2023-02719. Announcement of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders Meeting

AGENCY:

Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office for Civil Rights, White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

ACTION:

Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY:

As required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hereby giving notice that the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders will hold a meeting on March 14, 2023.

DATES:

The Commission will meet on March 14, 2023, from approximately 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) to approximately 5:30 p.m. ET. The confirmed time and agenda will be posted on the website for the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: https://www.hhs.gov/​about/​whiaanhpi/​commission/​meetings/​index.html when this information becomes available.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be live streamed. Registration is required through the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/​e/​meeting-of-the-presidents-advisory-commission-on-aa-and-nhpis-registration-517786452217.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Caroline Goon, Designated Federal Officer, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office for Civil Rights, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 515F, 200 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20201; email: [e-mail]; telephone: [phone], fax: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The meeting is the fifth in a series of Federal advisory committee meetings regarding the development of recommendations to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities. The meeting is open to the public and will be live streamed. The Commission, co-chaired by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and the U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, advises the President on: the development, monitoring, and coordination of executive branch efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities in the United States, including efforts to close gaps in health, socioeconomic, employment, and educational outcomes; policies to address and end anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, racism, and nativism, and opportunities for the executive branch to advance inclusion, belonging, and public awareness of the diversity and accomplishments of AA and NHPI people, cultures, and histories; policies, programs, and initiatives to prevent, report, respond to, and track anti-Asian hate crimes and hate incidents; ways in which the Federal Government can build on the capacity and contributions of AA and NHPI communities through equitable Federal funding, grantmaking, and employment opportunities; policies and practices to improve research and equitable data disaggregation regarding AA and NHPI communities; policies and practices to improve language access services to ensure AA and NHPI communities can access Federal programs and services; and strategies to increase public-and private-sector collaboration, and community involvement in improving the safety and socioeconomic, health, educational, occupational, and environmental well-being of AA and NHPI communities.

More information is available on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders website at https://www.hhs.gov/​about/​whiaanhpi/​commission/​index.html. Information on the 25 members of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders is available at https://www.hhs.gov/​about/​whiaanhpi/​commission/​commissioners/​index.html.

Purpose of Meeting: The President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, authorized by Executive Order 14031, will meet to discuss full and draft recommendations by the Commission's six Subcommittees on ways to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. The Subcommittees are: Belonging, Inclusion, Anti-Asian Hate, Anti-Discrimination; Data Disaggregation; Language Access; Economic Equity; Health Equity; and Immigration and Citizenship Status.

Background: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities are among the fastest growing racial and ethnic populations in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, in recent years, AA and NHPI individuals have faced increasing hate crimes and incidents that threaten their safety, as well as harmful stereotypes that often ignore socioeconomic, health, and educational disparities impacting these diverse communities. Anti-Asian violence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, casting a shadow of fear and anxiety over many AA and NHPI communities. However, even before the pandemic, AA and NHPI communities in the United States have faced xenophobia, religious discrimination, racism, and violence. At the same time, AA and NHPI communities are overrepresented in the pandemic's essential workforce in healthcare, food supply, education, and childcare, with more than four million AA and NHPIs manning the frontlines throughout the pandemic.

Many AA and NHPI communities were also disproportionately burdened by the COVID-19 public health crisis. In addition to the disproportionate health impacts of COVID-19, particularly on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, many AA and NHPI workers, families, and small businesses also faced devastating economic losses that must be addressed.

The challenges AA and NHPI communities face are often exacerbated by a lack of adequate data disaggregation and language access. The President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders works to advise the President on executive branch efforts to address these challenges and advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities.

Public Participation at Meeting: Members of the public are invited to view the Commission meeting. Registration is required through the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/​e/​meeting-of-the-presidents-advisory-commission-on-aa-and-nhpis-registration-517786452217. Please note that there will be no opportunity for oral public comments during the meeting of the Commission. However, written comments are welcomed throughout the development of the Commission's recommendations to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and may be emailed to [e-mail].

Authority:Executive Order 14031. The President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (Commission) is governed by provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of Federal advisory committees.

Krystal Ka`ai,

Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.