MJ visits the White House

Manjunath “MJ” Charmani, one of our colleagues here at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida attended a special reception on June 22^nd at the White House, where he also met President Obama, to learn about the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Initiative. We spoke to MJ and here’s what he had to say:

“The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Initiative is one of the ways the Obama Administration is opening access to leaders in the AAPI community, thereby sending the message of inclusion. The AAPI Initiative is working to improve the quality of life and opportunities for Asian American and Pacific Islanders by facilitating access to and participation in federal programs, where the population has remained underserved.

   An invitation from President and Mrs. Obama meant a lot to me, especially being an immigrant and having travelled 19,000 miles from the other side of the globe. My visit to the White House was a truly exhilarating experience. The eventful day started with a special briefing by the President’s administration on the education, economy, immigration, budget and AAPI Initiative overall. President Obama arrived at the reception and addressed the invitees with a thank you note. In his speech, the President recognized AAPI as the fastest-growing immigrant community and noted that the White House wants to be a partner in addressing any underserved areas.

   Following the reception, we were taken into the Diplomatic Room, where we had the opportunity meet Cabinet members and I was able to shake hands with the President. These two hours spent at the White House will be a great memory.”

MJ was also kind enough to share a video that he created of his experience. Take a look below:

Congratulations MJ - We are proud to work with you!