seconds’ and ‘thirds’ and beyond.”

Rep. Mike Honda, DNC Vice Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Emeritus:

"Pete Hoekstra's Super Bowl campaign ad, is a despicable example of Republican race-baiting cloaked in the guise of genuine political debate and, quite simply, is offensive to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Hoekstra stoops to using racial stereotypes and fails to engage honestly and credibly on the issues. The only point of an ad like this is to gin up anti-Asian American sentiment at a time when we need to be united as a nation in order to move all Americans forward.

There's no room—anytime, anywhere—for this kind of ignorance and intolerance in campaigning or governing. The hard-working families of Michigan deserve real debate and real solutions. Sadly, Pete Hoekstra's latest ad clearly demonstrates that he lacks the values and vision to move Michigan forward. Hoekstra merely offers the kind of ignorance and intolerance that harms every single family in Michigan and beyond."

Bel Leong-Hong, DNC AAPI Caucus Chair:

“Ads like these that play on fear and racial stereotypes must never be tolerated. We must focus on the economic issues at hand, because the people of Michigan deserve better. Our nation deserves better representatives in Congress who can stick to the issues and not use harmful, divisive measures for political gain.”

Rep. Mike Honda, DNC Vice Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Emeritus:

"Pete Hoekstra's Super Bowl campaign ad, is a despicable example of Republican race-baiting cloaked in the guise of genuine political debate and, quite simply, is offensive to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Hoekstra stoops to using racial stereotypes and fails to engage honestly and credibly on the issues. The only point of an ad like this is to gin up anti-Asian American sentiment at a time when we need to be united as a nation in order to move all Americans forward.

There's no room—anytime, anywhere—for this kind of ignorance and intolerance in campaigning or governing. The hard-working families of Michigan deserve real debate and real solutions. Sadly, Pete Hoekstra's latest ad clearly demonstrates that he lacks the values and vision to move Michigan forward. Hoekstra merely offers the kind of ignorance and intolerance that harms every single family in Michigan and beyond."

Bel Leong-Hong, DNC AAPI Caucus Chair:

“Ads like these that play on fear and racial stereotypes must never be tolerated. We must focus on the economic issues at hand, because the people of Michigan deserve better. Our nation deserves better representatives in Congress who can stick to the issues and not use harmful, divisive measures for political gain.”

On January 24, six different progressive Asian American Pacific Islander organizations hosted a State of the Union Watch Party in Washington, D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood. The sponsoring organizations included the Asian American Action Group (AAAG), Asian Pacific Americans for Progress-DC (APAP-DC), the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance-DC (APALA-DC), KAYA-DC (formerly Filipinos for Obama), Korean Americans for Obama (KAFO) and South Asians for Obama (SAFO). This watch party was one of at least 7 AAPI watch parties nationwide. Organizers of the event believe that nearly 100 people came to watch the President lay out his Blueprint for Change in his third State of the Union address.

In his address, the President laid out his vision for an “economy that’s built to last.” Central to his vision are American manufacturing, a broader domestic energy policy, and plans for a new one-stop shop for job training to make sure that American worker’s skills remain competitive.

Camden Lee, a recent graduate from the University of Maryland, said that the President’s speech was inspring, and that it was amazing to be there with members of the community excited to work together and create the change that the President is working toward.

Photos here.

On January 12th the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) kicked off the New Year by hosting the AAPI Youth Leadership Briefing to meet with students and discuss what the administration is doing to serve AAPI high school and college students. The full day event brought students from around the country to discuss access to higher education, student activism, community service and civil rights. The event sought to inspire youth to think about how they would address the issues which affect their community and to allow students to meet White House and government officials for guidance and mentorship to a career in public service.

The event featured remarks from officials from the Office of Public Engagement and WHIAAPI, Raj Shah of the US Agency for International Development, Je Yon Jung of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Parag Mehta from the Department of Labor, Mira Patel from the State Department, Konrad Ng of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program, and Don Yu from the Department of Education.

Belle Yan, a senior at Columbia University said that she “really appreciated the fact that so many students from so many different places were able to come and discuss the common issues they were all working on.” She noted that students at Columbia University were already planning action items based on what they had learned at the briefing and were going to host a panel on their campus to discuss AAPIs in public service.

Last month, the Senate approved Senate Resolution 201 by unanimous consent, which apologized for the discriminatory laws that targeted Chinese immigrants, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Introduced during California’s Gold Rush and in an attempt to restrict foreign nationals from gold mining, the Chinese Exclusion Act restricted Chinese migration to the United States for 10 years.

