Office of Resolution Management, Diversity & Inclusion (ORMDI)

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Program

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proudly leads the effort to build a diverse workforce and cultivate an inclusive work environment. We do this by developing and implementing policies and programs that promote diversity and inclusion in our workplace as we strive to ensure that VA’s workforce is drawn from the broadest segments of society so that it is poised to meet the present and future needs of our Nation's Veterans, their families and beneficiaries.

The VA Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Program is designed to develop and implement strategies to identify potential employment barriers in the areas of recruitment, hiring, promotion, career development and retention affecting the full participation of all race, ethnicity, and gender groups in VA’s workforce, including AANHPIs. When barriers are identified, viable solutions are developed to help eliminate those barriers to employment and full participation at all levels of the agency.  See 29 Code of Federal Regulation, Part 1614.102(b)(4) for additional information.

AANHPIs are the fastest growing racial group in the United States. According to the 2010 Census, the Asian population grew faster than any other race group in the United States between 2000 and 2010
(The Asian Population: 2010 Census Briefs [PDF]). By 2060, AANHPIs are expected to increase over four times as rapidly as the total U.S. population and grow to more than 47 million (Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Issues and Facts).

According to OPM Standard Form 181, Ethnicity and Race Identification [PDF], a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam is Asian. A Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

As one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse groups in the country, AANHPIs trace their heritage to over 30 different countries and ethnic groups and speak over 100 languages and dialects. Although AANHPIs have helped build a strong and vibrant U.S., many still face linguistic, economic, educational, and immigration barriers that often hinder them from achieving their full potential. The “model minority myth” – the belief that all AANHPIs are educated, wealthy, and successful – has prevented AANHPI communities from fully benefitting from federal programs and resources available to vulnerable and underserved communities.

Executive Orders

• Executive Order 11478 – Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal      Government
• Executive Order 13403 – Amendments to Executive Orders 11030, 13279, 13339,      13381, and 13389, and Revocation of Executive Order 13011
• Executive Order 13583 – Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide Initiative to      Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce
• Executive Order 13985 – Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved      Communities Through the Federal Government
• Executive Order 14031 – Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian      Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
• Executive Order 14035 – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the      Federal Workforce
• Executive Order 14048 - Continuance or Reestablishment of Certain Federal      Advisory Committees and Amendments to Other Executive Orders

Affinity Organizations

• Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN)
• Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC)

MOUs and Partnership Agreements
VA maintains Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the following affinity organizations:

• Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN)
• Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC)

External Affinity Conferences Approved for VA-wide Participation
(VA External Affinity Conferences Memo [PDF])
For more information on external affinity conferences approved for VA-wide participation, please visit the following:

• Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) Leadership Workshop
• Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) National Leadership Training            Program

Observances (VA SEP Observances Memo [PDF])
ORMDI provides a SEP Observances Toolkit as guidance to field facilities on implementing activities for special observances, including the following:

• Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Pacific Islander Heritage Month      (May 2022 theme as established by FAPAC: Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration)

Plans and Reports

• White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI)

Employment
ORMDI does not offer or conduct employment services.  Please visit the following:

• VA Careers
• Veteran Employment Program (VEP)
• National Diversity Internship Program (NDIP)
• Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
• Pathways at VA
• Department of Labor, Career One Stop

Internal Resources

• Center for Minority Veterans
• Center for Minority Veterans, Asian American 
       and Pacific Islander Fact Sheet [PDF]
• National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics
• National Veteran Health Equity Report 2021 –
  Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Veteran Chartbook,
  Focus on Veterans Health Administration Patient Experience and
  Health Care Quality
• VA Benefits and Programs for Minority Veterans

External Government Resources

• Asian American and Pacific Islander Work Group Report to Chair of the Equal      Employment Opportunity Commission
• Asian Americans in the U.S. Military with an emphasis on the U.S. Navy
• Asian Americans in the U.S. Air Force
• Asian Americans in the U.S. Marine Corps
• Asian-Americans & Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Army
• Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
• Asian Pacific Americans in the U.S. Coast Guard
• A Proclamation on Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving      Institutions Week, 2023 | The White House
• Census, Asian American Data Links
• Census, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Data Links
• Department of Health and Human Services, Minority Health, Asian American      Profile
• Department of Health and Human Services, Minority Health, Native      Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders Profile
• Library of Congress: Asian American and Pacific Islander Collections
• Memorandum on Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and      Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States
• National Archives, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• National Park Service, Asian American & Pacific Islander Military Heritage
• National Park Service, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• National Park Service, Telling All Americans' Stories: Introduction to Asian      American and Pacific Islander Heritage
• Veterans History Project, Asian
• Veterans History Project, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
• WHIAANHPI Combating Hate and Discrimination: Resource Guide

Program Contact

Ms. Tynnetta Lee, VA’s Departmental Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Special Emphasis Program Manager, ORMDI

Diversity & Inclusion Section Pages

return to top