One Nation Commission

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One Nation Commission Appointed

Co-Chairs Former Congressman Mike Honda, Community Leader Sherry Hirota, Join Forces with Assemblymember David Chiu, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Esteemed Panel to Protect American Families’ Health and Rights

OAKLAND, CA – Wednesday, April 10, 2019 – Co-Chairs Former Congressman Mike Honda and Asian Health Services CEO Sherry Hirota announced today the appointments of the One Nation Commissioners. Assemblymember David Chiu (D–San Francisco), Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D–Oakland) join forces with thought leaders from the government and business sectors, academia, healthcare, arts, and grassroots community to defeat the proposed Public Charge rule. Initiated by the White House and Department of Homeland Security, Public Charge threatens to hurt and separate families, damage the economy, endanger the public health, and punish legal immigrants who play by the rules, pay taxes, and contribute to society.

 

Co-Chair Former Congressman Mike Honda spoke out on behalf of the Commission about their driving motivation, “It is unfair, it is dangerous, and it is not our American values.  The majority of Americans live and breathe the reality that immigrants continue to strengthen our nation. Our shared ethos of hard work, caring for one another, and contributing for the greater good is what has defined the best part of our history and our vision for a united America.”

 

The One Nation Commission launched with its inaugural meeting in Los Angeles on April 19, 2019. Subsequent Commission meetings will be held in the coming months throughout the United States. The Commission serves as a hub of strategic leadership to oversee, monitor, document, and vet data and research to support the legal, legislative, and civic engagement campaigns to defeat Public Charge.  In summer of 2019, the Commission will issue a report and expert recommendations on impacts of Public Charge, and strategies to combat it.

 

The One Nation Commission builds on the groundswell of public outcry in late 2018 when the rule was proposed. 260,000 people, 23,000 of whom were Asian Pacific Islander Americans, spoke out against the proposal, stating it would unfairly punish and potentially separate millions of legal residents from their families by wrongfully denying them readmission or permanent residence. These powerful stories shed light on the most threatening issues presented by the proposed rule: negative pressure on the economy, public health impacts, family separation, personal health and financial losses, and significant implications for insurance and health care systems.

“Immigrants are a benefit to our economy and to our society as a whole. This proposed public charge rule is un-American and immoral,” said Co-Chair Sherry Hirota. “Our collective community is standing up and speaking out in record breaking numbers to oppose this dangerous rule. The One Nation Commission builds on that momentum, keeps all eyes on this critical fight, and galvanizes government, businesses, artists, and community to make real change. We are driving our own narrative: America is one nation built on the strength of immigrants.”

 

One Nation Commissioners

  • Co-Chair Sherry Hirota, CEO Asian Health Services

  • Co-Chair Former Congressman Mike Honda

  • Fatima Angeles, The California Wellness Foundation

  • Luisa Blue (SEIU)

  • Assembly Member Rob Bonta (D -- Oakland, California Assistant Majority Leader)

  • Daniel Chao, PhD (Business leader, Former President and CEO, Bechtel China)

  • Assembly Member David Chiu (D -- San Francisco, Chair, California API Caucus)

  • Marielena Hincapié (National Immigration Law Center)

  • Kathreen Khavari (Actress and immigrant rights activist)

  • Professor Tung Nguyen, M.D. (UC San Francisco)

  • Professor Ninez Ponce, Ph.D. (UC Los Angeles)

  • Professor Karthick Ramakrishnan, PhD (UC Riverside)

  • Kyu Rhee, M.D. (CMO, IBM) *

  • Paul Song, M.D. (NKMax America, Inc.)

  • Helen Zia (Author, Last Boat Out of Shanghai, Asian American Dreams)

 

One Nation Advisory Council

  • Ignatius Bau

  • Tanya Broder

  • Adam Carbullido

  • Art Chen, M.D.

  • Gail Christopher

  • Tessie Guillermo

  • Viet Nguyen, Ph.D.

  • Catherine Tactaquin

  • Winston Wong, M.D.

  • Anthony Wright

 

*For affiliation purposes

 

About the One Nation Commission

The One Nation Commission will raise awareness, leverage resources, and advance public policies to lift up Asian and Pacific Islander American immigrants and allies. The immediate focus of the One Nation Commission is to shut down the proposed federal Public Charge rule and support the legal, legislative, and electoral battles, producing data, reports, stories, and media that further substantiate our position and shape the narrative that immigrants are a net benefit to society.

 

For more information about the One Nation Commission and Commissioners, please visit onenationcommission.org

 

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Joel Boardman