White House convenes summit addressing mental health needs of AA and NHPI

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Krystal Ka'ai, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. 

This year's mass shooters in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, the suicide of popular singer Coco Lee, the trauma suffered by Asian American elders in the season of anti-Asian hate are all recent examples of the growing need to address the mental health needs of Asian Americans.

“Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders face unique barriers to behavioral health care, and today’s summit is a critical step in destigmatizing psychological needs, improving health outcomes, and expanding access to quality, affordable mental health services for our communities,” said Krystal Ka‘ai, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. 

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and last week, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted an in-person summit focused on improving equity and access to behavioral health care for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.

“Our national survey data shows that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have significant mental health needs and concerns,” said Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and leader of SAMHSA, which co-hosted the July 20 mental health summit. 

Held in recognition of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, the historic event featured officials from key federal agencies, mental health professionals, researchers, federal policymakers, community organizations, and Biden-Harris Administration leaders -- including members of President Biden’s Cabinet. Through five issue-specific conversations, attendees worked to identify innovative federal and local solutions for the unique behavioral health challenges AA and NHPIs face.

“The well-being of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander individuals and families hold tremendous significance in our efforts to build a healthier nation,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. 

“At HHS, we embrace cultural competency and are committed to making behavioral health services accessible to underserved communities. This inaugural event will help to strengthen our efforts around behavioral health for AA and NHPIs,” said Becerra.

AA and NHPI communities have been deeply impacted by America’s mental health crisis, with the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Asian sentiment fueling a rise in depression, anxiety, stress, and physical symptoms. 

According to federal data, in 2020, suicide was the leading cause of death among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, ages 10 to 19, and the second leading cause of death among those ages 20-34. 

The political and cultural conditions that have generated anti-Asian hate has created a shaky mental health environment for AA and NHPIs.

The mental health woes are compounded because AA and NHPIs are some of the least likely communities to seek mental health treatment due to longstanding barriers – including cultural stigma, the lack of culturally competent care providers, and language barriers.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra spoke at the first ever AA and NHPI mental health summit
held at the White House.

The July 20 event, the first AA and NHPI mental health summit ever convened the Biden-Harris Administration, is the direct result of a May 2022 recommendation from the President’s Advisory Commission on AA and NHPIs. It also follows the release of the Administration’s first-ever national strategy to advance equity and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities in January 2023, and builds on President Biden’s comprehensive national strategy to transform how mental health is understood and treated.

In May 2021, President Joe Biden re-established and reinvigorated the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders through Executive Order 14031. The Initiative engages federal agencies to improve interagency policymaking, program development, and outreach, and address barriers impacting AA and NHPIs across the country.

“If we want to raise the bar in education, we must ensure our students feel safe, seen, and supported while at school. Yet the pandemic led to troubling declines in mental health for all students, including our Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian students,” said US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

“Because the AA and NHPI population is not monolithic, it is important to not only recognize the health disparities the whole community faces, but also the specific, distinct health inequities among these communities.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

Biden-Harris administration announces an unprecedented national strategy for AANHPI

WHITE HOUSE

Some of the AANHPI staff and managers that have been appointed by the Biden-Harris administration gathered for a photo with Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Perhaps more than any previous administration, President Biden and his administration has put the spotlight on the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Tuesday (Jan. 17) convened federal government officials and community leaders to mark the release of the Biden-Harris Administration’s first-ever National Strategy to Advance Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Communities.

FYI: Watch the full event here .

“From day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made clear their commitment to address the needs of underserved communities, including Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities,” said Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. “With the release of today’s national strategy, the public can see the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to advancing equity and addressing the challenges that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities face.”

In the special virtual event, senior Biden-Harris Administration officials outlined the details of 32 federal agency plans, which build on the Administration’s previous actions to promote safety and equity for AA and NHPIs. The wide-ranging policies ranged from increased multi-lingual  communication to making it a priority to address hate crimes against AANHPI to providing more disaggregated data across federal agencies.

Community leaders also discussed additional steps the federal government can take to address critical priorities for AA and NHPI communities, including data disaggregation, language access, and combating anti-Asian hate. 

FYI: WHIAANHPI is also soliciting public feedback on the agency plans here.

The unprecedented national strategy based on the work by WHAANHPI is the first national plan of its kind with elected officials, federal leaders, community members and prominent Asian Americans working together to combat racism.

“These commitments are bold, ambitious, and deeply aligned with the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader equity agenda. This national strategy also builds upon our shared progress to ensure the safety and prosperity of our families, neighborhoods, and communities.”

The event was moderated by WHIAANHPI Executive Director Krystal Ka‘ai, and included panel discussions moderated by Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and AA and NHPI Senior Liaison, along with Sonal Shah, Chief Commissioner of the President’s Advisory Commission on AA and NHPIs.

The need to address issues affecting the AANHPI communities occurs in an environment of increasing racist attacks against AANHPI. In the period of March 2020 to March 2022, there have been over 11,500 hate incidents recorded by Stop AAPI Hate.

The surge in hate attacks mobilized the AANHPI communities lobbying local and federal law enforcement, health agencies, media organizations and the religious community to address the racist incidents directed against all Asian American groups.

Parallel to becoming more vocal and demanding action, there was an increase in political activity by registering new voters and emboldening more AANHPI to run for political offices. The increase in AANHPI voters was able to affect elections in jurisdictions across the nation.

