Expired DEI Dialogues: PRSA NCC’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are imperatives for the Public Relations Society of America – National Capital Chapter (PRSA NCC). We have a Board approved diversity commitment, added DEI goals and metrics to our organization’s strategic plan and challenged board members and committee members to find ways to address potential bias in their various processes.

As we continue along our DEI journey, it’s important we continue to amplify and engage diverse voices of PR professionals in the D.C. market. As a result, the DEI and Membership Committees have partnered to launch a DEI Voices series. In these sessions, we’ll explore career journeys of diverse PR professionals in the National Capital region and discuss ways to further advance DEI in our Chapter and our profession.

This session will focus on our members who identify as Asian American and Pacific Islander. Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience Strategy at AARP, Daphne Kwok, will be interviewed by PRSA NCC Vice President and Founder of theYuCrew, Pattie Yu.

This event will be limited to 25 participants to ensure active participation and that each voice is heard. Participants must be PRSA NCC members.

Daphne Kwok is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience Strategy at AARP.  Her work empowers Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to choose how they live as they age.  She brings to AARP her experience as a “leader of leaders” through her community service in promoting and empowering the AAPI community.  

Ms. Kwok was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010 to chair his Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Commission served as the “eyes and ears” of the community advising the President and the federal government about the issues impacting the AAPI community.  As Chair, Ms. Kwok met with AAPI communities throughout the country, connecting them to regional federal agency representatives.  This opened an opportunity for the agencies to learn about these communities and to acquaint them with their programs and services.   Ms. Kwok concluded her term as chair in May 2014 but continued as a commissioner until February 2017.

Previously, Ms. Kwok was Executive Director of Asians & Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California.  She was also the Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation in San Francisco. 

For 11 years, she was the Executive Director of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a national membership based civil rights organization, where she addressed:  hate crimes, campaign finance, immigration, Census 2000, English-only, and affirmative action.  She was the first elected Chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a network of national APA organizations.  She also served as Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.  

A 1984 graduate of Wesleyan University, Ms. Kwok is the first Asian American to serve on its Board of Trustees, is a trustee emeritus and chaired the Wesleyan Alumni Association.

Ms. Kwok’s board service includes: Chair of APIAVote,  a member of the Comcast-NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Advisory Council, Co-Chair of the Nielsen External Asian Pacific Advisory Council and board member of the Asian American Advertising Federation.  Beginning in 2019, she started serving a 2-year term as a member of the Network of Multicultural Aging Council of the American Society on Aging.