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North                       The Indian Eye

                          AMERICANNewsline






         16                                                                                                           SEPTEMBER 27, 2024


            GOPIO Co-hosts Asian American Unity



                Summit with AAUC at the US Capitol





        President Biden’s Deputy Assistant Erika Moritsugu presented a message from President

               Biden at the Welcome Dinner of the AAUC/GOPIO Summit in Washington, DC.



        OUR BUREAU

        Washington, DC
              he Asian American Unity Co-
              alition (AAUC) organized the
        T2024 National AANHPI Unity
        Summit from September 19-20, 2024,
        in Washington D.C. GOPIO Interna-
        tional served as a co-host along with
        eight other local and national Asian
        American organizations. The summit
        provided a platform for Asian Amer-
        ican Native Hawaiian and Pacific Is-
        lander (AANHPI) organizations and
        leaders to interact and collaborate
        on issues vital to their communities.   (From left to right): WHIAANHPI Executive Director Kristal Ka’ai; Special Advisor for Public Engagement Kota Mizutani; President Biden’s Deputy
        The Global Organization of People of   Assistant Erika Moritsugu presenting a message from President Biden at the Welcome Dinner. Front Row (from left to right): Ramya Ramakrish-
        Indian Origin (GOPIO) is a Found-  nan of HAF, AAUC President Angela Anand, WH Deputy Assistant Moritsugu, AAUC Board Chair Dr. S.K. Lo, Marsha Golangco of APAPA, AAUC
        er Member of Asian American Uni-  VP Yen Marshal and CEO of My Sister’s House, AAUC Treasurer Jan Xie who is also President of ACAESUSA, and AAUC Bylaws/Board Develop-
        ty Coalition (AAUC) which takes
        up and campaign on broad issues of                        ment Committee Chair Dr. Thomas Abraham who is also GOPIO Chairman
        Asian Americans.
            In the morning of September  AAUC President Angela Anand and    what executive actions they can im- consider charging premium fees,
        19th, a delegate group of 70 individ- Board Chair Dr. S.K. Lo to speak,  plement in the short term even before   may be as much as $5,000 per appli-
        uals attended a White House Brief- who in turn invited representatives of  the legislative measures can solve the   cant, which will generate substantial
        ing to discuss issues concerning our  various co-hosting organizations who   problem. The following are the sug- revenue  for  USCIS  to  enhance  the
        diverse communities, followed by a   spoke on the various Asian American  gestions:                   infrastructure to process these ap-
        White  House  tour  for  100  Summit  issues such as immigration, need for   While  waiting  for  legislative  ac-  plications. AAUC and GOPIO have
        attendees. In  the afternoon, repre- education initiative, violence against  tion from Congress, Dr. Abraham re- requested and urged the Biden Ad-
        sentatives of the Department of Jus- Asians, and discrimination, etc.  quested and urged the White House   ministration to execute these admin-
        tice (DOJ) and FB I met and listened   All co-hosts presented various   administration to use executive pow- istrative measures immediately and in
        Asian American community repre- Asian American issues at the briefing.  ers and implement these reforms in  good faith.
        sentatives at the Crowne Plaza Hotel  In his address at The White House  good faith immediately:          President Biden’s Deputy As-
        which was followed immediately by a  event, GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thom-    Instruct USCIS to remove the   sistant Erika Moritsugu presented a
        youth session discussing racial bias in  as Abraham highlighted the legal im- “Compelling Circumstances” clause   message from President Biden at the
        schools and cross-cultural identities.   migration issue on the huge Green   for Employment Authorization Doc- Welcome  Dinner of  the AAUC/GO-
            The White House Briefing start- Card Backlog. He said that there are   uments  (EADs)  and  Travel  Docu- PIO Summit in Washington, DC.
        ed with a warm welcome by Kristal   two bipartisan Bills in Congress (HR- ments (Advance Parole) for approved   In his message President Joe
        Ka’ai, Executive Director, White  6543 and S-3269) that could reduce   immigrant petitioners and  their de- Biden wrote, “America has a heart
        House Initiative on Asian Americans,  this  long  waiting  period.  These  bills   pendents who have legally resided in  and soul that draw from old and new.
        Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Island- were included in the AAUC Summit  the US for at least ten years.  We all come from somewhere, but
        ers (WHIAANHPI) who spoke on  agenda.                                   Instruct USCIS and Department  we’re all Americans. And since our
        the White House initiatives for Asian   Dr. Abraham pointed out that of  of State  to create a Rule  that  will   nation  was  founded,  our  spirit  has
        and Pacific American Islanders. This   the 2 million immigrants in the back- Lock the age of dependent and non-  been enriched by the immense con-
        was followed by remarks from Special   log, 1.2 million (62%) are Indians  US born children as on the approval   tributions and diverse cultures of the
        Advisor to Public Engagement Kota   followed by Chinese and  Filipinos.  date of the very first immigrant peti- Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians
        Mizutani who spoke on how Asian  GOPIO has taken up this campaign   tion (I-140) so that these kids do not  and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI)
        Americans are  engaged  with the   to help the affected people and sug- have to self-deport.          communities - and that includes
        White House. Mizutani then invited   gested to the Biden Administration   For EAD and Travel Documents,      Continued on next page... >>


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