Since January 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken steps to address the needs of AA and NHPI communities by advancing policies that promote equity, expanding entry points to federal services and programs, and centering the experiences and resiliency of AA and NHPI communities. To support these efforts, WHIAANHPI engaged federal agencies to improve interagency policymaking, program development, and outreach efforts to AA and NHPI communities across the country.

In Summer 2022, 32 agencies – including all 15 executive departments in the President’s Cabinet – submitted agency plans that outline specific actions to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities. These plans are deeply aligned with the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader equity agenda and represent an historic first for the federal government.

READ the national strategy details for each federal agency.

Among the areas the federal actions:

Promoting Belonging and Inclusion and Addressing Anti-Asian Hate/Discrimination
Across the federal government, agencies have stepped up their efforts to respond to the increasing number of bias incidents and discrimination against AA and NHPIs, promote belonging, equity, and inclusion, and improve access to federal resources.

Addressing the Systemic Lack of Data Disaggregation on AA and NHPI Communities
The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to advancing racial equity through improved data collection, research, access, and disaggregation efforts. Better data leads to better and more informed policies that reflect the needs and priorities of the AA and NHPI communities.

Expanding Language Access Across Federal Programs
Federal agencies are taking critical action to expand access for limited English proficient communities and deliver greater equity for the diverse AA and NHPI community.

Building Capacity in AA and NHPI Communities
By increasing access to federal contracts, grants, and opportunities, the federal government is helping to break down persistent barriers to federal resources, center equity in grant-making, and build the capacity of AA and NHPI communities and organizations across the country.

Creating a Diverse Federal Workforce
The Biden-Harris Administration strives to make the federal government a model for diversity, equity, and inclusion and reflects the lived experiences and rich cultural backgrounds of all Americans, including the diverse members of the AA and NHPI community.

Increasing Outreach and Engagement Efforts and Cultivating Community Partnerships
To ensure that government policies are informed by and reflect the needs of the AA and NHPI community, agencies are engaging in meaningful outreach efforts to hear from community stakeholders, deepen partnerships, and expand access to government programs.

“These 32 agency action plans are the result of more than a year of work by dedicated public servants in collaboration with community advocates, and detail specific commitments to advance justice and opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders,” said US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai.“

A statement from the WHAANHPI said: "Advancing equity is not a one-year project – it is a generational commitment that will require sustained leadership and partnership with all communities."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Advisory Commission on AANHPI issues wide range of recommendations in its first report

The White House AANHPI Advisory Commission met in Washington DC on Sept. 29.

A report from the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders included more than a dozen recommendations for the President and Congress to enact within the remainder of President Biden's first term.

The inaugural report from the commission inaugural report given to President Joe Biden on August 24 but released publicly on Sept. 29 when the commission met at the White House.

“The inaugural report is the product of months of engagement with experts, community advocates, and federal officials. I commend our commissioners for their dedication and diligence in developing these recommendations,” said Chief Commissioner Sonal Shah. 

“Together, they represent a significant community-driven effort to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPIs. The Commission stands ready to provide guidance as the Biden-Harris Administration considers whether the recommendations should be implemented.”

The Commission, with its members appointed by President BIden, is co-chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai.

The recommendations, approved during the Commission’s first in-person meeting at the White House on May 12, 2022, were developed by 25 leaders appointed by the President who reflect the rich diversity of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities throughout the United States.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE - PDF

Some of the commission's recommendations include:

• All branches of the US military should adopt a standardized uniform policy that presumptively allows for religious articles of faith, such as turbans, beards, hijabs, and yarmulkes.

• With public-private partnerships, produce more public service announcements to counter the spate of anti-Asian hate

• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with the White House Office of Public Engagement (OPE) and Commission, host a mental health summit focusing on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander mental health.

• IUSCIS should reduce the backlog of immigration visas by expanding staffing and modernizing processes to reduce wait times, expanding premium processing services, providing automatic work permit renewals, securing funding, and more quickly processing work permits, travel documents, temporary status extensions, and other immigration applications.

• The federal government should ensure that emergency and disaster prevention, planning, response, mitigation, and recovery programs are inclusive of and reflect the lived experiences of limited English proficient populations.

• The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) update the minimum standards for federal data on race and ethnicity to fulfill its mission to produce full, fair, and accurate data on the status of health, education, labor, immigration, economy, and other vital indicators for all communities in our nation, including Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Who is Biden picking for the White House AANhPI Advisory Commission?

Twenty-three leaders in the AANHPI community have been recommended as commissioners to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

The 23 appointees announced by President Joe BIden Monday represent a wide swath of the AANHPI community coming from cultural, labor, health, business and nonprofit sectors.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, co-chairs of the White House Initiative on AANHPI and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, issued a joint statement following President Joe Biden’s announcement of his intent today to appoint 23 leaders to the Commission:

“As co-chairs of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, we offer our sincerest congratulations to the 23 commissioners who have been newly appointed today. They are distinguished leaders and experts from across the country, representing communities and private and public sectors nationwide, representing the diversity of the AA and NHPI populations. 

"We look forward to working together to provide independent recommendations to the President and the Federal government on ways the public, private and non-profit sectors can collaborate to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities.”

"I am pleased to see the President has appointed a group of highly-qualified individuals to be Commissioners," said Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. "Like the AANHPI community, this group of appointees comes from diverse backgrounds, each bringing with them their unique experiences and expertise, all of which reflect the dynamism and vibrancy of our community. I am confident that together, this Commission will help raise the profile and represent the needs and interests of all AANHPI communities nationwide.”

