{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-chu-takano-meng-and-sen-hirono-recognize-asian-american-and-native", "Reps. Chu, Takano, Meng and Sen. Hirono Recognize Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions Week", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Judy Chu", "C001080", "chu.house.gov", "chu", "https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Last week, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41), and Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Chair of CAPAC, introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Week, from September 27 \u2013 October 3, 2026. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.\n\nThis week honors the vital role of AANAPISIs in expanding access to quality higher education for American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students. Since its authorization under the 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the AANAPISI program has provided grants to institutions with high populations of AANHPI students, helping colleges expand their capacity to serve all students. These institutions have played a crucial role in opening the door to higher education for minority students, especially those who are low-income or first-generation. Today, AANAPISIs enroll over 40 percent of all AANHPI undergraduate students in the United States, and award nearly half of all associate degrees and bachelor\u2019s degrees attained by all AANHPI college students across the country.\n\nThis resolution comes days after the Trump Administration diverted an additional $235 million in federal funding that Congress had designated for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges (TCUs). Instead of increasing investment in HBCUs and TCUs, this Administration has chosen to take money and resources from schools serving historically underserved students, including AANAPISIs, Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (NHSIs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Congressional Tri-Caucus condemned the decision and urged the Administration to restore the funding Congress appropriated to support MSIs.\n\nLast year, the Trump administration also recklessly decided to end Congressional-approved funding for MSIs, calling them unconstitutional. AANAPISIs alone have had over $23 million in annual grant funding terminated since the beginning of the Trump Administration, which will force many to gut support services for students and lay off staff. These cuts will destabilize the education of thousands of students and ultimately harm our nation's economic future.\n\n\u201cAs a former community college professor, I\u2019ve seen what happens when students get real support. They don\u2019t just graduate, they can transform their families and their communities for generations. AANAPISIs make that possible for students who need it the most, including first generation, and low-income students of color, by breaking down barriers and making sure all students have an equal shot at higher education,\u201d said Rep. Chu, CAPAC Chair Emerita. \u201cThat\u2019s why the Trump administration\u2019s decision to terminate MSI funding, and now redirect $235 million of it to HBCUs and tribal colleges, is so disappointing. Every MSI deserves full investment, but pitting them against each other isn\u2019t the solution, it is a step backward. This AANAPISI Week, I remain committed to fighting for these institutions and for every student\u2019s right to the education they deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cAsian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, their funding, and their success are vital to our nation\u2019s future and competitiveness,\u201d said Rep. Takano. \u201cI am proud to represent the University of California, Riverside, which has held AANAPISI status since 2018, and to fight the Department of Education\u2019s dismantling and weaponization of Minority Serving Institution grants. These programs make higher education attainable for students from diverse backgrounds, bringing more talent, expertise, and knowledge to our workforce.\u201d\n\n\"Far too often, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders are treated as a 'model minority'\u2014a harmful stereotype that hides the educational barriers facing our diverse communities. That is why Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions are so important. For decades, they have expanded access to higher education and opened pathways to economic mobility for millions of underserved AANHPI students. I am proud to introduce this resolution with my CAPAC colleagues to recognize AANAPISI Week and fight back against the Trump administration's efforts to terminate federal funding for these institutions. We will not stop until the next generation of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders is more successful than the last,\" said Rep. Meng, Chair of CAPAC.\n\n\u201cIn Hawaii and nationwide, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions help students thrive in the classroom and prepare them for success after graduation. As the Trump regime continues its ideological attacks on Minority-Serving Institutions, supporting AANAPISIs and the communities they serve is critical,\u201d said Sen. Hirono. \u201cBy establishing AANAPISI week, this resolution celebrates diversity in education and recognizes these institutions and the services they provide.\u201d\n\n\u201cDuring this AANAPISI Week, APAHE extends our deepest gratitude to CAPAC for their steadfast leadership in defending the federal AANAPISI designation amid ongoing efforts by the Department of Education to dismantle these critical programs. AANAPISIs are vital to educational equity and AA&NHPI student success, and we must aggressively defend this essential resource from being stripped away,\u201d said Dr. Rowena M. Tomaneng, President, Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE).\n\nThe full resolution text is available HERE.\n\nThe resolution is cosponsored by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (CA-44), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Ed Case (HI-01), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Lou Correa (CA-46), Danny Davis (IL-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Kimberlyn King-Hinds (CNMI), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Dina Titus (NV-01), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-chu-takano-meng-and-sen-hirono-recognize-asian-american-and-native"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6259129624813795, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}