By Arun Kumar
Washington, Oct 15 (IANS) Acknowledging the contributions made by more than 16 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to “build a strong and vibrant America”, President Barack Obama has signed an Executive Order to address their concerns.

Under the order signed at an event celebrating Diwali at the White House Wednesday, Obama will create an Advisory Commission and a White House Initiative on AAPI communities to help resolve their problems.

Each will work to improve the quality of life and opportunities for AAPIs through increased access to, and participation in, federal programmes in which they may be undereserved, Obama said in his executive order.

In addition, each will work to advance relevant evidence-based research, data collection, and analysis for AAPI populations and sub-populations.

The two bodies were first established by President Bill Clinton and extended by President George Bush until 2007.

“The AAPI communities represent many ethnicities and languages that span generations, and their shared achievements are an important part of the American experience,” the President noted.

“They have started businesses and generated jobs, including founding some of our nation’s most successful and innovative enterprises,” he said, noting “The AAPI communities have made important contributions to science and technology, culture and the arts, and the professions, including business, law, medicine, education, and politics.”

“While we acknowledge the many contributions of the AAPI communities to our nation, we also recognise the challenges still faced by many AAPIs,” Obama said.

Of the more than a million AAPI-owned businesses, many firms are small sole-proprietorships that continue to need assistance to access available resources such as business development counselling and small business loans, he noted.

The AAPI community also continues to face barriers to employment and workplace advancement, the presidential order said.

Specific challenges experienced by AAPI sub-groups include lower college-enrolment rates by Pacific Islanders than other ethnic groups and high poverty rates among various AAPI communities.

Additionally, one in five non-elderly AAPIs lacks health insurance, the order noted.