This past weekend, I heard George Takei speak at the Library of Congress. He discussed his new children’s book on WWII incarceration: soldiers coming to the door of his Los Angeles home, temporary incarceration at the Santa Anita horse stalls, the multi-day train rides to Rowher, Arkansas and later, Tule Lake.

Earlier this week, I was honored to be a guest of President Biden’s at the White House to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month. There, I was able to reflect alongside other AANHPI leaders and celebrate all of the work the President has done to uplift this community.

In April 2022, the White House released recommendations for increasing the collection of data to measure equity and better represent the diversity of the American people, including AANHPI communities. This was the first change to ethnicity classifications on forms in 27 years!

The Biden-Harris Administration is reducing barriers for people with limited English proficiency by strengthening federal language access services and ensuring information on government programs, services, and benefits are provided in multiple languages, including Asian languages.

President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law in 2021 and issued new guidance to raise awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rise in incidents targeting AANHPI communities. According to FBI data, hate crimes targeting Asian Americans fell by 33 percent from 2021 to 2022.

Finally, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) turns 30 this year! Since 1994, CAPAC has been a staunch advocate for our communities and has ensured that we all have a seat at the table.

I have been heartened by our progress in growing our caucus and pushing back on attacks on diversity in nearly every aspect of life.

As we celebrate this important milestone in representation, join me in recommitting ourselves to working to create a more inclusive and prosperous world for all AANHPI people.

Sincerely,