The following sign-on letter, which urges timely action regarding implementation of data disaggregation measures at the federal level, was delivered to members of Congress and senior members in the Biden administration in May 2024.
Actions Needed for Successful and Timely Implementation of the Data Disaggregation Pillar of SPD 15
In March 2024, the federal government announced major revisions to how race and ethnicity data are collected across all federal agencies, under Statistical Policy Directive (SPD) 15 — including updates to the minimum reporting categories that add Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) and Hispanic/Latino to a combined category of race and ethnicity; and making detailed reporting categories, such as Vietnamese, Samoan, Haitian, and Cherokee, the default expectation for all federal agency data collections.
However, implementation is key, and our community has major concerns. We are already seeing community priorities on data disaggregation getting lost in the shuffle.
Particular gaps, as detailed in a recent report from AAPI Data, NCAPA, SEARAC, and EPIC include: a) having no comprehensive inventory of federal data collections and whether they are disaggregated by ethnicity; b) naming no centralized body that monitors, evaluates, and provides technical assistance across federal agencies; c) having no formal and regular role for community input; and d) having no guardrails on agency exemptions that would, in effect, prevent or delay collection of detailed ethnicity data.
In order to address these gaps we, the undersigned, call on the Biden administration to take immediate action as follows:
- The Chief Statistician must publish a data disaggregation inventory of all current federal agency data collections by September 2024
- The Chief Statistician must clearly designate a centralized, coordinated body within the Office of Statistical Programs & Standards that will monitor, evaluate, and provide technical assistance across agencies by June 2024
- The Chief Statistician must convene the Interagency Committee on Race and Ethnicity Standards by June 2024 and begin receiving input on the collection of detailed categories by September 2024 from experts in community organizations and scientific research institutions. Two immediate areas needing community input include issuing strict guidelines on agency exemptions that prevent disaggregated data collections, and making it easier for smaller AA and NHPI groups to fill out federal forms through checkboxes.
We believe that these three measures will strengthen the federal government’s role in serving our communities. On the other hand, lack of progress on these matters will mean that federal agencies will remain unprepared to serve the needs of our communities over the next several years.
We urge you to take action on these matters now.
Thank you,
The Undersigned
Click to navigate to the respective section of signatories:
- Sign-on Letter Coauthors
- Organizational Signatories
- Individual Signatories (organization affiliation for identification purposes only)
- Individual Signatories
Sign-on Letter Coauthors
- AAPI Data
- National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
- Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
- Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Organizational Signatories
- AAPI New Jersey
- CA Asian American Pacific Islander Community College Trustees and Administrators
- Advocate for Fair Treatment for All
- Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO)
- API Caucus of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
- API Rising
- APIs CAN Massachusetts
- Arizona Lao Association
- Asian American Futures
- Asian American Research Center on Health
- Asian American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development (AALEAD)
- Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW)
- Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF)
- Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP)
- Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)
- Asian Health Services
- Asian Mosaic Fund
- Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)
- Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF)
- Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV)
- Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement (APIFM)
- Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance (API PA)
- Asian Resources, Inc.
- Asian Texans for Justice
- Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
- Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council
- Boat People SOS (BPSOS)
- California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN)
- Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association
- Center for Asian Americans in Action
- Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants
- Change Matrix
- Chinese American Service League (CASL)
- Chinese Progressive Association, Boston
- Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)
- Coalition of AAPI Churches (CAAPIC)
- Community Resource Corporation (CRC)
- Comunidades Sin Fronteras (CSF-CT)
- Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
- Diverse Elders Coalition
- Drug Policy Alliance
- Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities (EMAC)
- EveryChild California
- Family Bridges, Inc.
- Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) Tayo
- Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM)
- Georgia AAPI Hub
- Grassroots Asians Rising
- Hamkae Center
- Healthy House Merced Within a MATCH Coalition
- Hmong National Development, Inc. (HMD)
- Hmong Public Health Association
- Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce (HWCC)
- Institute for Civic Education in Vietnam
- Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
- Jasper Inclusion Advisors, LLC
- Karen Organization of San Diego
- Khmu National Federation, Inc.
- Lao American Veterans Family Association, Inc.
