Last week I had the opportunity to attend a major speech by
President Obama at a high school in Las Vegas. The speech outlined the pillars
of the President’s vision for immigration reform. What most impressed me was
not necessarily the substance of his speech (a bipartisan group of Senators had
preempted him by issuing a largely similar immigration reform plan the day
before) but his style and communication skills. Sitting no more than 40 feet from
him (VIP seating – thanks to the Asian Pacific
Islander American Health Forum), I could immediately see that he has an
innate charisma and an ability to powerfully connect with his audience. I think
everyone could sense his passion and dedication to the issue of immigration
reform. In addition to outlining his immigration plan, he introduced an
audience member who had received a deportation deferral through the President’s
Executive Order. This served to put a human face on the issue of immigration –
very smart.
Click
here to see a video of his speech. For those with eagle eyes, note that at 23:49
of the speech, I am pictured sitting on the far left of the screen as President
Obama talks about the audience member. I happened to be sitting next to two
colleagues: to my right is Jeff Caballero, Executive Director of the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health
Organizations (AAPCHO), and to his right is Pier Simeri, Community
Relations Director, City of Avondale.
- Doug Hirano, MPH, APCA Executive Director