Khydeeja Alam being appointed as executive director of the California Commission Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs by Speaker of the California State Assembly, Robert Rivas, on Dec 20, 2023. Alam said she will focus on Stop the Hate initiatives and uplifting AAPI communities in her role. California Commission Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs

 

Pakistani-American Policy Maker Appointed as Executive Director of California APIA Commission
By Emma Hall

Khydeeja Alam, who has worked for years at various Sacramento-based state and advocacy organizations, has been appointed as the executive director of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. Alam will work with policymakers and state agencies to tackle issues impacting Asian and Pacific Islander communities across the state.

As executive director, Alam plans to focus on anti-Asian Hate, spearhead outreach efforts and address issues related to cultural language sensitivity with state agencies. She said, overall, she will prioritize uplifting communities across California.

“From education to tech to housing to entrepreneurship to health care to California cuisine, our community has contributed so much and I want to really be able to uplift our contributions to the state,” Alam said. She would like to work with the state and the Department of Social Services and community organizations to “tackle (anti-AAPI hate) head on” through aid work and campaigns.

Moving forward, Alam said she wants to further include Islamophobia and anti-antisemitism in that work. “This opportunity embodies and represents everything that I hold near and dear to my heart,” Alam said. “I want to give back. Especially for Pakistani Americans, Muslim Americans. There’s not a lot of people who look like us in such positions.”

Alam and her family immigrated from Pakistan in 1996. At 13, Alam, her parents and her four siblings moved to the United States to start a better life, she said. After moving to Hollister, California, Alam’s life wasn’t easy. She struggled to find a sense of belonging at school. She said she barely knew the language or culture, but instead of letting those experiences define her, she “learned from it and built from it,” an experience many children from AAPI communities find relatable.

“Our community is resilient,” Alam said. “I feel like I’m a part of that resilience as well, and we need to showcase more on that and build each other up.” During her last semester at UC Berkeley in 2006, Alam didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. She knew she wanted to work in policy, but she didn’t have a specific direction on where to go. It was then she learned about the University of California Center in Sacramento. “I applied for an internship and got it my last semester,” Alam said. “It was one of the best decisions I made because it led me to where I am today.”

Alam’s career has focused on political, economic, and social issues impacting Asian and Pacific Islander communities. As a legislative advocate for the Advancement Project, a civil-rights organization focused on racial justice and human rights, she worked on Proposition 38, which increased funding for early education and K-12 schools using state tax revenue. She found her way back to Sacramento as the organization’s director of policy and advocacy. There, she worked on reformative budget advocacy that focused on early education and census representation. Alam later served as director of external and legislative affairs for California Volunteers before being appointed with CAPIAA. As Gov Gavin Newsom’s appointee, she built a close relationship with the California legislature, mayors across the state and oversaw state grants. “I always wanted to come back to Sacramento because this is where policy was made,” she said. “I always advocated from the outside,” she continued, “and here are opportunities for me to advocate from the inside.”– Courtesy The Sacramento Bee