- Lao Americans Organization San Diego (LAOSD)
- Lao Mutual Assistance Association
- Laotian American National Alliance (LANA)
- Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP)
- Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
- ManForward
- Mekong Circle International
- Midwest Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Students Union (MAASU)
- MN8
- Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network (MoCoPAAN)
- National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA)
- National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA)
- National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
- National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship
- National Cambodian American Organization (NCAO)
- National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (CAPACD)
- National Iranian American Council (NIAC)
- National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
- National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC)
- New Breath Foundation
- North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT)
- North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) in Action
- OCA — Asian Pacific American Advocates
- OCA — Greater Houston
- OPAWL — Building AAPI Feminist Leadership
- Pacific Arts Movement
- Pacific Asian Counseling Services
- People’s Advisory Board for New Educational & Economic Goodwill (PABNEEG)
- Praxis Health Empowerment
- Public Wise
- Rising Voices
- Safer Together
- South Asian American Voter Empowerment of Texas (SAAVETX)
- South Asian American Voter Empowerment of Texas (SAAVETX) Education Fund
- Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
- South Asian Fund for Education Scholarship and Training, Inc. (SAFEST)
- South Asian Legal Defense Fund
- South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA)
- South Pacific Islander Organization (SPIO)
- Spoehr Foundation
- Stone Soup Fresno
- Stop AAPI Hate
- Taulama for Tongans
- The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization (PIVOT)
- The Sikh Coalition
- The Southeast Asian Diaspora Project
- UCLA Asian American Studies Center
- United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance Washington (UTOPIA Washington)
- Viet Voices
- Vietnamese American Roundtable
- Wise Jade Coaching, LLC
- Xīn Shēng | 心声 Project
Individual Signatories (organization affiliation for identification purposes only)
- Ailene Crakes, San Diego Mesa College
- Akil Vohra, AAPI Data
- Alerie Flandez, San Jose State University
- Alexi Balaguer, San Diego Mesa College
- Alice Tang, Tufts University
- Alma Araneta-Garcia, Araneta Consulting LLC
- Alma Lopez, San Bernardino Community College District
- Andrea Hecht, San Bernardino Valley College
- Andrew Krackov, Hillcrest Advisory
- Andy Chan, University of San Francisco
- Ankita Nikalje, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
- April Yee, The Asian American Foundation
- Arnab Mukherjea, California State University, East Bay
- Arya Hackney, Asian-Pacific American Librarians Association
- Barbara Kim, Dept. of Asian and Asian American Studies, CSULB
- Becky Xiong, State Center Community College District
- BethAnne Moskov, University of Texas
- Bethany Tasaka, San Bernardino Community College District Asian & Pacific Islander Association
- Bic Ngo, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
- Binh Nguyen, On Lok PACE
- Bonnie Youn, Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- Bouasvanh Lor, Hmong Culture Camp, Inc.
- Bounthanh Phommasathit, Lao Mutual Assistance Association
- Brian Goo, Chabot College
- Brian Lusby, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Brian Tsukimura, Japanese American Citizens League
- Camillia Lui, ARG at Public Health Institute
- Carmen Lanche, Comunidades Sin Fronteras CSF-CT
- Caroline Blethen, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Cathy Le, Golden West College
