Ritu Jha-
President Joe Biden’s administration has appointed 23 commissioners to advise it on ways the public, private and nonprofit sectors can work together to advance equity, justice and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA, NH and PI) communities.
The President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (PACAANHPI), which was officially sworn in by Vice-President Kamala Harris this week for a two-year term, is historic for the Asian as well as Indian communities.
Four Indian Americans – Ajay Jain Bhutoria, Sonal Shah, Kamal Kalsi and Smita Shah – were among the 23 who took the oath of office Feb 3 at the virtual event given the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic.
Vice-President Harris, welcoming the commissioners, said, “On behalf of the President and myself, thank you yet again for the life that you have chosen to live, which has been a life of leadership and service.
“We know there is still a lot of work to do in an affirmative way, in a purposeful way, in an intentional way, about ensuring that people are engaged, that they are involved, and that we are relevant to the way that they are experiencing and living life, and that we are connected with their goals and their dreams for themselves, for their families, and for their community. And that’s why it’s so important to have you all as the leaders, that you are together in this advisory group, because the work that you will do is to give us candid feedback,” she continued.
Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a Silicon Valley technology executive, community leader and resident of Fremont, California, told indica it was an honor to be appointed to the commission as a special government employee.
The initiative was taken by President Biden under Executive Order 14031 issued last May. Bhutoria, who is known to be a passionate advocate for the South Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the areas of small businesses, educational opportunities, immigration issues and technological advancement, said, “I look forward to working on important issues affecting AA and NHPI communities, such as language access, data disaggregation, anti-Asian hate, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on AA and NHPI communities.”
He added that the commissioners will remain focused on the seven points mentioned in the executive order.
“We have to give recommendations and define policy for the president (on issues such as) anti-Asian hate crimes, equitable federal grants for charities (and) equal hiring of Asians across federal agencies,” he said.
The commission will work under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said at the event, “From addressing anti-Asian hate and bias, to COVID-19 recovery, to the need for better data on AA and NHPI communities and resources for limited English proficient individuals, the needs of our AA and NHPI communities are wide-ranging, unique and urgent for us to address. Together, with the leadership of our commissioners, we will work to ensure that our nation lives up to its founding ideals and that the American Dream is within reach for every AA and NHPI family.”
The commission has 25 members in all, including the HHS secretary and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who will co-chair it. It is expected to meet at least once every three months and the meetings will be open to the public.
The other three Asian American members also have done some sterling work to empower the AAPI communities. Sonal Shah is the founding president of The Asian American Foundation, starting the largest philanthropic effort to serve the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Before TAAF, she founded and led Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, giving students an opportunity to work on social impact projects in the public, private and social sectors.
Dr Kamal Singh Kalsi is an emergency medicine physician from New Jersey who served in the Army for 20 years and was awarded a Bronze Star medal for his work on the front lines in Afghanistan. Dr Kalsi has founded the Sikh American Veterans Alliance to promote diversity, religious freedom and service.
The fourth South Asian, Smita Shah, is an engineer, entrepreneur and civic leader serving as president and CEO of the Chicago-based SPAAN Tech, Inc, a multi-disciplinary firm with expertise in public and private infrastructure projects including transportation, aviation and facilities. Shah serves in various roles with the Chicago Plan Commission, M.I.T., the Museum of Science and Industry, After School Matters, Delhi Chicago Sister Cities Program, YPO, the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, and the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.
The seven points the commission needs to focus on as per Executive Order 14031 are:
- the development, monitoring, and coordination of executive branch efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities in the United States, including efforts to close gaps in health, socioeconomic, employment, and educational outcomes;
- policies to address and end anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, racism and nativism, and opportunities for the executive branch to advance inclusion, belonging, and public awareness of the diversity and accomplishments of AA and NHPI people, cultures, and histories;
- policies, programs and initiatives to prevent, report, respond to and track anti-Asian hate crimes and hate incidents;
- ways in which the federal government can build on the capacity and contributions of AA and NHPI communities through equitable federal funding, grantmaking and employment opportunities;
- policies and practices to improve research and equitable data disaggregation regarding AA and NHPI communities;
- policies and practices to improve language access services to ensure AA and NHPI communities can access federal programs and services; and
- strategies to increase public- and private-sector collaboration, and community involvement in improving the safety and socioeconomic, health, educational, occupational, and environmental well‑being of AA and NHPI communities.
