OCA COMMENDS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND SUPPORT FOR AAPI COMMUNITIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1 April 2021

Contact: Eiley Fong | Senior Communications Associate
202.223.5500 | eiley.fong@ocantional.org

Washington, DC - OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates commends the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions in creating a diverse and representative American government. OCA also appreciates the work and resources that President Biden has committed towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities given the rise in anti-Asian violence reverberating across the country. 

President Biden announced his intent to nominate 11 judicial candidates on Tuesday. This candidate pool includes the most diverse group yet to be nominated, including three African American women candidates for various Circuit Court seats, the first Muslim candidate for a federal judge position in history, and the first AAPI woman to serve in the District of Columbia, among others.

Increasing the response and providing more resources to address anti-Asian violence, xenophobia, and bias are the first tangible steps from the Biden Administration. Some of the action items include re-establishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAPPI), allocating funds from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) from the American Rescue Plan for culturally-sensitive support services for AAPI survivors, and the establishment of multiple Department of Justice (DOJ) initiatives to address anti-Asian violence (i.e. removing language access barriers to hate crimes on the DOJ website).

“In this time of extreme turmoil and uncertainty, we know the tireless work of activists, advocates, community organizers, and organizations are not lost on this Administration,” says Linda Ng, National President of OCA. “Creating change that leads to compassion and healing for our communities starts with incremental steps that include a diverse judiciary as well as more resources to aid and support members of our community that have been hurt and are in need of healing. We will continue to advocate for justice and equity, and look forward to what positives changes this administration will bring.”

If you, your family members, someone you know, or community members have experienced xenophobia, discrimination, or harassment, please report the incident using our hate crime/incident reporting tool at aapihatecrimes.org.

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national civil rights organization dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

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