First Sikh American Named to White House Commission on AAPI

Newly sworn-in Commissioner Amardeep Singh here with his parents who traveled to the ceremony
in the U.S. Capital from New Jersey. 

New York :   The Sikh Coalition is pleased to announce that Amardeep Singh, the Sikh Coalition's co-founder and Director of Programs, was appointed by President Barack Obama to his Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) last week. The Sikh Coalition believes this is the first appointment of a Sikh American to such a post.

"Our nation will be well-served by the skill and dedication these men and women bring to their new roles. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead," President Obama said last week in a news release issued by the White House.

Mr. Singh began his service this past Tuesday night, when he was sworn into office along with 16 fellow Commissioners by Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal. More than 400 leaders and activists, including Members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, converged on the U.S. Capitol Building to attend the swearing-in ceremony. 

Sapreet Kaur, Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition, and Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director of the
White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are pictured here after the ceremony.

"I am honored and humbled by the appointment. I look forward to helping connect the President and the White House to our community and its needs. We'll work on many issues, but I'm especially excited about the opportunity to discuss civil rights issues facing our communities," said Amardeep Singh. 

The mission of the Commission is to provide advice to the President on how all agencies in the federal government may improve the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). The Commission will focus on five areas: 1) Education; 2) Economic Development; 3) Sustainable Neighborhoods; 4) Health Communities; and 5) Civil Rights.

Amardeep Singh speaks here with Paul Uyehara of the United States Department of Justice who attended the ceremony. 

The Commission works in collaboration with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and a Federal Interagency Working Group to improve the quality of life of the AAPI community by facilitating increased access to and participation in federal programs where they remain underserved.  

"We are pleased by Amar's appointment," said Sapreet Kaur, Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition. "It is critical that all our communities have a meaningful seat at the table. Amar's appointment will greatly help raise the voice of the community before the White House and federal government." (Issued on: September 24, 2010)

  View Slideshow  




Presidential Appointment for Coalition Staffer