National ACE Applauds President Biden's Selection of Krystal Ka'ai to Lead WHIAANHPI

May 28, 2021

[Washington, D.C.] This afternoon President Biden signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, advancing the President's commitment to bring a whole-of-government approach to this Initiative. The Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States with ancestral roots to more than 40 countries and over 50 ethnic subgroups.

Over 6,000 incidents of anti-Asian hate have been reported since the onset of the pandemic. The pandemic has also disproportionately affected the AA and NHPI communities and revealed the significant health inequalities experienced by Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders as a whole. The Initiative will move to the Department of Health and Human Services and will address COVID-19-related anti-Asian bias, advance health equity for the AA and NHPI communities, and ensure that these communities can equitably recover from these crises.

As part of the announcement today, President Biden has selected Krystal Ka'ai to serve as the Executive Director of the Initiative.  We congratulate Krystal on her historic selection to this role as the first Native Hawaiian to lead the Initiative. Krystal is the current Executive Director of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), creating legislative and communication strategies for the Caucus. Her role will oversee and coordinate the government’s response to the alarming spike in anti-Asian violence since the onset of the pandemic.

The Executive Order also establishes a new Presidential Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. “The Commission will advise the President on ways the public, private and non-profit sectors can work together to advance equity and opportunity for every AA and NHPI community. The Commission is also charged with advising the President on policies to address anti-Asian xenophobia and violence, ways to build capacity in AA and NHPI communities through federal grantmaking, and policies to address the intersectional barriers that AA and NHPI women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities face. The Commission will include AA and NHPI civic leaders from across the country, and will reflect the rich diversity of AA and NHPI communities throughout the United States,” according to the White House. 

The National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE) looks forward to working closely with Krystal Ka'ai, the Initiative, and the Commission in the months and years ahead.