- Cheryl Balm, De Anza College
- Chloe de los Reyes, Crafton Hills College
- Chloe Rinehart, Apex for Youth
- Chris Lee, A4FT4A.org
- Chris Lee, OCA-NY
- Christina Griffin-Jones, Maximum Effort Foundation
- Christine Catipon, Asian American Psychological Association
- Cirian Villavicencio, California Community Colleges
- Clare Nolan, Engage R+D
- Connie Tan, AAPI Data
- Connor Hague, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Dale Shimasaki, Strategic Education Services
- Danae Hart, Fullerton College
- David Lee, Chinese American Voters Education Committee
- David Dutwin, NORC at the University of Chicago
- David Prendez, University of Washington
- Dawn Lagmay, APIAVote
- Deborah Chen, OCA-Greater Houston
- Deborah J Ikeda, State Center Community College Board of Trustee
- Demeturie Toso-Lafaele Gogue, University of California, Los Angeles
- Desha Staley-Raatior, Cabrillo College
- Didier Trinh, Diverse Elders Coalition
- Erik Armstrong, College of the Sequoias
- Erika Braun, George Washington University
- Erwin John Banola, SBCCD Asian and Pacific Islander Association
- Eui Kyung Seo, UC Riverside
- F Hui, Las Positas College
- Fontane Lo, AAPI Data
- Francisco Bucio, Asian American Faculty and Staff Association- Fresno City College
- Genevieve Siri, Arizona Lao community
- Gregory Lam, Ohio Asian American Health Coalition, Ohio Institute of Communities of Color
- Hardy Spoehr, Spoehr Foundation
- hien do, SJSU
- Janice Takahashi, San Joaquin Delta College
- Janna Louie, Coalition of AAPI Churches (CAAPIC)
- Jenna McDavid, SEARAC
- Jennifer Houston, Independent
- Jennifer Lee, Columbia University
- Jennifer Park, San Diego Mesa College
- Jeremiah Sataraka, California State University Bakersfield
- Jessica Eckerstorfer, The SEAD Project
- Jessica Giang, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Jessica Thach, UC Berkeley’s Center for Educational Partnerships (CEP)
- Jim Yang, Fresno City College
- Joan Shigekawa, United States Artists
- Joliana Yee, Yale University
- Jordan Peyton, The Midwest Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Students Union (MAASU)
- Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez, Southwestern College – Asian American Studies Program
- Joseph Pham, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Joyce Trompeta, University of California, San Francisco
- Julian Chun-Chung Chow, University of California, Berkeley
- Julie Cho, University of California, Irvine
- Justin Lo, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Justin Suarez, Liberty Hill Foundation
- Kare’l Lokeni, Long Beach City College
- Karen Chow, De Anza College
- Karen Crocket, Fresno City College
- Karen Fernandez, Highline College
- Karthick Ramakrishnan, AAPI Data
- Katherine Ally Zaslavsky, Cornell University
- Katlin Choi, San Diego Mesa College
- Katrina Dank, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Kayla Khang, Asian American Organizing Project
- Keiko Tsurumi, Mt San Antonio College
- Keith Camacho, UCLA
- Kelly Fong, UCLA Department of Asian American Studies
- Kendall Jones, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Kevin Gee, University of California, Davis
- Khampha Thephavong, Laotian-American Community of Fresno
- Khi Moua, Hlub Hmong Center
- Kouichoy Saechao, Lao Iu Mien Culture Association (LIMCA)
- Kristina Arevalo, CUNY
- Kristine Jan Espinoza, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Laila Kitchen, Oceanic Student Association- University of Michigan
- Lany Avakian, Laotian American Community of Fresno
- Laura Vu, California Hmong Advocates Network
- Lauren Garces, San Diego Asian Pacific Islander Coalition
- Leafa Taumoepeau, Taulama for Tongans
- Leland Simpliciano, SD Mesa
- Leslie Boey, University of Minnesota
- Lin Crowley, APIC SPS
- Lisa Tealer, Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council
