It's Asian American, Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Instiutions Week.

Propective students taking a tour of University of California-Irvine, where AANHPI students are
 in the majority as undergrads and in graduate programs.

A Congressional resolution was introduced to recognize the week of Sept. 27-Oct 3, as Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Week.

“As a former public school teacher and current member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, I’m glad to be recognizing AANAPISI Week and the many Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) that bridge the existing gaps in educational opportunities and give underserved communities a fighting chance to succeed," said Rep. Mark Takano, D-CA, chair of the Education Task Force of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) are defined under the Higher Education Act (HEA) as colleges or universities with an undergraduate enrollment that is at least 10% Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander. 

While AANAPISIs make up only 5% of the colleges and universities in the United States, they enroll nearly 40% of all AANHPI undergraduates in the nation.

“As a proud graduate of a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), I know I wouldn't be where I am today without the opportunities I received through higher education," said Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-WA, who is of Korean descent. "Like other MSIs, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) are invaluable to supporting low-income, first generation AAPI students, and enroll nearly 40% of all AANHPI undergraduates nationally."

“AANAPISI Week gives us the chance to elevate the work of AANAPISIs and to further amplify the need and demand for improved availability and quality of postsecondary education programs to serve the diverse needs of Asian-American, Pacific Islander, and low-income students,” stated Dr. Noel Harmon, President, APIA Scholars.

The AANAPISI Program was originally authorized on September 27, 2007, by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Since its founding, some 217 colleges and universities have been eligible as AANAPISIs throughout the United States, including the United States territories.

“The growth of AANAPISIs and their reach and impact on the APIA community is truly evident by the many scholar success stories that we have collected in our own work with APIA students,” states Dr. Julie Ajinkya, Senior Vice President of APIA Scholars. “It is our hope to bring even greater visibility to this work and to help to grow in numbers those institutions who qualify as AANAPISI.”

Today, there are currently 166 eligible Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions operating in the United States, including the U.S. territories. Since the program began in 2007, 38 institutions have received funding, yet currently there are only 20 institutional grantees.

Below are the AANAPISIs currently receiving funding:

American River College
Bunker Hill Community College
California State University, East Bay
California State University, Sacramento
Hunter College
Laney College
Metropolitan State University
Middlesex Community College

Mission College
Mt. San Antonio College
Northern Marianas College
Oakton Community College
Pacific University
Palau Community College
Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
San Francisco State University

University of California, Irvine
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

"It must be our goal to reject the myth of the model minority, and fully support AANAPI students seeking educational opportunities to improve their quality of life by investing in the institutions, resources, and programs that cater to our diverse population," said Takano. "Education is a hallmark of the American Dream that everyone should have equal access to.”

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