White House announces new actions to address violence against Asian Americans

Washington — The White House is taking several new actions to respond to the increase in violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the wake of mass shootings earlier this month which killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, and a significant rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans over the past year.

The administration said Tuesday that it is reinstating the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and expanding the initiative's original mandate to include coordination across federal agencies to respond to anti-Asian bias and violence, with a particular focus on gender-based violence against Asian Americans. According to a White House fact sheet on the new actions, President Biden will also "appoint a permanent Director to lead the Initiative in the coordination of policies across the federal government impacting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities." The initiative was first established during the Clinton administration, and has been reinstated and expanded by subsequent presidents.