In 1996, a small group of national Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) civil rights organizations recognized the need for a more unified community voice at the federal level and came together to create the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA). Today, NCAPA has grown to fortyone members and represents the diverse communities within the broader Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) population—including East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American communities.

This policy platform follows a tradition NCAPA began twenty years ago to present a comprehensive set of policy recommendations related to the AA and NHPI community. The platform covers issue areas that include the coalition’s five policy committees: immigration, civil rights, healthcare, education, and housing/economic justice. This year, we set out with the intention of highlighting the priorities of some of our most underrepresented populations, including religious minorities and the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) community.

Since the publication of the last NCAPA policy platform, our community has navigated a global pandemic that brought with it a new wave of anti-Asian sentiment and devastating economic fallout. We have also been forced to grapple with the geopolitical realities of U.S. international relations with countries our communities trace their roots to.

Despite these significant challenges, our communities have never stopped fighting to be seen and heard. Over the last four years, NCAPA and its members have helped pass COVID-19 hate crimes legislation, reestablish the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), pass legislation to start the process of creating a Smithsonian AA and NHPI history museum, and advance data equity. We have also helped improve access to benefits for Compacts of Free Association (COFA) communities, and increased AA and NHPI representation across the federal workforce.

Despite our coalition’s many achievements, we are far from done. We know we cannot do this work alone. As such, this policy platform is intended to be a resource for policymakers, decisionmakers, candidates and the public-at-large. We invite you to engage with us on the issues that impact our communities, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss and create solutions that represent progress for all.

Sincerely,

Gregg Orton
National Director
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)