Hawaii-native Erika Moritsugu has been chosen by the Biden administration to serve as deputy assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Senior Liaison.
Moritsugu's appointment to the newly created role was part of the White House's commitment after the administration was pressured by Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) over the absence of Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in both the president's Cabinet and other senior roles.
"Proud to say Erika Moritsugu is from Hawaii and that I've known her family for decades," Sen Hirono wrote in a Facebook post earlier this month. "Erika's designation as a deputy assistant to the president demonstrates that the White House heard the AAPI community's call for this role to be a senior level position."
Hirono and Duckworth had threatened to object to any of the president's non-diverse if Asian Americans weren't given more "senior roles." CBS News reported the Senators dropped their vow after speaking with the White House.
Moritsugu has worked in federal government before. She had been Duckworth's general counsel and was a deputy legislative director under former Senator Danny Akaka of Hawaii. Under the Obama administration she served as the assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Prior to her appointment, Moritsugu led the economic justice team as Vice President for the National Partnership for Women & Families.