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SCREEN CAPTURE Merrick Garland, center, is Joe Biden's choice for Attorney General. |
OPINION
Any chance of having an Asian American or Pacific Islander on Joe Biden's Cabinet ended Thursday when the President-elect filled the remaining Cabinet slots.
This time it's even worse because for the first time in two decades, not a single Asian American or Pacific Islander was picked to be in the inner circle of advisors at the highest level.
On Thursday (Jan. 7) President-elect Joe Biden announced the final nominations for his Cabinet, confirming that for the first time in over two decades there will not be an AAPI Cabinet Secretary serving in a presidential administration disappointing AAPI leaders and members of Congress who had been lobbying the incoming administration for weeks.
"For too long, AAPIs have been left out of significant policy conversations and decisions. And now, even as our communities suffer disproportionately from the Coronavirus pandemic, it is incredibly disheartening to not have an equal seat at the most important policy making table in the country," said Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA.
"The brazen exclusion of AAPIs in this incoming administration abandons and erases the AAPI community," said Madalene Xuan-Trang Mielke , President of Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.
On Thursday (Jan. 7) President-elect Joe Biden announced the final nominations for his Cabinet, confirming that for the first time in over two decades there will not be an AAPI Cabinet Secretary serving in a presidential administration disappointing AAPI leaders and members of Congress who had been lobbying the incoming administration for weeks.
"For too long, AAPIs have been left out of significant policy conversations and decisions. And now, even as our communities suffer disproportionately from the Coronavirus pandemic, it is incredibly disheartening to not have an equal seat at the most important policy making table in the country," said Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA.
Since Nov. 3 election won by Biden the AAPI communities and their allies have been urging the President-elect to include an AAPI in his Cabinet at the Secretary level.
Biden has continually stated during the campaign that his Cabinet would be the most diverse and look like America. The lack o an AAPI at the Secretary level is a disappointment for members of the AAPI communities, the fastest growing electorate in the U.S. who hoped that their critical role in the November election and Georgia's Senate runoff who help their cause.
"Without #AsianAmericans, Democrats and @JoeBiden don’t win Georgia ... not having at least one Asian American in the Biden Cabinet is disappointing to say the least," tweeted Kurt Bardella, an MSNBC contributor and senior adviser to the anti-Trump Republican-founded Lincoln Project.
"Without #AsianAmericans, Democrats and @JoeBiden don’t win Georgia ... not having at least one Asian American in the Biden Cabinet is disappointing to say the least," tweeted Kurt Bardella, an MSNBC contributor and senior adviser to the anti-Trump Republican-founded Lincoln Project.
Biden has nominated some AAPI who Biden's transition team consider cabinet level but not as a head of one of the giant federal agencies. Earlier nominated Neera Tandan is his pick to head the Office of Management and Budget and Katherine Tai as the U.S. Trade Representative.
The AAPI community hopes to be represented on Biden's Cabinet were dashed Thursday when Biden announced his latest nominations to fill out his Cabinet. Biden named Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as his Labor Secretary and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo as Commerce Secretary.
On Tuesday, he announced Merrick Garland to be his Attorney General. In the same announcement, he named Vanita Gupta, a long-time civil rights attorney, as an Associate Attorney General, the No. 3 postion in the Department of Justice.
Biden's transition team also point to Vice Presient-elect Kamala Harris as one of the President-elect's close advisors hoping to mollify the AAPI community.
"President-elect Biden is working to build an administration that looks like America, starting with the first woman of South Asian descent and first Black woman to be Vice President-elect, as well as a historic slate of diverse nominees and appointees, to date. He will continue to deliver upon this vision over the coming weeks as he shapes the most diverse Cabinet in history," spokesman Jamal Brown said.
"President-elect Biden is working to build an administration that looks like America, starting with the first woman of South Asian descent and first Black woman to be Vice President-elect, as well as a historic slate of diverse nominees and appointees, to date. He will continue to deliver upon this vision over the coming weeks as he shapes the most diverse Cabinet in history," spokesman Jamal Brown said.
"The brazen exclusion of AAPIs in this incoming administration abandons and erases the AAPI community," said Madalene Xuan-Trang Mielke , President of Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.
Being the last picked for a team was embarassing but the hurt was tempered a bit because at least I was able to play. The situation is worse for the AAPI because we didn't even make the team.
CAPAC chair Chu praised the diversity of the Biden's Cabinet but couldn't hide their disappointment. "During the campaign, Biden said he would have the most diverse cabinet ever," Chu told the Washington Post last month. "The truth is, at this point, that it's the most diverse administration ever, except for AAPIs [...]."
EDITOR'S NOTE; A word of caution. This is an opinion piece. Readers should consult several sources of news to form their own opinion.
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