Ever since President Obama signed the Executive Order to reinstate the White House Initiative on AAPIs (WHIAAPI) back in October, I've been waiting on pins and needles to see whom the administration would appoint as the new executive director.  I wondered whether President Obama would appoint someone whose been around in the "mainstream" of AAPI leadership or whether he would appoint someone whose leadership has been about the empowerment of grassroots leadership and progressive policy advocacy.  Would the administration go with someone from an older more traditional generation? Or would they go with someone representing a younger generation of community organizers with fresh perspectives?

Today I found out through an email passed along to me that the Obama administration has appointed Kiran Ahuja to be the new E.D. of the WHIAAPI!!! The official press release from the White House isn't out yet, but I AM ECSTATIC that President Obama appointed the best person for the position.  In fact, I actually sent in my own email to the White House to nominate Kiran, whom I've worked with since 2001 when she was the chair of the board for the National APA Women's Forum.  And last year, I got to work with Kiran in the Obama campaign, organizing get out the vote efforts in Tampa, Florida.  She had converted her home into what was pretty much a campaign field office.  Obama's win in Florida had a lot to do with how the vote in central Florida would go, and I know that the win had a lot to do with Kiran's leadership and grassroots organizational skills in our communities!

I know that with this appointment, President Obama and his administration still value community organizing and empowerment of the people.  Here's an excerpt from the email I sent to the White House:

I have always been impressed by Kiran's abilities as a leader and dedication to issues of social justice and to the empowerment of disenfranchised members of our communities.  She eventually became executive director of NAPAWF, and in a short time was able to build the organization into a strong network of community organizers and leaders working on a broad range of challenges and issues facing AAPIs - economic justice, reproductive justice/health, education/youth empowerment, and immigration, etc.  During her time as executive director, NAPAWF launched campaigns for workers rights in nail salons and to fight sex trafficking.  To me, her most impressive accomplishment has been her successes in addressing gender inequalities among AAPIs and addressing AAPI issues among women's organizations. 

Having been involved in AAPI communities as both a community organizer and as a research scholar for the past 10 years, I have met many leaders in AAPI communities, and I have observed a stark divide between those who are "insiders" and "outsiders" to Washington.  Too often, "national leaders" in our community impose their agenda on our local communities in Oakland, Los Angeles, NYC, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Seattle, etc. rather than engaging in mutual dialogue and working together as equals. Kiran is uniquely positioned as someone who has experiences both inside and outside of the "Beltway."  Her credentials as a community organizer doing field work and as a leader who is able to bring many people together for collaboration is unparalleled. 

For these reasons, I strongly believe that Kiran is a clear choice for this appointment, especially if the Obama administration truly priortizes community engagement and the participation of the wide diversity of AAPI citizens in the nation.

I'm sure an official announcement will come from the White House soon, but I just couldn't help but share the GREAT NEWS!  This is really change I can believe in!