The Commission will advise the President on ways the public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together to advance equity and opportunity for AANHPI communities. The Commission is also charged with advising the President on policies to address anti-Asian xenophobia and violence, ways to build capacity in AA and NHPI communities through federal grantmaking, and policies to address the intersectional barriers that AANHPI women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities face.

The commission appointees are: 

Amy Agbayani

Dr. Amefil (Amy) Agbayani is an Emeritus Assistant Vice Chancellor for student diversity and equity, University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Agbayani was born in the Philippines and received her education from the University of the Philippines, East West Center and the University of Hawai’i. She is a former chair of the Hawai’i Civil Rights Commission, conducts research on AANHPI in higher education, member of the Patsy T.Mink PAC and The Legal Clinic for immigrant justice Hawai’i.

Teresita Batayola

Teresita Batayola is the President and Chief Executive Officer of International Community Health Services, Washington state’s largest Asian and Pacific Islander non-profit health center providing comprehensive health care to all those who need affordable care, especially immigrants and refugees. Batayola is an advocate for health care access, equity, and addressing social determinants of health. ICHS has received awards for its high quality of care and Batayola has been recognized in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Award for Outstanding Business & Philanthropic Contributions, Woman of Courage Undaunted from the University of Washington Women’s Center, and the Filipino Women’s Network’s Most Influential Filipino Woman in the World.

Ajay Bhutoria

Ajay Bhutoria is a Silicon Valley technology executive, community leader, speaker, and author that has been recognized for his work. He is a passionate advocate for the South Asian and AAPI communities in the areas of small businesses, educational opportunities, immigration issues, and technological advancement. His expertise in the areas of organizational transformations and change management has supported critical advancements within the AAPI community, and he is committed to the creation of a compassionate and empowering environment for all.

Luisa Blue

Luisa Blue retired from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in August 2020 after serving as an Executive Vice President for four years, one of the highest ranking AAPI officials in the labor movement. During her term was responsible for the SEIU Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Engagement and Leadership program, a member of the Racial Justice Task Force, chair of the Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, and chair of the Ethical Culture Committee. She served on the SEIU Executive Board prior to her election as Executive Vice President. Luisa continues to be active in the community and serves on the Asian Health Services Community Board, a Trustee on Alameda County Health Systems Board of Trustees, and Vice President of the AAPI Victory Alliance Board. Luisa is the proud grandmother of seven grandchildren.

Kimberly Chang

Kimberly Seu Gin Chang, MD, MPH, born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai`i in a six generation kama`āina family, is a board-certified family physician in Oakland, California, at Asian Health Services, a federally qualified community health center. Dr. Chang has dedicated her 20+ year career to focusing on the health of the underserved AANHPI community, including people vulnerable to and affected by human trafficking and exploitation, developing national clinical and health policy recommendations for this issue. Dr. Chang has received numerous awards, most recently the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 2020 Emerging Public Health Professional Award and the 2021 UCSF Alumni Humanitarian Service Award. She received her undergraduate degree from Columbia College of Columbia University, her medical degree from the University of Hawai`i, her MPH from Harvard with the Commonwealth Fund Minority Health Policy Fellowship, and her residency training at UCSF. Dr. Chang currently serves as the Vice Speaker of the House for the National Association of Community Health Centers, and as expert faculty for Health Partners on Intimate Partner Violence + Exploitation at Futures Without Violence.

Emily Chen

Emily Chen is Chief of Research at Olshan Realty and manages the Private Wealth Real Estate Services, providing brokerage expertise along with research and consulting capabilities. She co-founded the Olshan Luxury Market Report, a weekly real-time snapshot of the Manhattan residential real estate market, which became the industry standard and revolutionized how the market is analyzed and evaluated. A former National Big Sister of the Year, Chen serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and is on the Executive Committee. Chen is a graduate of Georgetown University and Co-Founder and Executive Producer of Stand Up for Georgetown.

Kerry Doi

A 4th generation Japanese-American born on a Hawaiian plantation, Mr. Kerry Doi has spent his life combatting hate and solidifying his commitment to social and economic justice. For over 46 years, Mr. Doi has dedicated his work to the cause and the community development space through his leadership at Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE) – one of the nation’s largest Asian-led community development organizations serving 40,000 minority, low income individuals annually through workforce, small business, environmental justice, affordable housing, and early childhood education. He has served on numerous local, state, and national boards including his current appointments as Chair of the CA Community Economic Development Association, Vice Chair and Treasurer of the LA Housing Partnership, and member of the LA County Small Business Commission.

Grace Huang

Grace Huang, J.D., is a Taiwanese-American attorney who has advocated on behalf of the rights of survivors of domestic and sexual violence for almost 30 years as a legal services lawyer, attorney in private practice, and policy advocate. She currently is the Director of Policy at the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, where she focuses on federal policy to address the needs of survivors in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Ms. Huang serves on the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence, on the Washington State Women’s Commission. Ms. Huang also co-chairs the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors, working to address the needs of survivors of gender-based violence in the immigration system.

