Readout of the White House’s Listening Session with Asian American and Pacific Islander Leaders on Rising Hate Crimes and Incidents Against Asian American Communities

Today, Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice, White House Public Engagement Director Cedric Richmond, Acting Director of the White House Initiative on AAPIs Laura Shin, and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President Rohini Kosoglu hosted a virtual roundtable listening session with Asian American and Pacific Islander advocates and community leaders from across the country to discuss the increasing rates of anti-Asian harassment and violence. Participants shared their perspectives on the climate of fear that Asian American communities are facing. They also shared the important work they are doing across the country, recommendations for preventing and addressing violence against Asian American communities, and highlighted the coalition building that is happening across communities.

Ambassador Rice and Congressman Richmond expressed gratitude for the participants’ courageous leadership in addressing acts of violence and bias against Asian American communities. They reiterated President Biden’s commitment to ending anti-Asian violence and bias, and confronting the role that some federal leaders played during the COVID-19 pandemic in promoting unfounded fear and bias against Asian American communities. Ambassador Rice and Congressman Richmond also underscored that the President has made it the policy of his Administration to condemn and combat xenophobia against Asian Americans. In his Presidential Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, President Biden charged the Department of Justice with partnering with Asian American communities to prevent and better collect data on hate crimes against Asian American communities. The President also directed Federal agencies to ensure their official actions mitigate anti-Asian bias.

Organizations participating in today’s meeting included:

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: John Yang
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus: Aarti Kohli
• Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum: Juliet Choi
• Asian American Federation: Jo-Ann Yoo
• Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations: Jeff Caballero
• Asian American Journalists Association: Naomi Tacuyan Underwood
• AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: EunSook Lee
• Chinese for Affirmative Action: Cynthia Choi
• Coalition of Asian American Leaders: Bo Thao-Urabe
• Empowering Pacific Islander Communities: Tavae Samuelu
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association: Priya Purandare
• National Council on Asian Pacific Americans: Gregg Orton
• OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates: Thu Nguyen
• Sikh American Legal Defense & Educational Fund: Kiran Gill
• South Asian Americans Leading Together:  Mahnoor Hussain
• Southeast Asian Research Action Center: Quyen Dinh

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