Shekar Narasimhan and Maulik Pancholy are among the members of the President Donald Trump’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, who have announced to resign from the job in an open letter to the president that they have resigned from their posts.
Other commissioners who have resigned included Nina Ahmad, Lian Cheun, Diane Narasaki, Bo Thao-Urabe and Paul Watanabe from January, as well as Tung T. Nguyen, Mary Okada, Michael Byun, Kathy Ko Chin, Jacob Fitisemanu Jr., Daphne Kwok, Dee Jay Mailer, Linda Phan and Sanjita Pradhan. The reason behind the resignation was the president’s policies that have “adversely affected Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” the outgoing commission wrote.
“February 19, 2017, will be the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 which led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II,” Pancholy said in a statement. “Protecting civil rights and fighting against bullying were pillars of our commission’s work. We cannot serve under an administration that seeks to exclude members of our society or take away their rights, especially the Muslim community, which is very much part of our AAPI community.”
The letter, addressed to Trump, stated that, following not receiving a response to a letter sent Jan. 13, “Although the commissioners’ term ends (Sept. 30, 2017), we can no longer serve a president whose policies aim to create outcomes that are diametrically opposite to our principles, goals and charge.”
The commissioners said that under previous administrations — namely Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — the charge to commissioners has been to help the federal government better serve AAPIs by engaging our communities, identifying needs and priorities, and increasing access to the government.
“The commissioners have engaged with AAPIs throughout our country, from all walks of life, and across the political spectrum,” they continued. “Since your inauguration, the executive orders you have issued and policies you promulgated have greatly impeded the ability of the federal government to serve all who live here.”
The letter concluded, “AAPIs are an integral part of the mosaic of our great country and have been since the 1500s. We share the same dreams as other Americans for a stronger, brighter and more inclusive America.
Pancholy, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014. The Indian American film, television and stage actor is widely known for playing the role of Jonathan for six seasons on NBC’s award-winning series “30 Rock.”
Narasimhan, also appointed in 2014, has been the managing partner at Beekman Advisors since 2003 and chairman of Papillon Capital since 2012. Previously, he was the managing director at Prudential Mortgage Capital Company from 2000 to 2003 and the chairman and CEO of The WMF Group Ltd. from 1988 to 2000.
Narasimhan is the co-founder of the Emergent Institute in Bangalore, a nonprofit institution training entrepreneurs to build social ventures. He received a B.S. from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi and an M.B.A. from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.
“We urge you and every member of your administration to respect all Americans by protecting civil rights and civil liberties for everyone, promoting broader dialogue and understanding, and keeping the federal government accessible to all people living in the United States — regardless of their status as citizens, immigrants or refugees,” the letter stated.