Victoria Huynh

Victoria Huynh is currently the Senior Vice President of the Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS), the largest nonprofit in the Southeast to focus on issues and concerns of AANHPI communities, especially women, children, and families. For more than a decade, Huynh has advocated for equitable language access, promoted local civic engagement, protected immigrant rights, championed cultural competency, and developed vital social service programs within the immigrant and refugee communities in Atlanta, Georgia. Mrs. Huynh’s experiences in her limited English proficient (LEP) Vietnamese Refugee household, fuels her passion for community building, strategic planning, and policy work within immigrant and refugee spaces. She is an MBA candidate and currently serves as consultant, board member, and panelist on various boards influencing state and local funding, nominations, and programs that impact communities of color.

Mia Ives-Rublee

Mia Ives-Rublee, MSW, is currently the Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. She obtained her Master’s in Social Work at University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill. She was also recognized as one of Glamour Women of the Year in 2017, She the People’s 20 Women of Color in Politics to Watch in 2020, and received the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award from the UNC School of Social Work. Ives-Rublee works at the intersection of disability, race, and gender, helping promote equity and opportunity for marginalized communities through policy and organizing.

Kamal Kalsi

Dr. Kamal Singh Kalsi, LTC, USAR is an emergency medicine physician from New Jersey that has served in the Army for 20 years and was awarded a Bronze Star medal for his work taking care of hundreds of combat casualties on the front lines in Afghanistan. He has transitioned into the Army reserves, and now serves as a senior advisor for Policy Vets and a Fellow of the Truman National Security Project’s Defense Council. He founded the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA) in order to promote diversity, religious freedom, and service.

Michelle Kauhane

Michelle Kauhane is the Senior Vice President of Community Grants & Initiatives at Hawaii Community Foundation. Previously, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement where she engaged in lending and investment services deploying capital in underserved native Hawaiian communities statewide. Michelle has a background in non-profit management, organizational leadership, community based economic development and public policy advocacy. She has served on numerous local and national boards and currently sits on the Community Advisory Council at the Federal Reserve of San Francisco to offer perspectives on the economic and financial service needs of low- and moderate- income populations in Hawaii. She is a graduate of Gonzaga University.

Daniel Dae Kim

Daniel Dae Kim is an award-winning actor, director and producer. In addition to his series regular roles on TV’s LOST and THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX, Kim starred as the King of Siam in Lincoln Center’s Broadway production of the KING AND I. In addition to his numerous credits as an actor, he is developing both film and television projects as a producer with his company, 3AD. His current projects include THE GOOD DOCTOR currently airing on ABC. Recently, he also turned to advocacy, joining the Asian American Foundation, where he serves a Co-Chair of the Advisory Council. Mr. Kim can next be seen as an actor in the live action adaptation of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. He currently lives in Hawaii with his family.

Kevin Kim

Kevin D. Kim is a seasoned attorney, entrepreneur, and public servant. He is a co-founder of Abakidz, a mental math program. In public service, Mr. Kim was the first Korean American to win a NYC primary election as a 2009 Democratic nominee for a NYC Council seat, then served as the first Asian American commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA), and now serves as the first Korean American Member of the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York (CUNY) where he chairs the Audit Committee. He has served on the boards of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), Korean American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY), American Red Cross – Queens Chapter, Friends of THIRTEEN, International Student Conferences, Inc. (ISC), Korean American Community Foundation (KACF), and the Fordham Law School Voting Rights and Democracy Project (Advisory Board). Mr. Kim received his B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University and his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a member of the Columbia Law Review.

Sarah Min

Sarah Min is an advocate and former media executive. Min promotes the advancement of mission-driven organizations who are transforming how to use technology, media and person-to-person outreach to mobilize people and change perceptions about women and people of color. From 2013-2019, Min was an independent consultant, working with clients such as HBO, Penguin Random House and other nonprofits, Previously, she served as Executive Vice President for, Marketing & Corporate Development for ScrollMotion, an enterprise software company. Min also was the Managing Editor of Vibe and Domino magazines, a director at media company Bertelsmann, as well as President of literary publishing company McSweeney’s. She serves as a director on nonprofit boards, including Color of Change and EMILY’s List, and has been engaged in grassroots organizations, including the Korean American Community Foundation and the Asian American Power Network. Sarah holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Simon Pang

Emigrated from Singapore in late 1989, Pang has been in banking industry since 1981. Pang is currently an Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of Royal Business Bank. He is active in community service and was appointed to positions in statewide nonprofit organizations, including California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, California Highway Patrol Citizens Advisory Board member, Los Angeles County Sheriff Youth Foundation Board member, US-Sino Friendship Association President, US-Sino Aviation Heritage Foundation Honorable Chairman. He has also served as a National Governing Board Member and National Diversity Coalition Advisor with the national nonprofit Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs.

Ai-jen Poo

Ai-jen Poo is an award-winning organizer, author, and a leading voice in the women’s movement. She is the Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Director of Caring Across Generations, Co-Founder of SuperMajority, Co-Host of Sunstorm podcast and a Trustee of the Ford Foundation. Ai-jen is a nationally recognized expert on elder and family care, the future of work, and what’s at stake for women of color. She is the author of the celebrated book, The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America.

Naheed Qureshi

Naheed Qureshi is Head of Policy Partnerships at Instacart. Ms. Qureshi has had an extensive 20-year career in civil rights, including serving as a founding board member and later deputy director of Muslim Advocates and as co-chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Hate Crimes and Bigotry Task Force. Ms. Qureshi started her career in the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program and has also worked at the Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the City of Los Angeles, and the national legislative office of the ACLU. Ms. Qureshi received a B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. The daughter of immigrants from Pakistan, she was raised in Wisconsin and is an avid Packers fan.

