In 2014, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) commissioned me to lead a national study of Asian and Pacific Island (API) American Catholics. Together with sociologists Jerry Park and Stephen Cherry, we conducted a national, mixed-methods study (survey, focus groups, interviews, field observation, and secondary data analysis) resulting in multiple reports/presentations to the USCCB. This week, the US Catholic Bishops voted to approve the pastoral letter that was written in consideration of this social science data on lived API experiences. It was an honor to present our work during the USCCB Spring Assembly, and to see this pastoral letter formally approved.

I am grateful to all those whose leadership made this possible, including Sister Myrna (Assistant Director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity) and Bishop Oscar A. Solis of Salt Lake City (Chairman of the bishops’ Subcommittee for Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs), with whom I am pictured below.