Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage.

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

On behalf of all of us at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs we would like to wish you a happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month. This month is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the contributions Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders make to our country. At OFCCP, we are passionate about building workplaces that ensure all Americans have an equal opportunity to contribute to the success of our communities.  In the 2022 Proclamation on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, And Pacific Islander Heritage Month, President Biden stated:

“AA and NHPIs have long played an essential role in writing the American story.  From serving our country in uniform, advocating for civil rights, starting new businesses, and winning Olympic medals, the contributions of the AA and NHPI community touch the lives of Americans every day.  AA and NHPIs serve with distinction at the highest levels of Federal, State, and local government.  I am proud to have Vice President Kamala Harris, the first person of South Asian descent to serve as Vice President, and Katherine Tai, the first Asian American United States Trade Representative, in my Administration.”

Over the past two years, AA and NHPI communities have experienced a surge in hate crimes, bias, and harassment. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated economic insecurity for many AA and NHPI communities. In 2021, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) published research findings from a survey of 1,313 American workers, which included an oversample of Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian respondents. Of the workers surveyed, 17 percent of Asian-American workers felt they were treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity. A recent survey by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum found that Asian American and Pacific Islander women have faced an alarming increase in race and gender-based discrimination, violence, and harassment.

Issues impacting low-income AA and NHPI communities are often not well understood because of the inaccurate perception that these communities are uniformly well educated and of high income. AA and NHPI communities are incredibly diverse in terms of socioeconomic status as well as national origin, language and religious affiliation. While some Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities have high levels of education and income, members of some communities live in poverty, and economic and educational attainment vary significantly. For AA and NHPI women working full time year-round, the gender wage gap varies widely, with women of many AA and NHPI communities experiencing much larger wage gaps compared to white, non-Hispanic men than AA and NHPI women overall.

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Continued...

A central part of OFCCP's mission is eliminating workplace discrimination on the basis of race and national origin and enforcing equal opportunity and affirmative action by federal contractors and subcontractors.  In FY 21 and FY 22, OFCCP recovered more than $1,000,000 for over 1,640 AA and NHPI workers who OFCCP found to have experienced workplace discrimination. Notable resolutions achieved by OFCCP on behalf of AA and NHPI workers include:

• On April 28, 2022, OFCCP entered into a conciliation agreement with Rockland Bakery Inc. to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at the federal contractor’s Nanuet location.  Rockland Bakery agreed to pay $850,000 in back wages and interest to female, Black and Asian applicants who applied to work as cashiers, packers and bakers. Under the agreement, Rockland Bakery agreed to also extend 52 job opportunities to female, Black and Asian applicants, provide training to all company employees involved in hiring decisions, and review and revise its recruitment processes to ensure they are free from discrimination.

• On July 21, 2021, OFCCP entered into a conciliation agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina to resolve allegations of systemic discrimination. Blue Cross agreed to pay $226,484 in back wages, interest, and benefits to 117 Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multi-racial applicants for a student entry-level training program at its Columbia headquarters.  Under the agreement, BCBS agreed to also make five job offers to original applicants as positions became available, ensure that its selection processes are free from discrimination and provide training to managers and all staff involved in the student program’s hiring process.

• On May 5, 2021, OFCCP entered into a conciliation agreement with Conduent Incorporated (“Conduent,” formerly Xerox Commercial Solutions) to resolve allegations of hiring discrimination. Conduent agreed to pay $395,000 to 1,503 Black, 106 Asian, and 15 Hawaiian or Pacific Islander applicants who applied for Customer Care Assistant positions and were not hired. Under the agreement, Conduent also agreed to extend 132 job offers to interested applicants. 

OFCCP looks forward to continuing to advance equal opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the workplace. We are committed to better understanding and addressing the barriers facing AA and NHPI workers, and to ensure federal contractors and subcontractors advance equality and opportunity for all. 

Protecting Workers. Promoting Diversity. Enforcing the Law.