Raynald Samoa

Dr. Raynald Samoa is an endocrinologist at the City of Hope and his current research projects include a faith-based community-centered diabetes prevention program in the San Gabriel Valley investigating a social-connectedness modified approach. Dr. Samoa served as the Lead for the National Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response Team and has authored several manuscripts describing the impact of COVID-19 on Pacific Islander communities. He has testified to the House of Representative Ways and Means Committee during a session entitled the disproportionate impact of  COVID-19 ON communities of color. He currently is the technical assistance lead for the Healing Association of Pacific Islander Physicians, a professional organization associated with the National Association of Organization of Pacific Islander Organizations.

Sonal Shah

Sonal Shah is a social impact and innovation leader that has launched and led social impact efforts in academia, government, and the private and philanthropic sectors for over 25 years. She is the Founding President of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), starting the largest philanthropic effort to serve the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Prior to TAAF, Shah founded and led Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, providing students a first-hand opportunity to work on social impact projects in the public, private, and social sectors. She served as Deputy Assistant to President Obama and created the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, worked on international development at the Department of Treasury, and led social impact efforts at Google and Goldman Sachs. She serves on the boards of TAAF, Oxfam America, the Century Foundation, and the National Democratic Institute.

Smita Shah

Smita N. Shah is an engineer, entrepreneur, and civic leader serving as President and CEO of Chicago-based SPAAN Tech, Inc, a multi-disciplinary firm with expertise in public and private infrastructure projects including transportation, aviation, and facilities. Shah serves in various roles with the Chicago Plan Commission, M.I.T., the Museum of Science and Industry, After School Matters, Delhi Chicago Sister Cities Program, YPO, the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, and the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She is a member of the board of MacLean Fogg Company and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago. Shah earned her Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University, her Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from M.I.T., and a Post Graduate Certificate in Management Studies from Oxford University.

Robert Underwood

Robert A. Underwood is a former Member of Congress representing Guam for 10 years. He is also President Emeritus of the University of Guam and has the distinction of being the longest serving President of the university. He has served the nation as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the founding Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Scholarship Fund. As a scholar and activist, he has served his region and his people as a passionate advocate for the respect and maintenance of the Chamoru language and the empowerment of the peoples of Micronesia.

KaYing Yang

For more than three decades, KaYing has been a social justice advocate who has built and led community organizing, public policy engagement, and development efforts locally, nationally, and globally. She began her career as a community organizer and executive manager providing social services and advocacy for the protection of refugees and immigrants in Minnesota at the Women’s Association of Hmong and Lao. She then went on to defend and promote immigrant and human rights by serving in a number of organizations including the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the International Organization for Migration, the International Finance Corporation, and the Coalition of Asian American Leaders in Minnesota. All of her work comes from a deep experience having come to the United States as a Hmong refugee at the age of seven in 1976 where she experienced firsthand the struggles faced by communities experiencing generational trauma and poverty.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

New White House Initiative seeks to lift up Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander communities & increase presence in gov't

WHITE HOUSE

Among the first acts of President Biden was the re-establishment of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders which was formally launched Thursday.

Keeping a promise the President made the first week he took office, the Biden-Harris administration formally launched Thursday  the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra launched the Biden-Harris Administration’s White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) and announced U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai as his co-chair of both the White House Initiative and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. 

The Initiative, which was created in response to the President’s Executive Order (EO) 14031, Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders,is charged with driving an ambitious, whole-of-government agenda to advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities in the United States.

“Returning the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to HHS, where it originated, represents an important step in reinvigorating this historic initiative,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. In the Trump administration it was housed in the Department of Commerce.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to tackling a wide scope of challenges impacting communities that have been historically overlooked and underserved. I look forward to working with Ambassador Katherine Tai in leading our federal efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities across the nation.”

Like other communities of color, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to exacerbating long-standing health inequities facing AA and NHPI communities, the language of some political leaders during this public health crisis has also fueled a spike in anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, and violence. To address these inequities, the new WHIAANHPI is housed within HHS, returning this initiative to the Department where it was first launched under the Clinton Administration in 1999.

The Biden-Harris administration formally relaunched the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, keeping a promise the President made the first few months of his administration.

The Initiative, which was created in response to the President’s Executive Order (EO) 14031, Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders,is charged with driving an ambitious, whole-of-government agenda to advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities in the United States.

Like other communities of color, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to exacerbating long-standing health inequities facing AA and NHPI communities, the language of some political leaders during this public health crisis has also fueled a spike in anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, and violence. To address these inequities, the new WHIAANHPI is housed within HHS, returning this initiative to the Department where it was first launched under the Clinton Administration in 1999.

“President Biden, Vice President Harris and the entire Administration are committed to creating a more equal, just, and inclusive America. Leading this initiative with Secretary Becerra will be a critical part of our work across government to expand opportunity, confront systemic barriers to success, and address the rising violence targeted at the AA and NHPI community,” said co-chair and Ambassador Katherine Tai, U.S. Trade Representative. 

“With today’s launch of WHIAANHPI’s Interagency Working Group and Regional Network within HHS, we now have the tools to secure resources, promote opportunities, and increase the visibility of AA and NHPI communities,” said WHIAANHPI Executive Director Krystal Ka‘ai. “I am honored to serve under the leadership of Secretary Becerra and Ambassador Tai during this pivotal time for our community as we work to build a brighter future for generations to come.”

