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Capacity Building

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are one of the fastest growing populations in the U.S. The number of AAPIs is projected to grow from 15.5 million AAPIs today to 35.6 million AAPIs by 2050. The AAPI community continues to grow and thrive, but many challenges exist, including language access, poverty, health, and housing.

The challenges facing the AAPI community has significant implications for accessing governmental programs, resources, and other federal services. Tackling the obstacles faced by the AAPI community requires, among others, the involvement of stakeholders, community leaders, community based organizations, and the federal government. Specifically, the federal government can play a leadership role in aligning public and private resources, building strategic partnerships, creating technical assistance opportunities, and publicizing grant opportunities. The AAPI community has limited resources, but an increasing demand due to the growing demographic.

Action: Develop a targeted and achievable solution to improving access to federal government resources for the AAPI community.

Data Disaggregation

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population is diverse, complex, and growing. The significant and continuing demographic changes among AAPIs indicate that data and research is necessary to understand the growing AAPI population. The need for more data is also key to establishing cost-effective policies that address the needs and issues of AAPI communities.

Executive Order 13515 required federal agencies to begin reviewing and assessing their programs and services and to improve the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data on AAPIs. While data disaggregation on AAPIs has increased, there is pressing need for more accurate and detailed data to best understand and address the concerns of the heterogeneous AAPI community. With more specific data, new federal policies can be better tailored to meet the needs of the diverse groups that make up the AAPI population.

Action: Develop a targeted and achievable solution to obtain or monitor data collection, analysis, and disaggregation across government entities needed to ensure equal access to federal programs.

Language Access

Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals accounted for 25 million people, or 9% of the total US population over age 5. Having limited English proficiency has significant implications for accessing governmental programs, resources, and other federal services. Studies show that language barriers prevent many immigrants from moving into higher paying jobs or learning about labor and occupational health and safety laws and regulations that protect them in the workplace. Small business owners who are LEP may be unable to access governmental economic opportunities such as contracts, loans, and other business development assistance programs.

Executive Order 13166 requires federal agencies to examine the services they provide, identify any need for services to those with limited English proficiency, and develop and implement a system to provide those services so LEP individuals can have meaning access to them.

Action: Develop a detailed, targeted, creative, and achievable proposal and implementation plan by which language services could be centralized across the federal government to better meet the needs of all LEP individuals, especially in disaster-related contexts.

Workforce Diversity

As our nation becomes more diverse, people of color will be the majority by 2042. With over 5% of the U.S population of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and the numbers growing, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are helping to increase workforce diversity.

Executive Order 13515 requires agencies take steps to diversify their workforce. The Senior Executive Service (SES) will continue to lag in employment of women and minorities over the next two decades and will not reflect the makeup of the American workforce. Furthermore, the government will not only replace retiring SES leaders, but will also hire many knowledge-based workers to fill new positions. These openings will provide opportunities for AAPIs to fill positions within the federal government, offering new prospects for diversifying the federal workforce.

Action: Examine diversity and inclusion practices across federal agencies and develop a detailed, creative proposal and implementation plan to target, recruit, and sustain a more diverse federal workforce.