AAPI Southeast Regional Action Summit

The Initiative, co-chaired by Assistant to the President & Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, is housed within the U.S. Department of Education, and is led by Executive Director Kiran Ahuja. The Initiative works to improve the quality of life and opportunities for AAPI's by facilitating increased access to and participation in federal programs where they remain underserved.  The President’s Advisory Commission on AAPI's and the Federal Interagency Working Group work in conjunction, and are comprised of individuals, executive branch departments, agencies, and offices representing a broad spectrum of fields and programs impacting AAPI communities.  The Initiative works collaboratively with the White House Office of Public Engagement and the designated Federal agencies to increase AAPI participation in programs in education, commerce, business, health, human services, housing, environment, arts, agriculture, labor and employment, transportation, justice, veterans affairs and economic and community development.  The Initiative seeks to highlight both the tremendous unmet needs in the AAPI communities as well as the dynamic community assets that can be leveraged to meet many of those needs. The Initiative focuses on crosscutting priority areas that may reach across all issue areas and agencies, including, for example, advancing research, data collection, analysis and dissemination for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and ensuring access, especially linguistic access and cultural competence, for AAPI's and encouraging AAPI involvement in public service and civic engagement opportunities.