Under the leadership of Becerra and Tai, the newly-expanded Initiative includes an Interagency Working Group tasked with coordinating the federal government’s efforts to support AA and NHPI communities. It also includes a Regional Network comprised of federal officials in ten federal regions across the country who help to connect AA and NHPI communities with federal grants, programs, and resources.

The WHIAANHPI under the Biden-Harris Administration will focus on helping to coordinate a comprehensive federal response to the rise in acts of anti-Asian bias and violence; address the systemic lack of disaggregated data on AA and NHPI communities; expand language access and language assistance programs for AA and NHPI individuals across federal programs; address educational, health, economic, and housing disparities impacting AA and NHPI communities, and more. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION on the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, link to www.hhs.gov/whiaanhpi. 

"I’m proud to see (the WHIAANHPI) expanding under President Biden to focus on health equity and pandemic response, two areas where AANHPIs are disproportionately at risk, said Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. "I am pleased to see the Initiative re-establishing their federal interagency working group and their regional network to ensure that our communities all across the country see their voices and needs reflected throughout our federal government."

“The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders is the embodiment of the longstanding commitment and vision that President Biden and Vice President Harris have for our diverse and growing community,” said Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison Erika Moritsugu. 

“This Administration has delivered results for AA and NHPI communities with the President's whole-of-government approach to equity, along with the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, and now again with the reinvigoration and expansion of this historic Initiative.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentaries, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Asian American leaders back Filipino American's appointment as California's attorney general

CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLYMEMBER ROB BONTA

Support for a Filipino American legislator to be appointed as California's next Attorney General is gaining momentum.

If the state's current Attorney General Xavier Becerra is confirmed as President-elect Joe Biden's Health and Human Services Secretary, that will leave a vacancy for California's top lawman. That's when Gov. Gavin Newsom could appoint Assemblymember Rob Bonta as his new AG.

As soon as Biden nominated Becerra, endorsements for Bonta began to pop up in letters to the governor and in the media.

Bonta, 48, has represented Assembly District 18 since 2012 when he was elected as California's first Filipino American state legislator.

A host of AAPI political leaders, including some of the best known statewide politicians, have thrown their support behind Bonta. Among AAPI leaders who declared their support for Bonta during a press conference Tuesday were former U.S. Rep. T.J. Cox, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and State Controller Betty Yee.

If Bonta were to be appointed California's AG, he would be the first Asian American to hold that politically powerful and highly visible position.

Bonta earned his law degree from Yale Law School. He grew up in La Paz, California, the headquarters of the United Farm Workers. His parents were union organizers for the UFW.

In the state legislator, one of his first bills signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown made UFW founder and labor legend Larry Itliong's birthday a day to be observed in the state.

He has also tackled a wide range of California's most urgent and difficult issues such as: Criminal Justice Reform, Environmental Policy, Tenant Rights (Just Cause Evictions), Pension Reform (CalSTRS), Protecting Consumers from Surprise Medical Bills, Banning Private Prisons, and Cannabis Policy. 

A letter sent to Newsom from Filipino American elected leaders and former office holders emphasized his nearly 15 years of experience as a practicing attorney with litigation experience in the public and private sectors. Bonta has legal experience in key areas, including civil rights, criminal law, governmental affairs, consumer protection, contract, and fraud. He also has significant experience as a practicing governmental attorney, serving as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco for nearly a decade.

Several criminal justice advocacy groups also announced their support for Bonta last week, citing his leadership in the Assembly fighting to outlaw private prisons, end cash bail and reform sentencing laws.

“He will be a partner in helping end mass incarceration and implementing evidence-based changes to our criminal justice system,” executive director of Re:Store Justice California Adnan Khan told the Sacramento Bee.

Becerra, who has filed numerous lawsuits against policies instigated by the Trump administration, still must undergo confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate but with the Democrats taking charge in the Senate, his nominations should go through without difficulty.

EDITOR'S NOTE; A word of caution. This is an opinion piece. Readers should consult several sources of news to form their own opinion.

People of color growing impatient waiting for Biden's Cabinet picks to look like America

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra nominated to head Health and Human Services as
AAPI leaders patience is wearing thin.

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus met Monday (Dec. 7) with the Biden-Harris transition team to express their concern about adequate representation in the incoming Biden administration.

Biden is under increasing pressure from groups that feel that Blacks, Hispanics and Asians are not being appointed to premiere positions in the incoming administration.

Thus far, the only Asian Americans -- Neera Tandem and Vivek Murthy have been nominated for Office of Management and Budget director and Surgeon General. respectively -- have been nominated. While these are important. roles, they are considered not in the top tier.

“Look, it’s each one of these groups’ jobs to push their leaders to make sure there’s a greater diversity,” Biden said at a news conference Friday. “What I can promise you is when this is all said and done, you see everyone that I’ve announced – and it was going to be in the next several weeks, we’ll have it all out there – you’re going to see significant diversity. I’m not going to tell you now exactly what I’m going to do in any department, but I promise you it will be the single most diverse Cabinet based on race, color, based on gender, that’s ever existed in the United States of America.”

As if to underscore his commitment to diversity, on Friday Biden announced that retired General Lloyd Austin, an African American, is his nominee for Secretary of Defense.

On Monday, Biden followed up by naming a Latino, Xavier Becerra, California's Attorney General, to head Health & Human Services, which will be in the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus.

