Meet Interim Chairman of VoteVets.org, J. Ashwin Madia!

Interim Chairman of VoteVets.org, J. Ashwin Madia, joined the U.S. Marine Corps and moved to Quantico, Virginia for 6 months of basic training, after Law School. He served in Iraq from September 2005 to March 2006. Madia was lead attorney in over one hundred trials, including thirteen jury trials. He is most proud of his work successfully defending a gay Marine from administrative discharge in 2005, when it was clear that commanders were using disparate standards in their treatment of this Marine compared to other Marines. Madia was a long-time Republican, who supported Bob Dole for President in 1996, and Senator John McCain in 2000, before running as a Democrat for Congress in Minnesota in 2008. Madia previously was Vice Chairman of VoteVets.org, before assuming Interim Chairman duties in December 2010 for Jon Soltz, who took a leave of absence for a year, to serve in Iraq as part of “Operation New Dawn.”

Learn more about other conference speakers on the conference website.

Mayor Celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

(Washington, DC) – On May 26, 2011 Mayor Vincent C. Gray celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with his Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs through cultural performances, a keynote speech from City Administrator Allen Lew, and the Mayor’s Annual Community Service Award presentation. Over 300 people attended the event held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. WJLA/NewsChannel 8 reporter, Kathy Park served as the mistress of ceremonies.

Honorable Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15) started the ceremony with a welcoming speech in support of AAPI issues and the local DC community. Mayor Gray, OAPIA Director, Soohyun “Julie” Koo and Commissioners on API Affairs Martha Watanabe and John Tinpe presented the Mayor’s Community Service Awards to Peter Cho from the Korean American Grocers Association of Washington DC, Young Woo, a volunteer with the Chinatown Service Center, and the Network of South Asian Professionals, DC Chapter for their amazing work in supporting and advancing the local Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

The District’s first Asian American City Administrator, Allen Lew, gave the keynote address, expressing Mayor Gray’s mission to recognize the importance of bringing together the District of Columbia. City Administrator Lew also commented on how he personally witnessed the new administration’s vision and dedication.

The evening’s entertainment was provided by the Washington Chinese Folk Dance Troupe, youth singer-songwriter Emily Fullerton, and the Asian American Leadership Empowerment and Development for Youth and Families’ (AALEAD) Fusion Dance Team.

“The awardees this year are phenomenal individuals that have made, and continue to make, positive impacts on the District’s AAPI community and the District as a whole,” said Mayor Gray. “I hope the entire District joins me in celebrating AAPI Heritage Month and continues to honor and celebrate the contributions of this community.”

“We celebrate the month of May as AAPI Heritage Month and we are grateful to those who live, work and serve in this community,” said Director Koo. “We are extremely appreciative to have such a supportive Mayor and City Administrator in the District.”

Attendees also enjoyed the food donated by Burma Restaurant, Café Asia, Chinatown Express, Chinatown Garden, and Merzi.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Executive Office of the Mayor

Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

NetIP welcomes SAALT to the family

South Asian Americans Leading Together is a national, non partisan, non-profit organization that elevates the voices and perspectives of South Asian individuals and organizations to build a more just and inclusive society in the United States. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s message, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” each year SAALT hosts a  “Be the change” day.

Be the Change offers community members, young professionals and students the opportunity to cultivate a culture of volunteerism in their lives. This year NetIP North America proudly supports SAALT and Be The Change.

An America for All of Us

Did you know that the week after September 11^th,2001, 645 reports of bias incidents and crimes targeting South Asians and Middle Eastern were reported? Or that between September 2001 and February 2002, approximately 1,200 individuals were detained by the FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service, many of whom underwent secret trials and did not have access to legal counsel? Or that under the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program, rolled out in 2002, over 13,000 people were placed in deportation proceedings due to immigration violations but no national security threats were identified?

That a survey found that in 2007, 75% of Sikh male schoolchildren in New York had been teased or harassed on the basis of their religious identity? That the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has reported a significant spike in workplace discrimination complaints against those perceived to be Muslim, Sikh or South Asian following September 11^th? These facts underscore how seriously communities have been hit by post-9/11 backlash.

An America for All of Us aims to bring people from all communities together to address this backlash and work to build a truly inclusive and fair country.

