Hirono Leads 16 Colleagues in Resolution Designating Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Week
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), introduced a resolution designating the week of September 26th through October 2nd, 2022 as Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Week. The resolution recognizes the achievements and goals of AANAPISIs in their work to provide quality educational opportunities to students who attend their institutions, particularly Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) students, including Native Hawaiians.
“Over the past fifteen years, the AANAPISI program has helped institutions across our country expand opportunities for APIA students,” said Senator Hirono. “They help build community by connecting students from diverse backgrounds, and provide culturally-competent supports, to help ensure students have the tools they need to succeed. I’ll continue working to support APIA students and the schools that serve them.”
Congress created the AANAPISI program through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-84), which Senator Hirono cosponsored as a then-member of the U.S. House of Representatives. To be designated as an AANAPISI, an institution must have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander students. AANAPISIs comprise six percent of all colleges and universities in the U.S., but enroll nearly half of all APIA students in the country. In 2022, there were nearly 200 AANAPISIs in the U.S. Since the program was established 15 years ago, it has provided grants and other assistance to AANAPISIs to improve and expand their capacity to continue to serve these students. In 2021, 32 AANAPISIs across the country received $9.6 million in grants.
In addition to Senator Hirono, this resolution is cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bob Casey (D-PA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
The full text of the resolution can be found here.
Senator Hirono has long advocated on behalf of APIA communities in Hawaii, the U.S., and Pacific Island nations and territories, and is a longstanding champion of programs to support Hawaii’s indigenous, Native Hawaiian community, especially in the areas of education, health, and housing. Additionally, for the last several years, Senator Hirono has led the Senate resolution recognizing May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This past May, she also brought legislation to the Senator floor, that was signed into law by President Biden, establishing a commission to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.
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