White House signs an Executive Order to Address Concerns Faced by AAPIs

On Oct 14th, President Obama signed an Executive Order that will address the concerns faced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. The Executive Order (first established by President Clinton 10 years ago and extended by President Bush in 2007) will create an Advisory Commission and White House initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Additionally, in the press statement released by the White House, President Obama indicated "...Given the strengths of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, for us to buy into the myth of the "model minority," and to overlook the very real challenges that certain Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are facing: from health disparities like higher rates of diabetes and Hepatitis B; to educational disparities that still exist in some communities --high school dropout rates, low college enrollment rates; to economic disparities -- higher rates of poverty in some communities, and barriers to employment and workplace advancement in others..."