National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Welcomes the Passage of the FUTURE Act

Washington, DC— the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), issued the following statement on the FUTURE Act, which has passed the House today. The FUTURE Act passed the Senate last week with a bipartisan amendment, the bill will be sent to the President for his signature to become enacted.

NCAPA welcomes the passage of the FUTURE Act and we are hopeful that the President will sign the bill into law to ensure that minority serving institutions (MSIs) receive the funding they desperately need.

" Asian American Native American Pacific Islander - Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) are critical to the postsecondary success of Southeast Asian American students, many of whom are from underresourced communities or are the first in their families to go to college," said Quyen Dinh, Executive Director of Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). 

"Half of Southeast Asian Americans have not attended college for any period of time. That's why in 2007, we were proud to help pass the AANAPISI program into law in collaboration with multiracial coalitions and communities. Twelve years later, AANAPISIs have helped to close this gap by providing vulnerable students with the resources needed to help navigate complex educational systems and a community to strengthen their identity. SEARAC thanks Congress for passing the amended FUTURE Act to reauthorize funding permanently for AANAPISIs. Now, we call on the president to respond to their bipartisan efforts and sign the FUTURE Act into law to ensure the success of future generations."

 “AANAPISIs and other MSIs play a vital role in ensuring that the students who have the least access to higher education have that opportunity in a space that is culturally competent and intentionally designed to help them succeed. We are proud of the work that we and our AANAPISI stakeholders across the country have done to secure MSI funding, but our efforts do not end here. OCA will continue to advocate for level playing fields and increased opportunities for all students to access, afford, and complete college,” said Rita Pin Ahrens, Executive Director of OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates.

“Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC) applauds the House on their passage of the FUTURE Act. This continued investment in AANAPISIs and other MSIs is integral to sustaining the advancements we’ve made as Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) in the past decade developing a generation of leaders who are not only educated but also grounded in community. These institutions have proven that when you affirm someone’s identity, treating their culture as an asset, you create the conditions for them to thrive,” said Tavae Samuelu, Executive Director of EPIC.