On February 28, 2024, APA President-elect Debra Kawahara, PhD, provided recommendations in an oral statement (PDF, 139KB)opens in new window to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islandersopens in new window. The federal commission, cochaired by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, advises President Biden on ways the public, private, and nonprofit sectors can work jointly to advance equity for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.
In her statement, Kawahara urged the commission to explore APA’s multicultural guidelines, which encourage psychologists to examine cultural, systemic, and structural factors as they provide care and to foster a deeper understanding of diversity. She also highlighted the importance of increasing resources for multilingual materials and translators to enhance health care access.
Kawahara emphasized that discrimination remains a significant issue for these communities, which can lead to serious behavioral health issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, as well as physical ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. She added that APA Services endorses community-based strategies to combat discrimination and hate crimes.
Lastly, she discussed the workforce shortages in the behavioral health care field, especially among culturally competent providers. She explained that funding programs like the APA-supported Minority Fellowship Program are crucial to improving behavioral health care outcomes for racial and ethnic populations.
Reflecting on the meeting, Kawahara said, “It was truly uplifting and powerful to see the diverse group of AANHPIs come together to voice and advocate for more funding and services that are sorely needed by the communities. My comments seemed to be well-received by the commissioners and stakeholders as there was applause for the points being made. I felt heard and seen by the commissioners and appreciated their efforts to seriously listen and engage with me. I also had several people approach me afterward to tell me how the comments resonated with their experiences and were so important.”
Kawahara and APA Services look forward to continuing to work with the commission to improve the lives of the AA and NHPI communities.
For more information, contact Serena Dávila.
