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Federal Register Vol. 86, No. 105 Thursday, June 3, 2021

Title 3—

The President Executive Order 14031 of May 28, 2021

Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) individuals and communities are irrefutable sources of our Nation’s strength. These communities have molded the American experience, and the achievements of AA and NHPI communities make the United States stronger and more vibrant. The richness of America’s multicultural democracy is strengthened by the diversity of AA and NHPI communities and the many cultures and languages of AA and NHPI individuals in the United States.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities together constitute the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States and make rich contributions to our society, our economy, and our culture. Yet for far too long, systemic barriers to equity, justice, and opportunity put the American dream out of reach of many AA and NHPI communities. Many AA and NHPI individuals face persistent disparities in socioeconomic, health, and educational outcomes. Linguistic isolation and lack of access to languageassistance services continue to lock many AA and NHPI individuals out of opportunity. Too often Federal data collection practices fail to measure, reflect, and disaggregate the diversity of AA and NHPI experiences. These practices contribute to often painful and enduring stereotypes about Asian Americans as a “model minority” and obscure disparities within AA and NHPI communities.

Our Nation has also seen again that anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, racism, and nativism have deep roots in our Nation. Tragic acts of anti-Asian violence have increased during the COVID–19 pandemic, casting a shadow of fear and grief over many AA and NHPI communities, in particular East Asian communities. Long before this pandemic, AA and NHPI communities in the United States—including South Asian and Southeast Asian communities—have faced persistent xenophobia, religious discrimination, racism, and violence. The Federal Government must provide the moral leadership, policies, and programs to address and end anti-Asian violence and discrimination, and advance inclusion and belonging for all AA and NHPI communities.

At the same time, many AA and NHPI communities, and in particular Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, have also been disproportionately burdened by the COVID–19 public health crisis. Evidence suggests that Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are three times more likely to contract COVID–19 compared to white people and nearly twice as likely to die from the disease. On top of these health inequities, many AA and NHPI families and small businesses have faced devastating economic losses during this crisis, which must be addressed.

As I directed in Executive Order 13985 of January 20, 2021 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government), the entire Federal Government must advance equity and racial justice for underserved communities, which include AA and NHPI communities. As I established in the Presidential Memorandum of January 26, 2021 (Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance