Programs Legislative Briefings and Advocacy

USPAACC's Advocacy

• On September 12, 2022, Susan Au Allen, our National President and CEO, spoke out over concerns over the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) injunction to block Meta from purchasing VR company Within Unlimited. Read more about it.
• On April 13, 2021, Susan Au Allen, our National President and CEO, spoke at a US Chamber of Commerce Event, Equality of Opportunity in Action: The AAPI Business Community Speaks Up, and addressed in some length the status of AAPI businesses in America, how do hate and racism impact AAPI business now? How has the situation changed over the past year? The steps USPAACC are taking to help, and how can government help?
• On April 5, 2021, USPAACC published a Manifesto for the AAPI Community and Diverse Americans. It is a purposeful 5-point action plans for all Americans to create a cohesive environment of mutual respect, understanding, and fairness.
• Since early 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic was announced, USPAACC has organized 19 LiveTALK broadcasts that included:
  • Sean Moore, who is Chairman Ben Cardin’s (D-MD), Democratic Staff Director for the Senate Committee on Small Business & EntrepreneurshipSenate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship. During the discussion, Mr. Moore explained the PPP Round 2 and its implementation, advocating for wide usage of the law among the country's small and minority business communities. That was of tremendous help to AAPI businesses who are in need of the PPP Round 2 funding relief because many did not benefit from the PPP last year due to language barriers, lack of knowledge and difficulties in following through with the application process, inability to produce acceptable documents to support the application, lack of mainstream banking experiences or a banker who would take their application as serious as larger businesses.
  • After the horrific George Floyd killing, we presented Race Relations, a discussion among African American, Hispanic American and Asian American community leaders, and then E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One), a follow-up discussion to advocate for Americans coming together to seek better understanding of each other's unique background and cultures, experiences, trials and tribulations as well as successes and contributions to the country. Thousands of Asian Americans came out in support of BLM. They wanted to show solidarity with the Black community, believing that discrimination against one racial group is discrimination against all groups. Our blogs calling for calm resonated with a wide audience.
  • When the PPP funds began to flow into the community, USPAACC presented Rebooting Our Economy, and Realistic and Reasonable Way to Open the Economyand Realistic and Reasonable Way to Open the Economy, calling for prudent and considered plans as the AAPI and diverse communities prepared to re-enter the economy.
• In early 2020, USPAACC urged the White House, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, to pass the Cares Act. It was passed.
• In 2019, we joined the Automobile Manufacturers Alliance, now Alliance for Automotive Innovation, to advocate for legislation that would lead to adoption of Comprehensive Autonomous Vehicle Law. The innovation that will follow legislation, research, implementation, etc., will benefit the small and minority business communities in job creation, and business opportunities.
• Since 2018, USPAACC National President & CEO Susan Au Allen has been an active Member of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE). There, she co-leads the Supplier Diversity programs for three years, that resulted in two public Supplier Diversity events and a third, Tech Communications and Diversity Opportunity Symposium & Networking One-on-One Meeting Fair on April 28, 2021. All three events are designed for the minority community. Her experience and opinions are sought and respected. On March 29, 2021, the FCC issued Public Notice Condemning AAPI Violence. USPAACC's role on this Committee has been to advocate for effective outreach to the minority community nationwide, improving broadband access, educating broadband adoption, facilitating business opportunities, and referring employment opportunities to minority and diverse communities.
• October 10, 2017 – Susan Au Allen, National President & CEO of USPAACC, led a delegation of small business owners to meet with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, at his office in Washington, DC. Learn more
• Since 2016, in partnership with the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC), we have been advocating for fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects which will open more opportunities for all qualified small businesses, minorities and women in the construction industry.
• USPAACC is a founding member of the Chamber Leadership Alliance (CLA), previously Chamber Training Institute (CTI) which began in 2010. The founding members of CLA are: US Black Chambers, Inc., US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
• In addition, USPAACC has advocated over the years on specific issues on behalf of AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Walmart, The American Builders and Contractors Association, Inc., The American Hotel & Motel Association, and the International Franchise Association ; and the reauthorization of MBDA (Minority Business Development Agency).
• April 2016 – Letter to the Honorable Tom Wheeler, Chairman and Commissioners of the FCC Committee about expressing concerns about the sweeping video navigation device rule introduced on February 18.
• March 2016 – Letter to the Members of Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in support of the Blunt Blumenthal Amendment to assure that revenue generated at airports would be used for airport-related purposes.
