On Thursday September 19th and Friday September 20th, HAF co-hosted the Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC) Summit in Washington, DC.
The event kicked off with an insightful briefing at the White House by senior White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders staff, followed by a vital discussion with the FBI on hate crimes affecting our communities. It was an important opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue, with HAF staff members Ramya Ramakrishnan, Anita Joshi and Raj Rao sharing their thoughts.
At the Rayburn Office Building, the Immigration and Advocacy panel was moderated by Ramya Ramakrishnan, where the team had the honor of hosting passionate and dedicated panelists like Sathya Krishnamurthy from GOPIO, Maychy Vu an educator and leader of the Hmong community in Minnesota, and Lucy Hansen, CEO Polynesian Association of Alaska, who discussed critical issues faced by the Asian and Pacific Islander communities, especially around immigration reform. We also heard a powerful speech from Gene Wu, member of the Texas House of Representatives, urging civic engagement and collective action from Asian groups to create positive changes for our communities.
Remarking on the event, Ramya Ramakrishna stated: “Being involved as a co-host and actively participating in all the programs of the summit to represent our community was both an honor and a privilege. It is more important than ever for Asian American and Pacific Islander groups to unite and collectively advocate on issues that are critically important to us and our communities. We need to foster unity and understanding, continue these conversations and work together towards a future where everyone’s story is heard, acknowledged and respected.”
HAF thanks the AAUC board and core team for their leadership and dedication which led to a highly successful summit. We look forward to continuing this important work and fostering partnerships that advance the rights and dignity of all Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.