Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

Let’s Move! Community Leaders as Models for Change

On November 12, 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama visited MA`O Organic Farm (MA`O) in my hometown, the community of Waianae, located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.  Waianae is home to one of the largest populations of Native Hawaiians in the world, and unfortunately the community’s poverty, diabetes, obesity and high school drop-out rates are among the highest in the state.  MA`O was founded to address these incredible challenges.  It is a not-for-profit, fully certified organic farm that utilizes sustainable agriculture to serve the people of Waianae.  Given the First Lady’s passion for health and nutrition, we were honored and proud to welcome her to MA`O.

The First Lady has made health and nutrition issues a national priority.  Last year, she launched the Let’s Move! Campaign to bring together community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, and parents in a nationwide effort to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity.  She has supported and promoted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s My Plate nutrition guide, which encourages eating vegetables and fruits and replaces the food pyramid as a guide to healthy eating. 

The First Lady’s health and nutrition initiatives are critical to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities, as nearly 20 percent of NHPI high school youth are obese.  Aligning with these initiatives, MA`O’s Youth Leadership Training internship provides the opportunity to work on the farm, receive a full tuition waiver to a local community college, a monthly stipend, and a matched savings account.  MA`O is currently sending 40 young adults from Waianae to college to learn about organic farming and pursue their educational aspirations.  Many of the students come from families that fall below the state of Hawaii’s poverty line, and many are the first in their family to attend college.  To the student interns, this program represents more than just an educational opportunity.  It means local food security; it means a healthier family; and it means greater sustainability. 

Ensuring a Safe and Bright Future for Our Children

A panel discussion at the Bullying Prevention Summit, organized by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and held in New York City on October 30, 2011. October 30, 2011. (by Photo by Akil Vohra, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders)

Last month my son Azaad, just two months shy of three years old, started preschool in Hoboken, New Jersey where I live with my wife, Dilly, and younger son Nishaan.

Letting go of your child for their first 6 hour day of school, away from the comforts of their home, can be anxiety provoking for any parent.  However, as identifiable Sikh Americans, Dilly and I had other reasons to be anxious.

Before Azaad (whose name means “freedom”) went to school, Dilly shared her fears that he would endure bullying and perhaps even violence because of the small Sikh turban he wears as a marker of his faith. 

I too share Dilly’s fears.  Though I was born and raised proudly an American, like most Sikh American children I too was also bullied in school, at times quite severely.  I put up with taunts, pulling of my long religiously-mandated hair, and other forms of violence. 

Because of the work by community-based organizations like the Sikh Coalition, we know that the vast majority of Sikh children experience bullying in schools.  In New York City the Coalition found that 65% of the Sikh children endure harassment in school.  In the San Francisco Bay Area, an astonishing 69% of identifiable Sikh school children reported being bullied. 

This past Saturday, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders organized a Bullying Prevention Summit in New York City.  At the Summit we met with and heard from hundreds of youth, community leaders, and local government officials on the widespread nature of school bullying in our communities.  Parents and youth from Richmond Hill, Queens; Bridgewater, New Jersey; and South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, made it to Manhattan on an unusually snowy day to share their experiences and be connected to federal government resources.