Organizing the Organizations:
Challenge for the Pakistani-American Community
M. Saud Anwar, M.D, M.P.H

 

A: BACKGROUND:

 The Pakistani American community is one of the single largest groups of the American Muslim community. The American-Muslims are a seven million strong, increasingly organized and fast growing voting bloc.

This group is highly educated: 67% of American Muslims have a Bachelor’s degree or higher as opposed to 44% of Americans have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. 33% of American Muslims hold an Advanced degree (above bachelor) and 8.6% of Americans hold an Advanced degree.

This group is affluent with U.S. Average income is $42,158 per year (U.S. Census 2000) 66% of American Muslim households earn over $50,000 / year 26% of American Muslim households earn over $100,000 / year. In another study of Pakistani American only the number of Pakistani American households earning over one hundred thousand dollars per year were 51%. This suggests that the Pakistani American community is more affluent than all the other American Muslim groups.

 This community is one of the fastest growing communities within the United States. The annual growth rate of American Muslims is 6% versus 0.9% for total U.S. 

 The Pakistani-American Community makes up one of the single largest bloc of the American-Muslim Community. Over one quarter of the American Muslims are of South Asian descent.  The Pakistani-American Community also is in the leadership position in essentially most American-Muslim Organizations at grass root levels in all states as well as at the National Organizations.

 According to our data, 64% of the Pakistani Americans are active members of the regional American Muslim organizations. Moreover, 27% of the Pakistani Americans who were questioned were either in the executive committee and/or leadership positions in the organizations. They were all in a significantly influential positions in the organizations.

 Multiple different studies and data have suggested that the Pakistani American community is much more politically active. In our recent survey in July 2002, 62% of the Pakistani Americans were eligible to vote, and another 10% were anticipating becoming voters before July 2004. When the groups were asked about their eligibility an plans to vote in 2004, 71% were eligible, and were registered and planning to vote. Our data show that 14% of the members contributed over one thousand dollars for political campaigns, and over 38% contributed more than five hundred dollars in the year 2002 alone. Similarly Pakistani Americans are already in the positions where they have contested in congressional and state senatorial elections and have won elections in their state on more than one occasion.

 In summary Pakistani American community is the largest, most active, affluent, and influential group amongst the large and fast growing American Muslim community. While Pakistani Americans are very well organized group in general, it is critical for a community of this capacity and capability to be better organized than what is seen at this time.

References to the above:

a)       Bridges TV inc. data

b)       Cornell University Data April 2002.

c)       US census bureau 2001

d)       PAKPAC research 2003

e)       Zogby International, August 2000

 B: CURRENT STATUS:   

As the number of individuals interested in organizing and coordinating this community is increasing, it has been seen that the numbers of organizations have also increased.  Historically, while smaller to larger, local, regional organizations came into existence for the Pakistani community, some National Organizations were also started.  These National Organizations have been active with respect to taking on issues and educating the community.  In many of these organizations, it is noted that the role of individuals remained a major component in the success or lack of success in these organizations. The organizations, which have functioned as institutions and have remained independent of individuals, are very few and far between. 

 Another phenomenon noticed with respect to the Pakistani-American community is the theme, and the wish or idea of organizations to suggest that they represent all Pakistani-Americans in the United States.  The names of many of these organizations create a perception of being such entities. Thus this community with enormous potential has multiple organizations claiming to represent them and many “umbrella” organizations as well claiming to represent them, but may actually not be doing it. These entities seem to have good intentions in principle, but have yet to deliver any results.  This situation has created a vacuum and created a challenge for Pakistani Americans. It is high time that there be a true effort to organize the organizations.

 C: SUGGESTED NATION-WIDE ORGANIZATION PLAN

 The fact that there are so many people and organizations willing to work for common interests of this community, makes the nation wide organization plan relatively easier.  A significant amount of groundwork has already been performed by individuals and organizations.  The need of the time is to create a central effective coordination for the Pakistani-American community.  Doing this would require that the Pakistani-American organizations develop a willingness to work together at the national level.

 This coordination should not be in any way a threat or a concern to the leadership of individual organizations or individuals representing them, but should be used as a mechanism of effective working machinery.  With this understanding, here is a suggested proposal for organizing the organizations.

 The organizations of Pakistani-Americans should be divided into two broad categories:

1.                   Local

2.                   National.

 1) The Local Organizations:

These organizations would serve as the most crucial part of the chain. The local Pakistani American Organizations in different states, regions would have the following key responsibilities:

a) Bringing the individuals in their regions together.  How they bring the people together would require the market analysis of the community. For example this can be achieved through
           
            i) Social and cultural programs,

ii) Educational programs, conferences which would allow individuals to work together. 

 

The activities involved would have to include a wide array of activities trying to get a mechanism to increase communication in an effective web based/e-mail based mechanism.  This would serve as a true grass root level effort in the regional communities and each and every state of the United States.

             b) Develop rapid communication system strategies via email / phone chains etc. to get critical,       timely information to the members.

            c) Develop committees within the community so that individuals within the local organizations with specific special interests and qualities/passions can lead specific local interest based groups.

