SALDEF Congratulates Dr. Kamal Singh Kalsi and Nominees to the President’s Advisory Commission

The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) congratulates the 23 leaders the White House announced as President Biden’s intended nominees to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). We are particularly delighted with the inclusion of Sikh American leader from New Jersey, Dr. Kamal Singh Kalsi. 

“Kamal is a trailblazer for our community and immensely deserving of this honor,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of SALDEF. “In addition to saving lives on the front lines in Afghanistan, he was the first Sikh in decades to be granted religious accommodation by the Department of Defense to wear the articles of his faith. His commitment to service is so strong that he founded the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA) to advocate for the rights of his fellow Sikhs in the military. SALDEF supports and has partnered with SAVA in the past and we look forward to continuing to work with Kamal to address the needs of the Sikh American and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community. As a Sikh who also grew up in New Jersey, I am very proud to be able to call Kamal a friend. He is the embodiment of the Sikh principles of service, optimism, and hard work. 

We thank President Biden for announcing his intent to nominate Kamal and the other AANHPI leaders to serve on the Commission. We look forward to continuing to work with the White House, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and the Commissioners to better serve our communities,” continued Gill.

Dr. Kalsi is an emergency medicine physician and Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, where he saved hundreds of lives on the front lines in Helmand province. He currently serves as a Fellow of the Truman National Security Project’s Defense Council and as senior advisor for Policy Vets. Once confirmed, the nominees for the President’s Advisory Commission on AANHPI will advise the President on ways the public, private, and non-profit sectors can collaborate to advance equity and opportunity for the AANHPI community, as well as addressing anti-Asian bias and violence, building capacity, and addressing the intersectional barriers faced by AANHPI community members who are women, LGBTQ+ individuals, or living with disabilities.