• February 2016 – Participated in the Minority-Owned Small Business Roundtable organized by House Small Business Committee to discuss issues facing small business owners on the invitation of Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY).
• December 2015 – Recommended a woman-owned small business to testify before House Small Business Committee, Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce on “Supporting Success: Empowering Small Business Advocates.”
• July 2015 – Met with Chairman of House Small Business Committee, Congressman Steve Chabot, to discuss job creation and minority business growth programs.
• May 2015 – Published article in the Washington Times about the Asian American vote in 2016.
• May 2015 – Met with Brad Bailey, Policy Advisor, Speaker Boehner; to discuss TPA and TPP.
• April 2015 – Met with Congresswoman, Judy Chu, Congressmen Mike Honda and Takano to discuss TPA & TPP.
• February 2015 – Letter to the SBA Administrator, Maria Contreras-Sweet, in support of TPA and TPP.
• January 2015 – Joined US Chamber of Commerce in an open letter to the 114th Congress re: Intellectual Property.
• August 2014 – Letter to The Honorable Tom Wheeler, Chairman, FCC, in support of Comcast’s acquisition of Time Warner.
• July 2014 – Joined the National Black Chamber of Commerce, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in an open letter to advance broadband access and adoption.
• June 2014 – Spoke at Policy Summit in Washington, DC on small business ownership.
• November 2013 – Recommended to President Obama to laud USPAACC member’s success story in his immigration speech in San Francisco. The White House asked USPAACC to recommend a successful Asian American business whose inspiring immigrant story could be shared to a wider audience.
• November 7, 2012 – Supported AT&T Petition to Launch Proceeding Concerning the TDM-to-IP Transition.
• April 2012 - USPAACC National President & CEO Susan Au Allen spoke at the Federal Reserve Bank in Washington, DC about the changing landscape in the global economy; the social and economic ties of Asian American business to the Asia-Pacific region; their cultural competency to facilitate entry into this market; the role USPAACC plays in Corporate procurement; and how the different disparate ethnic groups can work together for the greater good.
• November 8, 2011 – Letter to Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Hatch, Senate Finance Committee, applauding the House passage of H.R. 1002, the Wireless Tax Fairness Act. USPAACC urges the Senate to support this legislation, which will help small businesses and consumers.
• March 3, 2011 – USPAACC National President & CEO testified before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship about SBA’s 8(a) and small and minority business programs and current issues minority and small businesses are facing.
• March 4, 2011 – USPAACC issued a press release that National President & CEO, Susan Allen, testified before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on small and minority business issues.
• January 18, 2011 – Attended press conference at Hyatt Hotel in response to union protest.
• January 6, 2011 – Met with Latino Coalition about collaboration on advocacy activities on behalf of small and minority businesses.
• June 30, 2010 – Letter to Chairman Rockefeller, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Chairman Henry Waxman, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, advocating for support of public policies that promote broadband expansion and investments.
• May 25, 2010 – Held a “Capitol Hill Day” as part of the annual national 25th Anniversary CelebrAsian Business Opportunity Conference (now CelebrAsian Procurement Conference) and met with Senators Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye, Senator Mary Landrieu Chief of Staff, Senator Olympia Snowe Chief of Staff, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congressman Mike Honda and Congressman David Wu to discuss small and minority business concerns.
• January 13, 2010 – USPAACC, along with other Chambers, sent a letter to FCC Chairman Genachowski and Commissioners to carefully gather all the facts and seek informed counsel before issuing its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on network neutrality.
• December 11, 2009 – Letters to Senators McCain, Grassley, McConnell and Reid in support of Importation of Pharmaceuticals.
• 2008 – USPAACC’s National President & CEO, Susan Au Allen, invited to join Obama transition team to advise on small and minority (specifically Asian American) business issues in Commerce, Labor, Transportation, International Trade Administration and Energy.
• 2003 – Entered into partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) ata Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony, pledging to collaborate through information and resources to Asian American small business across the country.
• 2002 – Helped to organize a White House reception in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with 150 select guests, including the first Indian-American astronaut and first Indian woman in space, Kalpana Chawla, who was one of the seven crew members that died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.
• 2001 – Bipartisan work to promote the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with former President George H.W. Bush and Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta
• 1992 – Met with President Bill Clinton at the White House to discuss Asian American views on civil rights, education and healthcare