Examples:

i)   Local political action groups.

ii)  Professional groups example: Physicians, attorneys, engineers etc.

iii) Small Business Network  

iv) Out-reach group to develop understanding with other non-Pakistan groups

v)  Alliance building group with the Local American Muslim organizations e.g. CAIR, etc.

                        vi) Peace, justice, social welfare in Pakistan

                        vii) Civil Rights Team

                       viii)Media monitoring and response team.

 

d) Develop mechanisms that would allow the national interest Based Organizations to tap into the human resources of the community. Examples:

i)   Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America to get Local physicians members from the local organizations

ii)  Political Action group to coordinate with PAKPAC (Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee)

iii) Media monitoring and response team to share members with AOPP (Association of Pakistan Professional)

iv) Business and Entrepreneurs to share with OPEN (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs in North America) 

v)  etc.

            Such a plan would allow not only strengthening of the local community, but also allow strengthening of the national organizations.

 2) The National Organizations: 

The National Organizations would have to develop a level of understanding and partnership with the regional/local organizations for their working.  However, the National Organizations would have to be focused organizations and would fall into some of the following categories:

a.                   Professional, Example physician Organizations, engineers, architects and lawyers, writers etc.

b.                   Interest based:  Example political organization with public affairs committee, like PAKPAC. OR political activists, social scientists.

c.                   Literary, alumni based, social issues in Pakistan based, public health based, etc.

d.                   Media monitoring and response teams like AOPP

 

Please see list mentioned before for other examples of categories. and organizations like

OPEN, PAC, COPAA, PADF etc.

 3) Mechanisms of Coordination:

 The challenge to achieve this would actually be developing the willingness of doing this rather than how it can be done. We have the multiple communication and coordination resources available to us:                     

i)              Web Based coordination

ii)                   Using the Pakistani American Print media (Multiple news papers) and Web media (Pakistan Link etc) as well as the television channels like Geo, ARY and Prime TV.

iii)                 Asking the Pakistani embassy in United States to share the resource of email database for the communities benefit rather than for one or 2 focused organizations.

iv)                 Having an Annual National Convention in Washington DC to meet and discuss and improve on this coordination. A possible long weekend mutually acceptable to most people could be selected to achieve this. This should/ could be an annual event, following the pattern of yearly ISNA convention.  

 

 D: POTENTIAL CHALLENGES AND PITFALLS:

 

There are many human challenges involved in organizing any group of people. It is even a bigger challenge when the group is comprised of highly educated, motivated and intelligent people.

 The number one reason that I believe have been able to identify and understand in differences of opinion amongst individuals within organizations and the differences between organizations, is based on the following few aspects:

  a.                   Personal reasons, example ego, personal satisfaction, questioning the merit, ethics of the others.

b.                   Identifying or classifying individuals and organizations based on Pakistani politics e.g. this person represents MQM, or Army, or PPP etc. etc.

c.                   Changing the mindset of the community which has been growing and organizing in a disorganized manner for many years.

d.                   Resources and priorities.

e.                   Actual delivery of the plans.

f.                    Hierarchy perceptions in the governance pattern.

g.                   Getting over-organized. (slowing down the processes)

 E: STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES:

 

Develop mechanisms and plans of coordination which are principled not to threaten the integrity and authority of individuals (representing organizations) and the organizations.

 The leadership of organizations should make sure that they must work on their personal growth and enough self discipline and self esteem that the people would not be able to feel threatened by the effectiveness and activity of others fellow individuals and organizations.

 Not having a governance pattern with names suggesting control or representations of others.

Avoiding names and positions which suggest that one individual is talking on another’s behalf and intentional effort NOT to have anyone giving a press release for others or the organization in any way.

 Identifying individuals based on Pakistani politics is a real threat. This could be overcome with the organizations and individuals making sure that they minimize the chances of being identified with any Pakistan based political entity or group.   

 The coordination effort should remain focused on what is the urgent need of Pakistani Americans and MUST refrain from planning, claiming and working on changing politics in Pakistan.

 However, bringing about a positive social, educational change is an important responsibility which should remain for people who want to place their efforts in the above. One does not need to be involved with Pakistan based political parties to achieve this, but preferably with local NGOs or working groups or individuals who can help them is needed.

  

F: CONCLUSION:

 The time has come for the Pakistani-American community to organize the organizations. We owe this to our selves. When many people make sound in a dis-coordinated manner, it becomes a noise. When performed in an organized and synchronized manner it is music. While many individuals maybe hesitant regarding doing this, Most people that I have talked to feel that the time has come. It is not impossible as it has been done by others before us. It will require thinking planning and determination which we as a community have no dearth of. Let us start a new symphony for the community….

Anyone interested in talking about this in more detail can send an email with comments and time to call: info@pakpac.net or leave a message at 1 800 850 0423 Ext 4.

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