When China became the United States’ ally in 1943, the U.S. Congress repealed the law but kept strict immigration quotas. These immigration quotas were not addressed until the Immigration Act of 1965, which did away with immigration policies on the basis of national origin.

Rep. Judy Chu (D–El Monte), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) chair, is sponsor of the companion resolution in the House of Representatives. Her grandfather was subject to the Exclusion Act. Of the Senate resolution’s passing, Rep. Chu said, “the thousands of Chinese Americans around this country with similar family histories will celebrate the passage of the Senate resolution.”

Senator Feinstein, who co-sponsored the bill, said that she hopes the resolution will “enlighten those who many not be aware of this regrettable chapter in our history, and bring closure to the families whose loved ones lived through this difficult time.”

Two years ago, on October 14, 2009, President Obama signed an executive order reestablishing the White House Initiative on AAPIs and the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs to address issues concerning the AAPI community.

Over the past two years, the Initiative and Commission have met with AAPI communities and engaged with federal agencies around important issues. The Initiative has held more than 200 events in 23 states and 50 cities. Outreach and engagement efforts have reached more than 22,000 people. In addition, the Initiative continues to work with more than 23 federal agencies and offices on agency work plans that have the goal of increasing AAPIs access to federal services and programs.

Leading up to the historic date, President Obama designated Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu to join Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as co-chair. Lu is one of the highest-ranking AAPIs serving in the White House, and is a tremendous addition to the Initiative. President Obama also appointed Olympic skating champion Apolo Ohno, Professor May Chen, and Dr. Thanh Nguyen to serve as commissioners.

In addition, with the goal of helping to increase the capacity of AAPI-serving community-based organizations, the Initiative released a comprehensive online tool to point people and organizations to federal programs and services, Guide to Federal Agency Resources.

The guide also features 10 AAPI grantee organizations and individuals who successfully applied for and received federal funding and can offer guidance regarding the process. To further commemorate the anniversary, the Initiative held a Town Hall on Jobs and Housing in Henderson, Nevada, featuring Chris Lu as a keynote speaker, as well as senior representatives from federal agencies ranging from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Health & Human Services to the Small Business Administration. More than 200 individuals attended and participated in issue-specific workshops on health care access, housing counseling, and small business development. In addition, the Initiative held a Virtual Youth Town Hall, featuring Ryan Higa and Clara Chung. This Virtual Youth Town Hall focused on AAPI youth issues such as anti-bullying, access to education, and AAPI representation in the arts and media.

Read more about the Initiative’s accomplishments here.

There is no job description for my position here at the DNC. As Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Outreach Director, though, my missive is as clear as day—to ensure that AAPIs are engaged with and participating fully in the Democratic Party and in the democratic process in order to elect Democratic candidates.

My first experience with AAPI participation in the political process was an undergraduate class at New York University entitled “The Constitution and People of Color.” In the span of a semester, we covered Japanese American internment, hate crimes, voting rights, and issues with redistricting in lower Manhattan’s Chinatown. Later into the semester, Professor OuYang suggested that we students volunteer for a White House Initiative on AAPIs Town Hall Meeting. That day, I heard hours of testimony on health, economic, housing, and educational disparities from AAPI leaders from all over the nation. I was able to break bread with AAPI trailblazers who led with service, humility, and passion.

Since that day, I’ve had the privilege of being able to learn from and work with those trailblazers and my peers—most of them Democrats, may I add. And we’ve worked on many issues throughout the years—from issues as technical as data collection and disaggregation to issues as fundamental as equity for Filipino American World War II veterans. Whatever the issue, we share the central premise that AAPIs, along with other Americans, can contribute to and benefit from our society. And this very value is what AAPIs and Democrats share and work towards.

This coming year in particular, our task is not only to help strengthen the Democratic Party—it is also to re-elect the President on November 6. The truth that we all know in organizing is that communities know best how to represent themselves. I hope you can join me in representing AAPIs within the party, re-electing the President and electing Democrats down the ticket, and continuing to bolster and support the President as he governs with our shared values of hope and opportunity for all.

Yesterday the White House launched a multimedia challenge to collect stories from the AAPI community. These stories highlight our diversity, our work, and our journeys that led us to careers of service and advocacy. Spread the word about what has inspired you to serve and organize, and share your story today. More details about the "What's your story?" initiative can be found here.  

In commemoration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, the Democrats produced this video featuring young up and coming activists and organizers from the community.

In commemoration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, the Democrats produced this video featuring young up and coming activists and organizers from the community.

