Federal panel’s visit focuses on issues of Native Hawaiians

President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday for the first time on a mission to better understand issues facing the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

The commission visited the 14th annual Native Hawaiian Convention on Tuesday and local organizations Wednesday, and will hold a listening session this afternoon.

“We are excited about this historic visit of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to Hawaii,” said Kiran Ahuja, executive director of the White House Initiative on AAPIs, in a news release. “Our goal is really to listen to the unique stories from local AAPI communities in Hawaii, especially Native Hawaiians and Micronesian migrants, and to highlight issues that are often not seen in the national spotlight.”

Former Kamehameha Schools CEO Dee Jay Mailer is currently the only one from Hawaii on the 19-member panel.

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and its advisory commission are charged with working to improve the quality of life of these communities through increasing access to federal programs. Commissioners advise the president on ways to engage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country and to improve their health, education, environment and well-being.

The annual Native Hawaiian Convention, which continues through today , is one of the largest gatherings of Native Hawaiian nonprofit leaders, business owners, cultural practitioners, educators and community organizers.

On Wednesday, as part of its series of site visits of local organizations, the commission visited the Kokua Kalihi Valley Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center that provides health care services to low-income Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants. The commission toured the center, meeting with staff and patients.

The commission also joined an outreach event held by the Hawaii Regional Network focusing on workforce development within Hawaii’s Micronesian community.

A three-hour listening session is planned for this afternoon at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

“The session is a public engagement for the commission to listen to the community leaders and individuals on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander issues,” said Rebecca Lee, the initiative’s communications director.

In its call for testifiers, the commission said it was particularly interested in hearing about economic development and housing; education, including the impact of bullying on youth; civil rights; effects of climate change; immigration; health, including mental health; veteran affairs; and women’s and workers’ issues.