GOPIO co-hosts the 2024 National Unity Summit in Washington DC

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The Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC), organized the 2024 National Unity Summit, which was co-hosted by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) International and eight other local and national Asian American organizations, from September 19-20, 2024, in Washington D.C.

The summit gave a platform for Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) “organizations and leaders to interact and collaborate on issues vital to their communities.” GOPIO is a Founder Member of AAUC which takes up and campaign on broad issues of Asian Americans, according to a press release.

The release noted “A delegate group of 70 individuals attended a White House Briefing on September 19th, to discuss issues concerning our diverse communities, followed by a White House tour for 100 Summit attendees. On the afternoon of September 19^th, representatives of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI met and listened Asian American community representatives at the Crowne Plaza Hotel which was followed immediately by a youth session discussing racial bias in schools and cross-cultural identities.”

Kristal Ka’ai, Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), during the White House briefing spoke on the White House initiatives for Asian and Pacific American Islanders. Special Advisor to Public Engagement Kota Mizutani also discussed about how Asian Americans are engaged with the White House, said the statement.

Various co-hosting organizations also on various Asian American issues such as immigration, need for education initiative, violence against Asians, and discrimination.

The statement added “All co-hosts presented various Asian American issues at the briefing. In his address at the White House event, GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham highlighted the legal immigration issue on the huge Green Card Backlog. He said that there are two bipartisan Bills in Congress (HR-6543 and S-3269) that could reduce this long waiting period. These bills were included in the AAUC Summit agenda.”

It stated Dr. Abraham pointed out that of the 2 million immigrants in the backlog, 1.2 million (62 per cent) are Indians followed by Chinese and Filipinos, adding that GOPIO has taken up this campaign to help the affected people and suggested to the Biden Administration to implement executive actions in the short term.

While waiting for legislative action from Congress, Dr. Abraham requested and urged the White House administration to use executive powers and implement these reforms in good faith immediately:

They include: “Instruct USCIS to remove the ‘Compelling Circumstances’ clause for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and Travel Documents (Advance Parole) for approved immigrant petitioners and their dependents who have legally resided in the US for at least ten years; Instruct USCIS and Department of State to create a Rule that will Lock the age of dependent and non-US born children as on the approval date of the very first immigrant petition (I-140) so that these kids do not have to self-deport; For EAD and Travel Documents, consider charging premium fees, may be as much as $5,000 per applicant, which will generate substantial revenue for USCIS to enhance the infrastructure to process these applications; and AAUC and GOPIO have requested and urged the Biden Administration to execute these administrative measures immediately and in good faith.”

President Biden’s Deputy Assistant Erika Moritsugu President Biden’s message at the welcome dinner of the AAUC/GOPIO Summit.