Mazie K. Hirono: “I have been trying to get them to put fresh pineapple in our school lunches.”

In Hawaii and nationwide, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions help students thrive in the classroom and prepare them for success after graduation.

The law is clear. Congress mandated that funds, with specific statutorily prescribed amounts, be provided for each grant program with specific statutorily defined purposes in each fiscal year.

It is offensive that the Trump administration is pitting these institutions of higher education and the students they serve against each other, and going to extra lengths to do so.

From the first Filipino contract laborers who arrived in Hawaii seeking a better life, to today’s leaders in business, healthcare, and our Armed Forces, the Filipino American community has contributed to our country’s diversity and helped…