APCA Attends Obama Speech on Immigration Reform

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