An America for All of Us is an initiative of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) in partnership with members of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations and ally organizations. The campaign marks the 10-year anniversary of September 11 through documentation, policy initiatives, and community mobilization.

As we approach the 10-year anniversary of September 11, our country will engage in a process of reflection and recommitment to fundamental American values. An America for All of Us seeks to contribute to this process by ensuring that the experiences of South Asians, Arab Americans, Muslims and Sikhs are part of our observations and understanding.

An America for All of Us is an initiative of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) in partnership with members of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations and ally organizations. The campaign marks the 10-year anniversary of September 11 through documentation, policy initiatives, and community mobilization. Join and support the campaign today.

About SAALT

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) is a national, nonpartisan, non-profit organization that elevates the voices and perspectives of South Asian individuals and organizations to build a more just and inclusive society in the United States. SAALT is the coordinating entity of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO), a network of 42 organizations that serve, organize, and advocate on behalf of the South Asian community across the country.

SAALT recently held the third, national South Asian Summit 2011, gathering over 250 professionals, students, non-profit and corporate staff members, government representatives and community members, among others. The Summit provided a forum to gather South Asians from all walks of life, and collectively strategize for solutions to issues faced by our communities. SAALT also encourages leadership development through its annual day of community service – Be the Change.

On the day, thousands of individuals from across the country participate in community service activities aimed to strengthen leadership. This year, Be the Change will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011. This year, SAALT has launched a campaign to mark the 10-year anniversary of September 11^th – An America for All of Us.

The campaign aims to document and include the perspective of South Asians in the national dialogue about the anniversary; and to demand accountability from our representatives and urge them to strongly condemn racism and xenophobia. To learn more about SAALT’s work, visit www.saalt.org.

Simran Sethi – Green Faith

by Simran Sethi

Now, I feel differently.

I have spent the past four years in the middle of the country, a place that has transformed my worldview of what it means to care for the environment and live close to the land. My home is in a blue county within a red state, in a college town, surrounded by brand-new housing developments to the west, a coal plant to the north, and generations-old family farms all around the outskirts. Kansas has helped me to better understand that when it comes to the environment, there is no “us” and “them.” We all have a vested interest in clean air and healthy communities, but how we manifest and prioritize these concerns is very different.

Read more here

Simran Sethi is an award-winning journalist and associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications, where she teaches courses on sustainability and environmental communications. She is currently writing a book on contemporary environmentalism to be published by Harper Collins in fall 2010. She is the contributing author of Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy, winner of the bronze 2008 Axiom Award for Best Business Ethics book. Simran is the founding host/writer of Sundance Channel’s environmental programming The Green and the creator of the Sundance Web series The Good Fight, highlighting global environmental justice efforts and grassroots activism.

NRI VISA woes or lack of communication?

Written by Pallavi Chibber, investment expert from NRImatters.com. Each week Pallavi will be posting premium content exclusively for NetIP.

The Visa always has been a distant ghost that scares most of us, especially those who are now the residents of other countries.

One such example came to light to me personally while I was organizing the trip to India for the winners of NRI Power Podium to attend Pravasi Bharaiya Divas, 2011.

Ironically, one of the winners, Mr. Karl Jacob, a learned man, and exemplary professor and an ardent Indian, who wanted to highlight the complications around the visa could not make it to the event because he could not get a visa in time.

Ironical it may sound but it is the truth. Karl’s visa had expired and to get a renewal on the same, he was asked to renounce the citizenship of India, which has already been announced. Now, logically, how can you renounce something that you don’t have any more?

This is what the U.S. State Department had to say about Indian visa policies: ‘ Please note that Indian visa regulations have gone through frequent, poorly advertised, and inconsistently enforced changes during the past year’.

This is not the case for Canada or New Zealand, or many other countries, they are specific to the U.S. it seems. For one thing, they now distinguish Indian born U.S. citizens from other U.S. citizens. If you are Indian born U.S. Citizens, you don’t get a 10 year visiting visa (while other U.S. citizens can get it as agreed by both countries on a bilateral agreement) – they get a five year entry visa paying almost double the cost for a 10 year visiting visa and waiting for a longer period of time.

