The State of Race: AAPI Heritage Month – The Invisible Becoming Visible

This year, GBH’s annual Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month community event celebrates the rise of AAPI individuals serving in leadership positions – the invisible become visible. These influential professionals are bringing new voices to the table, educating, inspiring and advocating for AAPI interests in the communities where they work and live. These AAPI leaders also serve as role models, opening doors and inspiring future generations of leaders to get involved and achieve their career aspirations.

The first panel of experts will feature both elected and appointed AAPI officials making an impact in government across the state. The conversation will elaborate on their personal successes and challenges faced while serving at the local, city and state levels of government. They will touch upon learnings and policy in-roads made while giving voice to AAPI interests and concerns at the local and regional level. This panel will include State Representative Tram T. Nguyen, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 18th Essex District and Eileen Jay, from the Lexington, Massachusetts School Committee. This first panel will be moderated by Leverett L. Wing, President and CEO of Commonwealth Seminar.

Our second panel will feature artists, business executives and non-profit organizers. Guests will hear directly from these AAPI leaders making a difference in the local and national communities they serve. Our panel includes Dr. Amar Sawhney, Chairman and CEO of Instylla Inc; CEO of Rejoni Inc.; Founding Partner and CEO of Pramand LLC, Laura Sen, Board of Directors at MassMutual and Connie C. Chin, Chief Executive Officer, Global Arts Live. These individuals will share insights from their personal journeys, challenges they encountered and triumphs they have experienced during their careers. This conversation will be moderatd by Jim Dao, editorial page editor of The Boston Globe.