Joe’s Agenda for the AAPI Community
Vice President Joe Biden knows that the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is a core chapter of the American story.
Our country’s ability to draw hard-working people from every culture and nation has always made us stronger. Joe has turned bold, progressive ideas into tangible results for the AAPI community as Vice President and Senator. (Click here to learn more about How Trump has failed the AAPI Community)
Here are Joe’s priorities for the AAPI community. See his agenda more in detail below:
Elevate AAPI voices & increase AAPI representation in government
Protect and build on the Affordable Care Act
Invest in our students and educators
Support education beyond high school
Counter the rise in hate crimes
End our gun violence epidemic
Protect our planet against climate change
Secure our values as a nation of immigrants
Spark small business and entrepreneurship growth in AAPI communities
Eliminate language barriers for AAPI communities
Strengthen the right to vote
Disaggregate data to achieve equal rep
Elevate AAPI Voices And Increase AAPI Representation In Government
Joe will nominate and appoint federal officials and judges who look like the rest of America, including AAPI individuals. He will build on the Obama-Biden Administration’s Initiative on AAPIs and the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs to ensure that federal agencies are considering the AAPI community in the design and implementation of federal programs and that AAPI community leaders have a voice in a Biden Administration.
Protect And Build On The Affordable Care Act
Joe believes that every American should have access to affordable and quality health care. He will give Americans a new choice to purchase a public health insurance option like Medicare. He will stand up to abuse of power by prescription drug corporations. And, he will redouble efforts to ensure enforcement of mental health parity laws and expand funding for mental health services.
Invest In Our Students And Educators
Joe will invest in all children from birth to 12th grade, so that regardless of their zip code, parents’ income, race, or disability, they are prepared to succeed in tomorrow’s economy. As president, Joe will provide high-quality, universal pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds. He will triple Title I funding, which goes to schools serving a high number of children from low-income families.
Support Education Beyond High School
Joe will provide two years of community college or other high-quality training program without debt for any hard-working member of the AAPI community looking to learn and improve their skills to keep up with the changing nature of work. He will also double the maximum value of Pell grants, increasing the number of middle-class AAPIs who can participate in the program and increasing the grant value for individuals already eligible for Pell.
Counter The Rise in Hate Crimes
From grocery stores to workplaces to simply being in their community, AAPIs, including Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim Americans, have continually faced discrimination and hate, which is further exacerbated by Trump’s dangerous rhetoric and fanning the flames of hate. When the rights and freedoms of some are threatened by hate, it threatens us all.
End Our Gun Violence Epidemic
Joe has taken on the National Rifle Association (NRA) on the national stage and won—twice. As president, he will defeat the NRA again. Joe will pursue constitutional, common-sense gun safety policies.
Protect Our Planet Against Climate Change
Joe’s plan will tackle climate change and pollution to protect our communities. He will rejoin the Paris Agreement on day one, and then rally the rest of the world to up the ante on their climate commitments. At home, he will ensure that communities harmed by climate change and pollution are the first to benefit from his clean economy revolution.
Secure Our Values As A Nation of Immigrants
Donald Trump has waged an unrelenting assault on our values and our history as a nation of immigrants. It’s wrong, and it stops when Joe is president. Joe will rescind Trump’s “Muslim ban” on day one and reverse the detrimental asylum policies that are causing chaos and a humanitarian crisis at our border. Joe will immediately begin working with Congress to pass legislative immigration reform that modernizes our system, with a priority on keeping families together by providing a roadmap to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants—including the 1.7 million from Asia.
Spark Small Business and Entrepreneurship Growth in AAPI Communities
There are nearly two million AAPI-owned businesses across the United States, which drive economic growth and opportunity across the country. However, these businesses often struggle with issues such as access to funding and language barriers that complicate small business development for AAPI communities. In 2010, the Obama-Biden Administration created the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) to support small businesses. Joe will extend the program through 2025 and double its federal funding to $3 billion, driving close to $30 billion of private sector investments to small businesses all told, especially those owned by women and people of color.
Eliminate Language Barriers for AAPI Communities
Joe will build on the work of the Obama-Biden Administration, which ensured that members of the AAPI community who were limited English proficient had access to health care and other government services. Joe will direct his agencies to identify ways to increase access to federal programs for AAPI individuals and families, including those who are limited English proficient. He will also create neighborhood resource centers or welcome centers to help all residents find jobs; access services and English-language learning opportunities; and navigate the school system, health care system, and other important facets of daily life.
Strengthen The Right To Vote
For the approximately 33 percent of AAPIs who are limited English proficient, the difficulty of navigating through the voting process remains a critical obstacle to fully realizing the values of our democracy. This barrier, along with the gutting of the Voting Rights Act, significantly diminishes the participation of communities of color, including the AAPI community, in the democratic process. Joe will strengthen our democracy by guaranteeing that every American’s vote is protected.
Disaggregate Data to Achieve Equal Representation
The aggregation of data on the AAPI community does a disservice to the diversity and needs of AAPIs. The Obama-Biden Administration released best practices for the disaggregation of federal data on AAPIs. Joe will build on this work and ensure that his administration recognizes and serves the myriad of challenges facing diverse AAPI communities.