- Lornalei Suaava, Pacific Community of Alaska
- Lucianne Latu, Taulama for Tongans
- Lucy Li, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Luke-Ahn Nguyen, BPSOS-Atlanta
- Madelyn McKeague, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
- Mai Yang, Fresno City College
- Manlia Xiong, College of the Sequoias
- Marcella Tam, MIT
- Margaret Chin, Hunter College, Dept of Sociology
- Marie Christina Maghuyop, San Bernardino Community College District
- Marissa Dupont, Solidarity Lowell
- Mary Doi, Chicago Japanese American Historical Society
- Mary Yang, Green Bay Asian Allies United
- Mazeda Uddin, South Asian Fund For Education Scholarship and Training Inc
- Megan Bui, Cal Young Democratic Socialists of America
- Melany De La Cruz-Viesca, UCLA Asian American Studies Center
- Michael Takeda, API Caucus of the Academic Senate for CA Community Colleges
- Michelle Lee, Amherst College
- Michelle Zinghang, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Miranda Li, University of Washington School of Medicine
- MyDzung Chu, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, ADAPT Coalition
- Nadia Kim, TAMU
- Nancy Lim-Yee, Association for Chinese Families of the Disabled
- Naoko Wake, Michigan State University
- Naseeb Bhangal, Michigan State University
- Nelsie Yang, Saint Paul City Council Ward 6 Office
- Nina Parikh, New York University, School of Global Public Health
- Noemi Teppang, De Anza College/Asian Pacific Staff Association
- OiYan Poon, University of Maryland, College Park
- Patricia Greenstein, The George Washington University (Libraries and Academic Innovation)
- Paul Martin, SDCCD
- Paul Michael Atienza, Cal Poly Humboldt
- Phitsamay Uy, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Phong Nguyen, Stanford Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity
- Pilar Mendoza, Engage R+D
- Preeti Juturu, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
- Que-Lam Huynh, CSU Northridge
- Rae Abileah, ALAS
- Ranen Miao, APIAVote
- Rebecca Nelson, OPAWL and AAMP Ohio
- Richard Villagomez, UC Berkeley Pacific Islander Initiative
- Ricky San Nicolas, House of Chamorros
- Rikka Venturanza, UCLA
- Rosa Woolsey, Whitman College
- Rosie Kar, Fullerton College, Ethnic Studies Department
- Rowena Tomaneng, Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education
- Roy Tongilava, South Pacific Islander Organization
- Ruth Marie San Filippo, San Diego Mesa College, AANAPISI
- Ryan Suk, Emory University
- Saatvik Ahluwalia, Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission
- Saba Waheed, UCLA Labor Center
- Serena Kirk, California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs
- Shane Anderson, API Caucus
- Shannon Young, RoundGlass India Center
- Sharon Kim, AAMP Ohio
- Shreena Gandhi, Michigan State University
- Sonexay Sanaphol, Lao American Veterans Family Association, I nc
- Soukprida Phetmisy, Act To Change
- Sovathana Sokhom, SEARAC
- Stephen Shaw, Oakland Public Library
- Sue Ann Hong-Whitaker, The Center for Asian Pacific American Women (CAPAW)
- Sung Park, University of Massachusetts Boston
- Tammy Silver, Pasadena City College
- Tania Laguna, SBVC
- Thanh Le, Western Washington University
- Thu Quach, Asian Health Services
- Thu Nguyen, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates
- Tia Moua, Asians for Collective Liberation in Spokane
- Tiara Naputi, University of California Irvine
- Tiffany Luu, University of Washington School of Medicine
- Tina Tran, Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance
- Tracie Friedman, Khmu National Federation, Inc
- Tupou Tongilava, Tonga Relief Support of America TRSA
- Unmi Song, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
- UrsulaAnn Siataga, SFUSD Fa’aSamoa Initiative
- Van Tran, API Rising
- Vera Hanaoka, San Diego Mesa College
- Vinit Mukhija, UCLA
- Vinnie Wu, San Bernardino Community College District Asian Pacific Islander Association
