February 26, 2021
The Honorable Patty Murray
Chair
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Richard Burr
Ranking Member
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Murray and Ranking Member Burr:
On behalf of Act To Change, we strongly support the nomination of Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. to the position of Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Murthy is a champion for the physical, mental, social and emotional health of our nation’s children. He is a tireless anti-bullying advocate and a proven leader who builds coalitions among diverse communities to ensure better health for our country. We believe he will again serve the nation well in this role, especially at this critical time of crisis.
Act To Change is a national non-profit organization dedicated to combating bullying and hate, especially among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth. Act To Change envisions a world where all youth– including from the AAPI, Sikh, Muslim, LGBTQI, and immigrant communities– have the opportunity to grow up feeling supported and proud of who they are. Act To Change supports youth agency in responding to bullying with healthy ways, connects students with culturally-responsive resources, and advocates for systemic change.
Since our organization’s inception, Dr. Murthy has been an avid supporter of our mission to end bullying in the AAPI community. Act To Change originally launched in 2015 as a public awareness campaign under President Barack Obama’s White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) in which Dr. Murthy served as co-chair. As Act To Change transitioned out of the White House to a grassroots movement, Dr. Murthy provided invaluable support as we became a 501(c)(3) organization in 2018. We were honored to have Dr. Murthy serve as the first member of Act To Change’s inaugural Advisory Council.
Bullying is a significant public health challenge facing our country. Many students are being bullied in schools due to increasingly anti-immigrant and xenophobic discourse. Unfortunately, many AAPI youth who are bullied also face cultural, religious, and language barriers to getting help. As a well-respected physician and public health expert, Dr. Murthy is keenly aware of the consequences of bullying on the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of children and young adults. As bullying and hate crimes against AAPIs rise across the country, Dr. Murthy’s extensive training, background and passion for emotional health is a critical asset, now more than ever.
Dr. Murthy has been an invaluable partner in our movement to ensure that all youth feel supported in the development of their identity, and empowered to share their stories. Dr. Murthy advocates for the victims of bullying, while also seeking to understand and address the perpetrators who are often struggling themselves. We are continually humbled by Dr. Murthy’s dedication to building more inclusive spaces for youth, especially those from communities of color.
We also support the government’s commitment to diverse leadership. It is important to build a government that truly reflects the rich diversity of our country, including Asian American representation in top leadership roles. In addition, Dr. Murthy has the background and experience of working with diverse communities, and this perspective is critical in serving as Surgeon General when the government must respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact across the nation.
We strongly urge the swift appointment of Dr. Murthy to the position of Surgeon General of the United States. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Act To Change Board of Directors
- Maulik Pancholy, Chair & Co-Founder
- Rebecca Lee, Managing Director & Co-Founder
- Jill Yu, Managing Director & Co-Founder
- Belinda Lei, Managing Director
- Ru Bhatt
- Josef Canaria
- Elaine Dang
- Mindy Kordash-Shim
- Richard Leong
- Jamie Lok
- Saad Qureshi
- Anthony Reyes
- Nancy Tien
