Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing racial group in the United States. The AAPI population is expected to more than double from 20 million to 47 million by 2060. 

During May every year we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, honoring the accomplishments of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders at the Energy Department, in the energy workforce, and throughout history.  

This year's national theme, "Unite Our Vision by Working Together,” symbolizes the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders to our national endeavors and prosperity.  You can watch the Department’s celebration event on May 3rd, which featured Holly Ham, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and cultural performances from Dance Asia, Natyabhoomi School of Dance, and Chin Daiko featuring traditional Chinese dance, Okinawan drumming from Japan, and the Bharatnatyam dance from India.

This special observance provides an opportunity for the Department to reaffirm the value and contributions each employee brings to the work environment to support the Department’s overall mission and pay tribute to the generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched American's history.

At the Department of Energy, we’re working to:

• Enrich the workforce through the Asian American Pacific Islander Network employee resource group.
• Increase outreach to AAPI small business owners on DOE and DOE-related contracts.
• Conduct reliable data collection to track minority serving institution participation in funding programs.
• Establish partnerships with foundations, colleges, universities, and private entities to support the AAPI community.
• Identify DOE employees who are bilingual or multilingual in Asian languages to provide translation services when needed.
• Recruit students at AAPI related conferences and schools for internship, fellowship, and job opportunities.
• Ensure members of the AAPI community have access to technical skill building resources and receive information about grant and competitive funding opportunities at DOE.

Learn more about Department of Energy efforts at www.energy.gov/diversity.