Two weeks ago, Alejandro Mayorkas, a Cuban American, was picked to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Both Defense, HHS, and DHS are considered top-level positions.

Last week, Biden nominated Cecilia Rouse, a Black woman, to chair the Council of Economic Advisers, a position which the President-elect announced will elevate to the Cabinet level.

Meanwhile, while CAPAC met with the transition team on Monday, leaders of civil rights organizations plan to meet today (Dec. 9) with Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to also discuss how to increase diversity in the appointments to Cabinet-level seats and other top administration posts.

Marc Morial, CEO of the National Urban League, said he and leaders of other civil rights organizations will discuss racial equity and social justice with Biden and Harris.

The high-powered civil rights groups included the National Action Network, NAACP, National Urban League, National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Despite having one of their own members, Kamala Harris, as Vice President-elect, the meeting with CAPAC members apparently didn't extract any concrete results, but their concerns were noted. "I appreciate the time they took to speak with our members on several important priorities for our caucus and the broader AAPI community," said Rep. Judy Chu, chair of CAPAC.

"In the meeting, we highlighted how excited we are that one of our very own CAPAC Members, Kamala Harris, will be the first woman, first Asian American, and first Black Vice President in our nation’s history. We also discussed the critical need to ensure that AAPIs are well represented throughout the entire Biden-Harris Administration, particularly in the Cabinet and other senior roles.

CAPAC members also raised important policy priorities, such as the need to address the disproportionate health and economic impacts of COVID-19 on AAPIs, concerns over growing anti-Asian racism throughout the pandemic, and prioritizing data disaggregation for the AAPI community. 

CAPAC sent a letter to the transition team shortly after Biden triumphed over Trump reminding them of the role AAPI voters played in the election.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are seven percent of the U.S. population and the fastest-growing racial group in the nation, with over 23 million AAPIs living in this country today," said the letter. "AAPIs are also the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. electorate and turned out in record numbers in the 2020 election, with over two-thirds of the AAPI vote supporting your election.

“For over two decades, there has been at least one AAPI appointed to serve in the Cabinet of both Democratic and Republican administrations. In fact, the Obama Administration included a record three AAPI Cabinet secretaries and the Trump Administration included two AAPI women in the Cabinet. In order to ensure your administration is filled with appointees who truly reflect the strength and diversity of our nation, we urge you to continue this trend of appointing AAPI candidates to the Cabinet and prioritizing AAPI representation throughout your administration."

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

California sues Trump administration for telling foreign students: risk your health by attending classes or face deportation

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

International students at UC Davis are reassured: 'You belong here."

California is the first state to sue the Trump administration latest attempt to limit entry of immigrants and visitors from other countries.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley, and California State University Chancellor Timothy White Thursday (July 9)  announced the State of California is filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful policy that threatens to exacerbate the spread of COVID-19 and exile hundreds of thousands of college students studying in the United States through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

“With this lawsuit, California is standing up for the 21,000 international students who attend our community colleges and standing up for our right to continue teaching and learning in a safe and responsible way during the pandemic,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley.

The lawsuit by the Attorney General comes after the University of California announced its lawsuit against the federal agencies, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

California's suit is also separate from the lawsuit filed Harvard, MIT and Northeastern University on Wednesday.

“To UC’s international students, I say: ‘We support you and regret the additional chaos ICE’s action has caused,’ ” said UC Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez.

More than 160,000 international students attend California colleges and universities, according to NAFSA, an association of international educators — including about 40,000 at UC. China and India are far and away the top two home countries of international students.

UC Davis senior Kymberley Chu, who is Malaysian and studying international relations and anthropology, called forcing students to attend in-person classes or face deportation  malicious and inhumane. “It’s just saying, ‘I’m gonna kick out all these foreigners, despite the fact that they have ties and relationships, people, places and the things we’re doing,’” Chu said. “We already have lives here.”

The decision to strictly enforced the rule amidst a pandemic would affect students on F-1 academic visas and M-1 vocational education visas.

At a time when COVID-19 cases are surging across the state, immigration policy requires international students to take classes in person — putting themselves, teachers, other students, and the community at large at risk of getting and spreading the coronavirus — or be subject to deportation.

Beyond the myriad significant direct harms to individual students, the mission of California’s higher education institutions would suffer if international students are forced to disenroll because of the Trump Administration’s arbitrary actions. It will also likely further burden educational institutions at a time when the state faces significant budget shortfalls and schools are already struggling to confront the economic and public health impacts of COVID-19.

"Shame on the Trump Administration for risking not only the education opportunities for students who earned the chance to go to college, but now their health and well-being as well,” said Becerra. “President Trump appears set to do just that — amidst a global pandemic of historic proportions. Not on our watch. No one graduates more students from college or assembles a more talented and diverse group of future leaders than California. ... We'll see the Trump Administration in court."

As the state with the largest university systems in the nation, California is committed to doing everything it can to protect hardworking people who have earned the right to study and contribute to our communities.

The Trump Administration’s shift in policy on SEVP flies directly in the face of guidance it previously issued and advertised as being in place for the duration of the pandemic emergency, which universities and students across the country relied upon to make plans for the upcoming school year and protect the safety and well-being of their students. 

Moreover, with new COVID-19 cases averaging more than 7,500 a day in California over the last week, the Trump Administration policy threatens to also turn California’s colleges and universities into “super-spreaders” of the disease.

