Last week, I wrote about the fact sheet that the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders put out on President Obama's American Jobs Act proposal, and how it might benefit AAPI communities (Blog Post).  I also criticized how the American Jobs Act website didn't have a section on the jobs' proposed impact on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, even though we've been hit disproportionally in certain ways by the recession. Kudos to the President's team - they've now included fact sheets on the proposed impact targeting AAPI communities on their website. (See Here)

The four portions of the American Jobs Act that the website highlights are the same exact points that the WHIAAPI noted, and that I specifically noted in my blog post last week. Here's the excerpt from the web page.

What the American Jobs Act Will Do

• Help Asian American and Pacific Islander families keep more of what they earn: By extending the payroll tax cut for employees next year and expanding it to cut payroll taxes in half, the President's plan will help increase the paychecks of an estimated 7.6 million AA PI workers.
• Extend unemployment insurance to help families get back on their feet: The President's proposal will benefit at least 300,000 AA PIs and their families. The President is also proposing bipartisan reforms that will ensure that at the same time families receive unemployment insurance, the program will be better tailored to help the long-term unemployed find work.
• Offer incentives to businesses to hire AAPIs who have been out of work for more than six months: To help the long-term unemployed in their search for work, the President is calling for a new tax credit for businesses that hire them. The policy could help at least 235,000 AA PIs who have been looking for work for more than six months.
• Support subsidized jobs and summer/year-round jobs for Asian American young people: In an environment with 13.8 percent unemployment among Asian Americans under the age of 25, the President is proposing we build on successful programs like the TA NF Emergency Fund to create jobs and provide training for those hit hardest by the recession. The program will include dedicated funds for outlying areas, including the Pacific Island areas.

It's good to see that the Administration's team has been paying attention to our community's support and critiques, and let's hope there's some action taken on this matter immediately. We need it...

Photo Courtesy of White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/aapi

About me: Hey, I'm Dayne, and I'm a recent graduate of Pomona College. In college, I was active in AAPI student organizing as well as community work. I'm currently based out of Washington, D.C., and I'll be posting two to three times a week with the latest in progressive and AAPI political news and policy analysis, as well as spotlight features on young community leaders. Leave comments and share with friends! Follow me on twitter @ dayne4progress