The Biden-Harris administration on Tuesday announced multiple federal programs aimed at helping people in Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
The new “action plans,” which include participation from 32 different federal agencies, are part of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, which was announced by President Joe Biden in May 2021. The new initiative will focus on addressing the rising number of hate incidents against Asian Americans, and will also aim to increase equity, according to a Tuesday news release.
Top priorities for the White House Initiative included combatting anti-Asian hate and increasing inclusion for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
One of the lasting issues that law enforcement has highlighted as it relates to the rising number of hate crimes is that many incidents are unreported.
In Dallas, the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans spiked following the shooting at a hair salon in Koreatown.
As part of the White House initiative, the Department of Justice has released a website for people to self-report hate crimes and incidents. The self-reporting tool is available in 24 languages.
Additionally, the White House initiative will look for ways to increase language access for federal programs, the news release stated.
The Biden-Harris administration will also focus on better data desegregation and collection from Asian American communities, as well as those from Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage. Federal agencies will also try to increase the number of employees who are hired from these communities.