"Students are experiencing extreme changes and obstacles in their education as a result of the pandemic, but now ICE is treating international students like political pawns and dictating educational choices and leveraging immigration status as a weapon," said a statement from Asian Americans Advancing Justice. "This new move is another notch of cruelty in a long list of white supremacist policies targeting the immigrant community."

What's up, 2019?: Census question stokes fear in AAPI community; resurrects horror of Japanese American incarceration

VIEWS FROM THE EDGE

and ASAM NEWS

EVERY 10 YEARS, the United States is mandated by the Constitution to count every person in the U.S. 

The next Census will take place in 2020, but 2019 will be filled with debate over whether or not to ask the question about citizenship. Chief among issues is a question asking for the citizenship status of individuals.

Last year, against the recommendations of the Census Bureau, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross approved a request from the Justice Department to add the following question to the 2020 census: “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” despite the fact the question hasn't been used since 1950.

EDITOR'S NOTE: What's Up, 2019: is part of series of posts about issues facing the AAPI community in the coming year. 

• Trump wants to deport public benefit recipients
• Immigration reform strikes at heart of Asian America

"Make no mistake – immigrants and citizens who have immigrants in their household will be reluctant to participate in a census that asks about citizenship," warns Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a nonprofit legal advancy group in a statement.

"The resulting undercount will be devastating to the Asian Pacific American community because as a whole, they are the 'newest' Americans, with 92 percent of the community comprised of individuals who are foreign-born or are the children of immigrants," the statement continues.

Adding the question in 2020, in the current atmosphere of xenophobia spurred by the anti-immigration rhetoric coming out of the White House, will depress an actual count, say civil rights advocates. They believe that immigrants, no matter their legal status, will hesitate to participate in the decennial count out of fear that the information would be used against them to the point of getting deported.

Their fear is not unfounded. The reason the question was thrown out in the first place is because the Census was used to identify, locate and imprison Japanese Americans during World War II.

Despite the government’s denial, records confirm that the Bureau provided the U.S. Secret Service with specific names and residential addresses of Japanese Americans.

According to WAMU, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John DeWitt, who oversaw and supported the mass removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast, wrote in a 1943 report for the War Department: “The most important single source of information prior to the evacuation was the 1940 Census of Population.”

“The consequences of adding this question are far too great to just sit by silently,” says Sharon Sakamoto, 75, who was born in the Minidoka prison camp located in Idaho.

TWITTER / NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION

Rep. Grace Meng speaks at a New York City rally protesting the citizenship question.

Former Commerce Secretary Norman Mineta also opposes the proposed question and wants the government to remember its history. Mineta, 87, was sent to a Wyoming prison camp with his family when he was 10 years old, and worries that the intentions of the citizenship question is to intimidate. 

“One of the things it does is intimidate people,” he says. “All I could think of was what it was like for [Japanese-American] evacuees to be facing a census and whether or not that information could be used.”

Supporters of the question, added at the last minute and skipped the normal testing before being approved, say its inclusion is logical and necessary to enforce the Voting Rights Act.

“I’m perplexed and surprised that of the sudden concern over the Voting Rights Academy. We have legislation in Congress that we can work on together if they are concerned about the Voting Rights Act,” said Rep. Grace Meng after hearings involving Secretary Ross. “The Trump campaign, in my previous unrelated question, was about the Trump campaign sending out a campaign email asking about how people felt about the inclusion of this new citizenship question. So, they are, indeed, politicizing the census.”

After the hearings, it was learned that Ross lied to the members of the House Commerce Committee. While under oath, Meng asked Ross where the question came from and he lied, saying he wasn’t sure but that it wasn’t him or the White House that was involved. Emails show former White House aide Steve Bannon asked Ross to do it while he was still at the White House.

"He (Ross) lied to my face," said Meng. She said it is now clear that adding the question was politically motivated. Critics, including former Census Bureau directors, fear the administration will use the question to suppress voter participation and will undercount the immigrants who fear the information will be used tby Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport immigrants, no matter their status.

The controversial citizenship question has previously raised suspicions due to the current administration’s ongoing anti-immigrant tactics. And despite the government shutdown, the administration will still face a trial in San Francisco on Jan. 7.

The lawsuit by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra contends that if the Census undercounts immigrants, it would produce an inaccurate talley violating its constitutional purpose, which is to divide up seats in the U.S. House of Representatives based on the total U.S. population. 

Census numbers also are used to allocate billions of dollars in federal funds for infrastructure, law enforcement, education, health and other social services.

If immigrants shun the Census, it could reduce the number of congressional seats and the amount of federal funding in states with large numbers of foreign-born residents, such as California, which has been a thorn in Trump's side with its opposition to many of his proposals, New York, Nevada, Hawaii, Washington and also GOP-dominated states such as Texas and Florida. 

This summer, the U.S. Census is planning to field test a 2020 census form that includes the controversial citizenship question to find out if the question might affect responses to the upcoming national head count.

"This foolish decision will produce long-lasting negative effects. Immigrant communities, fearful of deportation because of the administration's rhetoric, will be less likely to respond out of concern their information is not confidential," wrote Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, in a New York Times oped. 

"If our data is skewed, then our approaches to public health, infrastructure and other national issues will be faulty," she continued. "An undercount will mean our neediest communities may not receive much needed care. Students who rely on the National School Lunch Program may go without lunch, affecting their health and academic goals. In the end, a citizenship question will not produce an accurate census. It will create an inaccurate count, instill fear in our communities, and undermine our ability to help people."
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