WASHINGTON—The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) applauds the selection of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai to serve as co-chairs of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) which will be housed within HHS.
Juliet K. Choi, president and CEO of APIAHF gave the following statement:
“We applaud the move of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders to HHS and the announcement of the co-chairs, who are long time advocates for our communities and have long supported community issues that matter to us. The relaunch of the Initiative, with tremendously qualified leaders at the helm, showcases the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to carry out its ambitious and intentional agenda to address longstanding concerns for AA & NH/PI communities.
“As the deadly COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate our communities, it is paramount that our families are seen and our voices are heard across all levels of government. HHS Secretary Becerra has been an ardent ally through his entire career for all of our communities. With his bold leadership, we look forward to a partnership that will translate into investments in language access, data disaggregation, clinical trials and community resources to making health equity an attainable goal.
“Ambassador Tai is a necessary voice, as anti-Asian and anti-immigrant rhetoric continues to be a pervasive issue for our nation. We are confident that she will lead the Initiative in a way that makes our communities proud.
“And we continue to celebrate Krystal Ka’ai, executive director of the Initiative, for her long-standing public service and leadership.”
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The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) influences policy, mobilizes communities and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.