Noisy children running around and creating a ruckus are admonished briefly by their mothers, who then continue chattering excitedly with each other.
Men clad in sherwanis and suits are walking in and out of meeting rooms, coordinating with each other for the event, and a television crew is setting up for a video interview with APPNA members.
A bazaar for Pakistan clothes and jewellery, a lassi stand and a rural scene where a lady sits dressed like a villager but texting away on her cellphone, are among the sights at the APPNA convention.
APPNA, a not-for-profit organisation established in 1977, is one of the largest organised bodies of Pakistani-American medical professionals in the United States (US) and Canada.
The body seeks to work with the Pakistani-American community in the US for civic engagement and image building of the Pakistani community among fellow citizens, along with community service projects in Pakistan and other parts of the world. APPNA also plays a special role supporting physicians from Pakistan who go to the US to further their studies or find work.
APPNA President Dr Sajid Chaudhary terms it the third largest medical association in the US, after the American Medical Association and the Association of Physicians of India (API), with over 3,000-3,500 members.
The organisation holds three quarterly meetings in the spring, fall and winter, and an annual convention in summer which is attended by around 4,000-5,000 people of Pakistani descent, according to Dr Babar Cheema, chairman of the body's civic engagement committee.
APPNA meetings, however, are not just a forum for discussion on the organisation's activities.
"They have also become a centre for socialisation," Dr Cheema says, where people can "recharge their desi battery".Before APPNA existed, an alumni association from Lahore's King Edward Medical University ─ one of the oldest medical institutes in Pakistan ─ had been established for medical professionals.
However, when doctors from other medical schools began coming to the US, "they decided that they should have a bigger umbrella organisation," Dr Chaudhary says.
Serving their two homes: Pakistan and the United States
This organisation has adopted what Dr Chaudhary describes as a "two-pronged strategy". Through alumni groups, APPNA focuses on projects in Pakistan, and through its local chapters also works with US-based communities.
The organisation also plays a big role in supporting Pakistani physicians who wish to go to the US for further education or work. They support them by providing mentorship lectures and programmes, seminars, scholarships and financial support. They also run 'APPNA Houses' that provide Pakistan med students with a place to live at subsidised rates.
“When I moved to the US [in 1996] we did not have any arrangements like this. We were on our own. At least now when young physicians come from Pakistan, they know where they’re going to be staying and have good support structures,” Dr Cheema says.
In addition to initiatives to support Pakistani physicians, APPNA also engages in disaster relief work in the country.
Dr Aisha Zafar, chair of APPNA's social welfare and disaster relief committee, says the body has been involved in relief efforts in the aftermath of the massive earthquakes in Pakistan, Haiti, Indonesia and Nepal.
APPNA members are also encouraged to engage in community service in the US such as running food pantries, soup kitchens and free local clinics.
American physicians of Pakistani descent also provide primary and specialty care to Americans, especially in rural areas and inner cities in the US, where many US-born physicians prefer not to practice.
"We are hoping that we will push more people into this [community service]… so they can pay back to the US. Quite frankly, this is our adopted homeland. America has given us so much that we have no complaint. Even when we have President Trump and all the current rhetoric at this point, I have to admit I feel more comfortable being in America than being in my own land of birth, Pakistan," Dr Cheema says.
Persisting despite rising Islamophobia
However, Dr Chaudhary notes that the Pakistani community in the US has been "a little bit down" after the recent election amid a documented rise in Islamophobia.
"They have a fear of dire conditions, consequences, backlash, because of the recent change in the political scenario,” he says, emphasising the importance of reaching out to US lawmakers and lobbying for the rights of the desi community in America.
“We need to get involved with our local legislators, we need to raise our concerns," he says.
This active engagement at a local level is apparent even at the APPNA's spring meeting. US Senator Bob Casey is one of the speakers at the event. Valerie Biden Owens, a women's rights activist and sister of Former US Vice President Joe Biden, is a keynote speaker.
The physicians believe that such efforts are particularly important right now when fears of travel bans are still prevalent.
“This is a big concern for us because we have scholarships, we are supporting these students… [but] if the visas are not issued despite the fact that they have excellent scores, we will not be able to continue a programme like this,” Dr Zafar says.
“This is the first time, really, that I’ve sensed it. We had delays in terms of visa issues but it wasn’t to the extent where now there is a concern that you will not be hired or interviewed because you are of Pakistani background," she explains.
“We need to get out and tell American citizens, our fellow citizens, that we are a part of them and we want to work for them.
”APPNA is in the 40th year since its inception and has developed into a great organization for expatriate Pakistani physicians. There is so much to be proud of and I congratulate all of you who support and work together to uphold the ambition of humanitarian and charitable work from APPNA’s platform. Our work in the field of visa issues for young physicians, advocacy for civil rights, scholarship programs, building orphanages, schools and assisting in healthcare through eye camps, diabetes centers, hepatitis C and breast cancer awareness programs has been the collective effort of visionary leaders and unsung heroes. Even when members cannot volunteer in person, they contribute financially and enable us to continue APPNA’s many projects. Our meetings and conventions bring the much needed revenue for administrative and charitable expenses; therefore your participation in the meetings helps APPNA as well.
Even though we have a lot to be proud of when we look at the history of our contributions and accomplishments in our homeland, we have had our share of trepidations as well. Recently, a tide of change in USA has brought some uncertainties and challenges for us. Many people are concerned about the status of healthcare policies and civil liberties. In the past, we have endured the phase of insecurities about civil liberties in post 9/11 world, with our young physicians facing visa problems as well. These difficulties may grow stronger and more defined in the coming months and years. I remain dedicated to rise to any challenge that we may face.
In words of our president,
“It is that American spirit – that American promise – that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend”.
“It is that American spirit – that American promise – that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend”.
Dear friends, it is time for us to work together now more than ever. APPNA provides us with a real opportunity to do a lot of valuable work. We have made a positive impact in our societies here in USA, with programs like regular free APPNA clinics, National Health Care Day and charitable efforts when a natural disaster has struck. We now need to work harder to assimilate and integrate in the society. It is very important for us to realize that the need of the day is to make a clear and positive mark on the minds of our neighbors and fellow citizens. We need to build bridges within communities, encourage leadership and empower the younger generation of physicians who are being raised and trained in the U.S.
There are not enough words to emphasize the greater role that APPNA needs to take in our local communities; therefore, I plan to make the theme of next year to be “Community Empowerment through Civic Engagement”. We will institute programs to fulfill this ideology throughout the year in 2017 and in future. I am confident that APPNA members will come together to realize this goal.
I humbly request members to volunteer for various projects that APPNA will undertake and initiate in 2017. I invite the North American Medical Graduates in particular to come forward and join in as we navigate the process of “Community empowerment with Civic Engagement”. I have no doubt that, with our unified efforts, we will effectively establish an image of APPNA which will help change the impression of our Pakistani American community in USA.
APPNA will continue to expand the charitable and healthcare projects in Pakistan and provide disaster relief measures, whenever and wherever it can. Our Social welfare committee and APPNA Medical Corps committee will spearhead such humanitarian projects for the welfare of common people.
