The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards, on Feb. 12, named Indian-American Manjusha Kulkarni, one of 9 honorees this year, for her trailblazing work to ensure the health and safety of Asian American and Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, refugee, and immigrant populations.
As Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance, Kulkarni grew AAPI Equity Alliance from a behind-the-scenes organization to a coalition of over 40 organizations that serves the 1.6 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles and beyond.
A co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate Kulkarni is a leading voice in the fight for the safety and protection of all AAPIs in America.
Acknowledging the impactful contributions of this year’s recipients to build a more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient California, Governor Gavin Newsom said, ”The California Way means finding new solutions to big problems, and that’s exactly what these leaders have demonstrated.”
In an exclusive interview with India Currents, Manjusha Kulkarni commented on what her recent award means, saying, “I think the award is a recognition of our communities, our struggles and challenges.”
She also chatted with India Currents Managing Editor Meera Kymal about her innovative work confronting hate and discrimination against AAPI communities with data, partnerships, and policy solutions.
India Currents is a grantee of Cal State Library’s Stop the Hate initiative. We asked Manjusha Kulkarni about the top challenges that immigrant and minority communities face today in trying to counter bias.
