Before joining Heartland Alliance International (HAI) as Executive Director in 2018, Surita Sandosham worked with Synergos, a global nonprofit focused on addressing poverty, for nearly 15 years. At Synergos, Surita led efforts to build and support partnerships around the world and oversaw all of the organization’s global leadership networks. Surita has also held executive positions in foundations and human and civil rights organizations, including Lambda Legal Defense Fund, Amnesty International USA, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Equality Now. In fact, while Executive Director of Equality Now, Surita represented the organization at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. The same conference in which Hillary Rodham Clinton, then First Lady of the U.S., proclaimed “human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights!”
As Executive Director of HAI, Surita is dedicated to amplifying the voices of vulnerable people across the globe and ensuring they have equitable access to healing and justice. Surita sees Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month as an opportunity to learn and raise awareness about the vast diversity that makes up the AAPI community.
How does your racial ethnic identity shape the way you understand equity and opportunity for ALL?
My racial ethnic identity has had little bearing on me or my pursuit of equity and opportunity for all. As a human rights advocate, this has been my north star and it succinctly encompasses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. My lived experiences might shed light as to why. From having lived and worked in very complex countries, including the U.S., I’ve come to learn that what impedes achieving equity and opportunity is often a confluence of dynamics with race and/or ethnicity being key factors. Understanding that has made me a stronger advocate for victims and survivors of human rights violations and it has helped me become a more holistic problem solver.
Photo: Surita Sandosham talking to Chinese police in Huairou. The UN Fourth World Conference in session, Beijing.
In light of all the ways members of AAPI community have experienced racism and injustice, what would you like your team members at Heartland Alliance to know?
As I reflect on these questions, I can’t help but think about how ticking the “Asian” box in the EEOC forms doesn’t truly cover the diversity of what it means to be “Asian.” I grew up in Singapore, way before “Crazy Rich Asians” came into being, and have always identified myself as Singaporean. This term meant that my mostly Indian ancestry was sublimated for a multiracial identity to ensure that all of us born in Singapore – Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians, and others – could co-exist and create a shared identity. However, when I left the island, I began to slowly comprehend how easy it is to pierce through the multicultural bubble of Singapore.
Suddenly, I was being greeted with “Go home Paki!” My husband was even asked which mail order bride catalogue he ordered me from. Unfortunately, the comments didn’t stop in my professional life either. As a practicing lawyer in New York, I was asked “where is the American lawyer?” Life after 9/11 was not easy either – I was constantly being viewed as a possible terrorist, and today, as a carrier of the COVID-19 virus. These are just a few of the moments that have enhanced my awareness of others’ perceptions of me, and it has also helped me realize my privilege in being able to let those comments slide.
The shootings across spas in Atlanta were another awakening for me. They brought home the vulnerability of women who are often never seen and are objectified by their profession. These attacks were not just racially motivated, they were also motivated by a hatred of women – a hatred that is usually underreported and rarely taken seriously. However, I also recognize that we are at a very different point in history in addressing racial injustice and gender violence. Now, I believe there are signs that perpetrators will be held accountable for this behavior.
During AAPI Heritage Month, I hope my colleagues will join me in learning about the diverse experiences that make up my community. I am especially drawn to stories that consider the intersection of gender and race and examine the experiences of U.S. born children raised in households with strong AAPI cultures and traditions. Related to those themes, I’ve really enjoyed reading books like “Minor Feelings” by Cathy Park Hong and “Is Everyone Hanging Without Me” by Mindy Kaling.