The White House hosted an Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders briefing on May 4 in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Various administration and agency speakers briefed AAPI community leaders on agency programs. Speakers included Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the President; Arne Duncan of the Department of Education; Jon Carson, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Deputy Assistant to the President; Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Deputy Assistant to the President; Ronnie Chatterji, senior economist in the White House Council of Economic Advisors; Garth Graham of the Department of Health and Human Services; Kiran Ahuja, executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; and Bryan Jung, director of special projects at the White House Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.

At the briefing, Valerie Jarrett announced a new “Winning the Future” document focusing on spurring economic growth, health care, immigration, and infrastructure development that can be found at AAPI.gov. Jarrett encouraged participants to submit feedback on the document—you can download the pdf here. 

“If you succeed, America succeeds, and we all succeed,” Jarrett told the audience. 

Muñoz spoke on comprehensive immigration reform, citing the Dream Act as indicative of the challenging political climate but also emphasizing the administration’s commitment and their sense of urgency to fix a “badly broken system” that is crucial to the nation’s economic future. She had a lively Q-and-A session with audiences as well.

Duncan, who co-chairs the White House Initiative on AAPIs, spoke on education issues ranging from pre-K to K–12 to financial aid to English-language learners (ELL) to higher education to job training programs. He emphasized the falsehood of the model minority myth and underscored the President’s goal to lead the world in caliber of college graduates again. He also highlighted the Department of Education’s investment in the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) grant program. 

Next, Chatterji spoke regarding the economy and our new transportation and technology infrastructures, linking education with these initiatives and citing education as the ladder of prosperity and empowerment. He specifically referred to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math education) and their investment in STEM teachers. He also emphasized research and development as crucial to innovation.

Graham spoke on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act for communities like AAPIs. In the ACA, language access, community health centers (of which 67 percent serve communities of color predominantly) and home care were key components that directly impact quality of life for AAPIs.

Carson closed out the briefing with his remarks about the features of whitehouse.gov and encouraging the audience to spread the word and provide feedback about the issues discussed at the meeting.

To learn more, please visit www.aapi.gov.

The Democratic National Committee released the following statements today marking Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Statement from DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz:

“The diverse cultures and peoples of Asia and the Pacific have, for more than 160 years, woven strength and vibrancy into the fabric of America. From Angel Island to Manhattan’s Chinatown, from railroads to farm fields and from hospitals to courtrooms, the history of AAPI communities in the United States is inextricably linked to our national identity and American pride. AAPI communities continue to invest in the economic future and prosperity of our country and contribute to the national character that all Americans revere.  And they have shared in American sacrifices as we were reminded of earlier this week when President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Anthony Kaho’ohanohano, a native Hawaiian who joined the U.S. Army and gave his life fighting for his country in Korea.

“Each May we recognize the role that AAPIs have played in our American story. Like Americans of all backgrounds, AAPIs have suffered tragedies and worked to achieve uniquely American triumphs. It is critical that we continue to work to erase disparities that negatively impact Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to guarantee that they are able to fully participate in American society and pursue the American Dream.”

Statement from DNC Vice Chair Mike Honda:

“Since President Obama was elected in 2008, we’ve made historic progress in Congress in enacting legislation that helps AAPI communities.  As a result of the Affordable Care Act, many in the AAPI community are already benefiting from provisions that prioritize preventive care – a particularly critical advance in a community that has suffered from disparities in vaccinations, cancer screenings and infant mortality rates. And President Obama, working with Democrats in Congress, has cut taxes for small businesses sixteen times, providing a payroll tax holiday for new hires, credits for health insurance, and capital gains exclusions for investors – helping Asian American entrepreneurs across this country to succeed and thrive. 

“As we work to protect the progress we’ve made and support President Obama’s plan to win the future to ensure that America remains the world leader in education and innovation, we will engage AAPI voters in our efforts to re-elect the President and take back the House. In 2008, AAPI voters came out in record numbers to support President Obama, and in 2012, we aim to break records again – because we know how important it is that we continue to support a leader who has fought and will keep fighting to increase opportunity for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and for Americans of all backgrounds.”

Statement from Bel Leong-Hong, Chair of the DNC Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus:

“AAPI Heritage Month is a time to reflect on and rally around the core values that AAPIs and Democrats share. Progress in this country is about hard work, perseverance, and compassion for others who have less. As AAPIs, we must continue to be involved and engaged in helping to support candidates who represent our issues and struggles. Through outreach programs, strategic voter contact with our diverse communities and cultivation of future AAPI candidates, AAPI Democrats can do our part to help re-elect the President and elect Democratic candidates nationwide.”