For countries like China, an ex-Chinese will get a two year visiting visa while ex-Indians can get only a one year visa. Russians encourages ex-Russians to keep and renew their Russian passports even after they become U.S. citizens, and encourage them to use the Russian passport to enter Russia. In other words, most countries will make it easier for their x-countrymen and women to get back to visit.

I am sure there must be some reasoning for such restrictions by the Indian Government, but I doubt if they have been communicated to the aam aadmi of India. And if not so, why? Isn’t that the basis of a democracy?

Visit: http://www.nrimatters.com

NetIP Houston: Year in Review

It’s the end of the year and like all of you we are pausing and asking ourselves…what have we accomplished this year? Have we kept our promise of providing you…our members, our community with an opportunity to try many different things? When we looked back we were delighted that this year like each before it, we have grown our reach into the Houston community almost twice fold, we have broken cultural barriers and established ourselves as a recognized name among hundreds who had never heard of us before. On an average NetIP Houston has organized, hosted and/or supported at least 4 events a month. Here’s a quick recap:

For the Love of Food – a fundraiser that brought you two cooking classes and a cooking competition. Proceeds benefitted the Grameen Foundation and the Houston Food Bank.

Speed Networking – you said you come to mixers but don’t have a chance to talk to everyone, so we organized a facilitated networking mixer that was an absolute blast.

Astros Ballgame – it was a first time experience for some of the people who came to the ball game with us. All you can eat food and a free drink made the experience memorable.

Bowling – none of us can bowl 300 but then who’s counting? The dancing that ensued later made it a crazy evening.

MS 150 – Volunteering event – a few of us took off for La Grange, the mid way stop for bikers on the ride. We served dinner and manned the hydration booths before the riders took off the next morning.

SOS – Share Our Secrets – one of our signature events for the year in professional development. We graduated our first class in November. A life changing experience for all involved.

Miller Outdoor Theatre – this year NetIP Houston attended all the Indian events held at Miller Outdoor theatre to show our support for Indian art and history.

Empty Bowls Fundraiser – Houston potters donate bowls to the Food Bank who fills them with soup and sells them to raise funds for the Food Bank. Our guys sold and served the soup.

Habitat for Humanity – each year we either build frames for homes, or work on homes for those who cannot afford their own.

Gymnastics with an Olympic Champion – which other city can boast they have taken gymnastics with Raj Bhavsar – a Bronze Medallist! We can. The three hour class worked muscles we did not even know we had.

World Cup Viewing Party – you don’t watch soccer alone….you’re never alone while we are around.

Indoor Rock Climbing – for the adventurers, the rock climbing pain came second to the one we felt after the gymnastics class.

Mind, Breath, Body Workshop – it’s not just about physical activity, it’s also about inactivity! We learned how the two relate.

Texas Size Boat Party – Our tri-chapter signature boat party in Austin was a relaxing dinner/dance cruise that was worth every minute.

Music Without Borders: A Pakistan Flood Relief Fundraiser – this first time, one of a kind event brought Indian and Pakistani musicians together for a cause. We raised over $2000 that was used to purchase water filters for hundreds of flood victims in Pakistan.

Thanksgiving Superfeast – A few dedicated souls made it out to the City hall to serve the less fortunate on Thanksgiving Day. We love you!
Bone Marrow Drives – In 2010 we made a commitment to increase the number of South Asians registered as Bone Marrow donors. We held drives at clubs, at cultural events and temples. One of our own was matched with a potential recipient and we are very proud that she took the opportunity to save a life.

Networking Mixers – last but not least, we held over 20 Networking Mixers this year. Each brought in more new friends and consequently our NetIP community has grown beyond our expectations.
So, you see…we’ve come a long way baby! Stay tuned…it will get better in 2011.

Now for some official business, we would like to announce the new board of NetIP Houston 2011:

President – Pranav Kothari
Vice President – Tyna Pariani
Community Services Chair – Tyna Pariani
Political Chair – Sejal Brahmbhatt
Cultural Chair – Amit Patil
Social Chair – Lynn Cabrera
Marketing & PR – Arushi Garg
National Liaison – Shevon Patel
Advisor/Treasurer – Farida Hasanali
Sports Chair – Shuman Majumdar

We Wish you A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year and hope you will participate and add value to our group with your presence.

Sincerely,
The NetIP Houston Board