The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) was a United States governmental office first created on June 7, 1999, under the Clinton Administration that coordinated an ambitious whole-of-government approach to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPIs). In its most recent iteration during the Biden Administration, the Initiative collaborated with the Deputy Assistant to the President and AA and NHPI Senior Liaison, White House Office of Public Engagement and designated federal departments and agencies to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPIs in the areas of economic development, education, health and human services, housing, environment, arts, agriculture, labor and employment, transportation, justice, veterans affairs, and community development.
In its 25 years in existence, the Initiative sought to highlight the tremendous unmet needs in AA and NHPI communities and the dynamic community assets that could be leveraged to meet many of those needs. The Initiative focused on cross-cutting priority areas that spanned all issue areas and agencies, including advancing disaggregated AA and NHPI data collection and dissemination, workforce diversity, ensuring access (especially linguistic access and cultural competence) for limited English proficient individuals, and building capacity for the AA and NHPI community. The Initiative also worked to encourage AA and NHPI involvement in public service and civic engagement opportunities.
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump revoked Executive Order 14031, which had re-established the Initiative under the Biden Administration, leading to WHIAANHPI's closure as well as the shuttering of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (PACAANHPI).
History
Clinton Administration On June 7, 1999, President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 13125 to establish the first White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders "in order to improve the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through increased participation in federal programs where they may be underserved (e.g., health, human services, education, housing, labor, transportation, and economic and community development)." The Executive Order called on all federal departments to mobilize their resources to address the unmet needs of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Prior to the signing of Executive Order 13125, the last United States Presidential Executive Order related to AAPIs was Executive Order 9066, which led to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Under the Clinton Administration, the Executive Order housed the Initiative under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Executive director and commission The first Initiative Executive Director Shamina Singh was appointed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala. Prior to her work at the Initiative, Singh served as special assistant to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor and worked on specialized health care issues for the Service Employees International Union.
The first President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was chaired by former Congressman Norman Mineta. The 15-member President's Advisory Commission was seated through June 7, 2001.
Priorities The Interagency Working Group under the Clinton Administration was chaired by then Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Kevin Thurm. The IWG was composed of leaders from 32 federal agencies and departments. As part of the Executive Order, each federal agency and department was required to draft an integrated agency plan including measurable objectives and implementation goals to better serve the AAPI community.
The first commission report highlighted four key themes: AAPIs have been "MIH" – "Missing In History" – as taught in classrooms, as reflected in the media and the arts and as understood by government policymakers and program planners. In much of the data used by the federal government, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are invisible, relegated to a residual category of "Other." Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) often remain a footnote or asterisk as part of the broad "Asian American and Pacific Islander" category, ignoring their importance and dignity as diverse, indigenous peoples. Barely ever noted is the manner in which the United States acquired Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Asian Americans are stereotyped as a "model minority": passive, compliant, overachieving and without problems or needs. Asian Americans continue to be viewed as perpetual foreigners, forever "aliens" whose loyalty and place in America is always questioned.
The report left several recommendations, including that federal agencies improve data collection measures, ensure linguistic access in AAPI languages, protect civil rights and equal opportunity for AAPIs, strengthen community capacity, and recognize NHPIs in federal programs and services.
Bush Administration
On June 6, 2001, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13216, renewing the Initiative and changing the Order's title from: "Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs" to "Increasing Opportunity and Improving Quality of Life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders." At this time, Deputy Secretary Claude A. Allen of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was named Chair of the Interagency Working Group.
On May 13, 2004, President Bush signed Executive Order 13339, superseding Executive Order 13125 and moving the Initiative from the Department of Health and Human Services to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
President Bush signed Executive Order 13403 on May 12, 2006, once again reauthorizing the Initiative.
Executive director and commission In 2001, John Quoc Duong was named executive director of the initiative. Prior to assuming his appointment, Duong served as Vice President of Bridgecreek Group, Inc. and was deputy director of the Office of Community Relations for California Governor Pete Wilson.
In 2004, Eddy Badrina was appointed as executive director of the Initiative. Prior to joining the initiative, Badrina was an appointee to the White House Liaison Office at the U.S. Department of State, working on the Bush Administration's transition efforts.
In 2006, Jimmy D. Lee began his term as executive director for the initiative. Before joining the initiative as executive director, Lee was a Commissioner on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and served as executive director of the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. He was also a former Special Assistant to the Governor in the State of Illinois. During his time at the White House, Lee was named one of Crain's 40 Under 40. He left the position to run for United States Congress in the 11th Congressional District in Illinois.
The executive order included new criteria for selecting Commissioners to serve on the President's Advisory Commission for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, including requirements that candidates "have a history of involvement with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; are from the business enterprise sector; are from civic associations representing one or more of the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; are from the fields of economic, social, and community development; or have such other experience as the President deems appropriate."
Priorities Under the Bush Administration economic development became the priority of the Initiative. Executive Order 13339 stated its purpose as "providing equal economic opportunities for full participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses in our free market economy where they may be underserved and thus improving the quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders."
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) under President George W. Bush focused on three key priorities: increasing the appointment of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) to senior government positions and commissions, providing capacity development and resources for small businesses and community-based organizations through federal partnerships, and advancing legislation that strengthened small business support for the APA community.
During the Bush Administration, WHIAAPI launched NEXT Conferences, a series of 30 capacity-building workshops held in major cities, including Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston, to provide technical assistance and federal resources to small businesses and nonprofits. Additionally, following Hurricane Katrina, WHIAAPI deployed staff and Commissioners to New Orleans to assist displaced Vietnamese American fishermen in rebuilding their livelihoods.
A key milestone was the first White House Summit on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, held in Washington, D.C., which gathered leaders from federal agencies, members of Congress, and community stakeholders to discuss government resources available to the APA community. Throughout its tenure, the Initiative prioritized bipartisan collaboration, ensuring that both Democratic and Republican leaders were involved in delivering resources and events to support the APA community.
Several individuals played critical roles in executing the Initiative's programs and priorities during the Bush Administration: Erik Wang, Associate Director; Piyachat Terrell, Associate Director; and the following Staff Associates and Programming Managers: Cianna Ferrer, Michelle Wong, Stephanie Le, and Christine Choi. These staff members worked to coordinate federal agency partnerships, organize events, and manage outreach efforts to ensure the effective implementation of WHIAAPI's mission
The President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the Federal Interagency Working Group worked primarily on the following goals during this time: Developed, monitored and coordinated federal efforts to improve Asian American and Pacific Islander participation in government programs; Fostered research and data collection for Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses and communities; and Increased their level of participation in the national economy and their economic and community development.
Commissioners included: Betty Wu Adams (chair), Rudy Pamintuan (chair), Nina Collier, Jeff Sakaguchi, Derrick Nguyen, William Kil, Vellie Dietrich-Hall, Joseph Melookaran, Kenneth Wong, and Howard Li.
Obama Administration On October 14, 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13515, reestablishing the Initiative and superseding Executive Orders 13125 and 13339. The Executive Order moved the Initiative from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Education. President Obama appointed then Secretary of Education Arne Duncan along with then Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke as heads of the Interagency Working Group.
Amendments to the Executive Order include Executive Order 13585 and Executive Order 13652 which both ensure the continuance of the Federal Advisory Committees.
Executive director and commission
Kiran Ahuja was appointed on December 14, 2009, to the position of executive director of the Initiative. Prior to her work at the Initiative, Ahuja served as founding executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) and worked at the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.