Daphne Kwok (Photo from www.apidisabilities.org)
On July 26, President Barack Obama appointed Daphne Kwok of San Francisco as chair of his advisory commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders. The commission was re-established last year by the president as part of a White House initiative to improve the lives of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) as communities that are underserved by federal resources.
White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders Executive Director Kiran Ahuja said Kwok’s more than two decades of experience as a community leader at both the national and state levels make her an invaluable asset to the commission.
Kwok is currently the executive director of Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California. She previously served as the executive director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, and the Organization of Chinese Americans, a national civil rights organization with more than 10,000 members. She was also the first elected chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans.
As chair of the Commission, Kwok will work with the White House Initiative to increase public- and private-sector collaboration and community involvement in the effort. Kwok will work closely with Ahuja and the initiative co-chairs, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, in addressing issues that are critical to the AAPI community. ♦