White House launches summits for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders

Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The White House announced Thursday that the Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders will hold regional economic summits to connect members of the community with federal resources and leaders.

"The events, set to kick off with an in-person summit at Philadelphia City Hall, are being held in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship, and local officials," reads a press release from the Department of Health and Human Services.

In May 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14031, calling on federal agencies to address barriers affecting members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

Biden also appointed a 25-member advisory board to help formulate strategies to address inequalities facing the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities

"These summits are a part of the Biden-Harris Administration's resolve to deliver real results for our AA and NHPI communities and businesses -- by investing in our competitiveness and by fostering collaboration," said Katherine Tai, U.S. trade representative and co-chair of the initiative.

In August, the initiative hosted an economic summit in Las Vegas.