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FAPAC Honors Members and Installs New Officers



By Jem Palo

“It was not long ago when we landed on the shores of this nation with just a few hundred bucks in our pockets, and very rarely any friends,” Farook Sait recalled before members of the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC), of which he is immediate past president.

Things are obviously very different now.

Sait, after all, was speaking at a glittering event celebrating AAPI advancement in the federal workforce, FAPAC’s Installation and Award Ceremony. The luncheon was held at the National Press Club on September 21 and attracted an estimated 300 guests and dignitaries. From humble beginnings in 1985, FAPAC has become a noticeable presence in Washington. It is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization bringing together AAPI employees in the federal and District of Columbia governments, along with members of the military. Its goal is to promote cultural diversity and seek a level playing field for advancement on behalf of over 30 Asian ethnic groups in the U.S.

“I am always struck by your advocacy and your leadership in ensuring that Asian Pacific Americans have an impact in the federal government,” declared U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), the keynote speaker. “If there is anything that we can learn from past congressional actions, it is that we must have a seat at the table where the decisions are being made.”

Representative Chu has such a seat, as she chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) this year. Chu used her unique perspective to highlight several instances of how strong and capable representation affects the community. She cited both the House and the Senate passing Resolution of Regret for the Chinese Exclusion Act. Now she feels she has some momentum as she has introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that prevents military hazing and ensures accountability for those who engage in it. The amendment, for which Rep. Chu has adamantly advocated since her 19-year- old nephew’s suicide following hazing, has made the act a prosecutable crime.

“That’s why groups like FAPAC are so critically important,” she added, noting there is still something of a glass ceiling for highly educated and qualified AAPIs in the government workforce.

Farook Sait, who received FAPAC’s Outstanding Service Award at the luncheon, agrees with Chu’s assessment, saying, “Simply put, APAs now have to step up and be players in the field instead of mere spectators.”

And conjuring up the colorful imagery which is his trademark, Mr. Sait claimed that part of the reason for the group’s success can be attributed to “the nature of the APA community.” In his view, “others collected baseball cards, while APAs collected academic degrees.” But now, he told the crowd, “It’s not enough to sit quietly by and not rock the boat.”

The event recognized this year’s newly appointed officers of FAPAC who are active members of the AAPI community and notable in their fields. It also awarded several members of FAPAC for outstanding services and achievements both in the organization and in the AAPI community. Asian Fortune was presented with an award for being the only publication that reaches out to the entire AAPI community in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. Editor Dottie Tiejun Li accepted the award on behalf of Asian Fortune.



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