- Vivian WuWong, Friends of the Chinatown Library-Boston
- Vong SENGCHANH, Lao-Khmu association of Oklahoma City
- Whitney Ibarra, AAPI Data
- YanHao Wong, Cirrus Logic
- Yen Espiritu, University of California, San Diego
- Yenan Zhu, University of Florida
- Zoe Hu, University of Michigan
Individual Signatories
- Adena Ishii
- Aidan O’Connor
- Alexa Drapiza
- Alice Yang
- Allie Kreitman
- Alvina Yeh
- Amelia Wilhelm
- Amy Stratton
- Anne Reimann-Moody
- Anthony Ponticello
- Ariel Harrison
- Ashley Morrow
- Asialyn Lee
- Audrey Griffitts
- Ayana Amaechi
- Benjamin Wu
- Billy Berger
- Brandi Bailes
- C Ghanbarpour
- Cali Tran
- Candy Stark
- Carolyn Oliver
- Caterina Reed
- Chanatip Fallon
- Charmaine Runes
- Chau Nguyen
- Cherry Lim
- Christi Nguyen
- Christine Perez
- Christine Santos
- Christopher Hnatowicz
- Christopher Weir
- Christy Pham
- Cindy Nguyen
- Cyd Hoffeld
- Daja Marks
- Dan-Thanh Nguyen
- Danielle Dillard, PhD
- Dante Dauz
- Dao Vang
- Deborah Chen
- Derek Pham
- Diana Ho
- Dominy Yim
- Doua Lo
- Doua Thor
- Elaona Lemoto
- Elizabeth Sweet
- Ellen Guyer
- Emily Kwan
- Emily Nguyen
- Emily Stiles
- Emily Wood
- Emma Linde
- Emmeline Ha, MD
- Esha P
- Ethan Nguyen
- Eugenia Beh
- Evelyn Ruiz
- Fatima-Iram Din
- Francisco Brady
- Georgine Vaifale
- Hanikka Muna
- Hannah Barone
- Hannah Kinzer
- Harry Budisidharta
- Hector Vargas
- Hend Mansoor
- Heng Lao
- Hien Chan
- Hurao Pablo-Cook
- Ingrid Brown
- Isaac Vigilla
- Isbah Khan
- Ishita Kanungo
- Jackie Va
- Jacob Campbell
- Jacqueline Mac
- Jacqueline Tran
- Jake Fitisemanu
- Jake Rodgers
- Jamari Robinson-Mitchell
- Jamari Robinson
- James Bao
- James Liou
- Jamie So
- jane cady
- Janelle Wong
- Janet Isserlis
- Jayda Mauga
- Jazzmin Gota
- Jennifer Barillas
- Jenny Lam
- Jeremy Khuth
- Jeremy Khuth
- Jessica Dai
- Jessica Shadrick
- Jocelyn Gonzales
- John Nguyen-Yap
- Jongwon Lee
- Josephine Villanueva
- Joylani Shibata
- Julie Pham
- Justin Nguyen
- Kabao Yang
- Kami Thepphavong
- Karissa Tu
- Kate McCarthy
- Kathleen Dang
- Kathy Taing
- Keisha Lewis
- Kelly Simons
- Kevin Huynh
- Kim Dieu
- Kirin Macapugay
- Kong Mong Yang
- Kristina Rallu
- Krystal Chuon
- Lauren Gentry
- Lauren Pongan
- Le Nguyen
- Leilani White
- Leilua Satele
- Leslie Chow
- Liisa Wale
- Lina Surianto
- Linda Vang
- Liz Hadachek
- Luna Lam
- Lutiaiafa Lago’o
- Maggie Quan
- Mai Thao
- Mai Neng Vang
- Mai Thao
- Maichoua Lor
- Malia Garcia
- Manasi Garg
- Margaret Marshall
- Marianne Siulangapo
- Marie Stebbings
- Mary Mulherin
- May Moua
- Megan Deangelo
- Meghan Shea
- Melinda Dang
- Melodie Turori
- Michael Pan
- Michelle Kang
- Minh-Giang Nguyen
- Misa Nguyen
- Nalee Xiong
- Natalie Nguyen
- Natalie Thiel
- Nayomi Her
- Neel Iyer
- Nicholas Vann
- Nico Tuason
- Nicola Forbes
- Nikolaus Anderson
- Nirvana Felix
- Nona Palmer
- Noumoua Lynaolu
- Ovava Eterei Afuhaamango
- Paige Tengeluk
- Pamela Funai
- Patricia Kim
- Philip Jucaban
- Phillip Pham
- Phoebe Balascio
- Phuongloan Vo
- Priya Murthy
- Quelani Penland
- Rakesh Sharma
- Ramey Ko
- Ravneet Ranu
- Roland Gauvin
- Rosemary Graham-Gardner
- Ryan Apathy
- Sally Yang
- Samantha Yeun
- Sarah Peterson
- Sarah Iv
- Sarah Schroeder
- Serena Bergstrom
- Serena Bergstrom
- Set Hernandez
- Shagufta Hakeem
- Shireen Hayatghaibi
- Shoua Yang
- Sid Voorakkara
- Sinclaire Tirona
- Sophia Som
- Stephanie Ha
- Sun Park
- SunAh Laybourn
- Sunnary Adeva
- Susan Cuong
- Susan Hayase
- Tamara Bauman
- Tanya Nguyen
- Teng Bounxayavong-Jolly
- Thaen Saelee
- Thao Nguyen
- Thear Chum
- Theresa Esparrago Lieu
- Thomas Moua
- Thuy Wong
- Tia Moua
- Tiana Teso
- Tiffany Vanphravong
- Tigana Le
- Tina Cheuk
- Toni Brooks
- Topher Tailler
- Trisha Garcia
- Tuan Tran
- Van Nguyen
- Vanessa Veak
- Vanuyen Pham
- Viana Chau
- Virginia Loh-Hagan
- Warren Enström
- Windi Sasaki
- Winnie Hung
- Yang Xiong
- Yasmin Padamsee Forbes
- Zahra Porter
- Zoua Lor
