Mayor G.T. Bynum announced at a press conference Tuesday morning the proposed formation of a Tulsa Asian Affairs Commission.
“In the last ten years alone, we have seen a 50% increase in the Asian community in Tulsa. This is remarkable,” Bynum said.
The mayor signed a request for action that was immediately sent to city council for approval. Bynum said he hopes the commission will hold its first meeting this coming January. If approved, the group will have a seat on the city’s Human Right’s Commission.
In attendance at the press conference were Krystal Reyes, Tulsa’s chief resilience officer, and Human Rights Commission member and City Councilor Laura Bellis. Members of the working group who helped push for the formation of the commission were also present.
“They’ve already singled out that they want to focus on workforce and economic development, research and data collection, community development, education and civic engagement,” Bynum said.
The announcement comes during Welcoming Week, an annual event held in cities across the country to engage with immigrant communities.
Working group members Sarah Gilpin and Nem Lun spoke about the importance of engaging with Tulsa’s Asian communities to learn about and address the issues they face.
“We’ve had really honest conversation[s] about the gaps that currently exist and how we can step forward, bringing unity within our Asian community and also sharing our culture with Tulsa,” Gilpin said.
