Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of public policy and political science at the

Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of public policy and political science at the University of California at Riverside, has been appointed by California Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins, D-San Diego, to a four-year term on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.

The 13-member commission works to spotlight the political, economic, and social issues of Asians and Pacific Islanders by strengthening how state government addresses their needs.

A former research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, the Indian American data analyst directs the Immigration Research Group at U.C.-Riverside.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing groups in California, and I am thrilled to join the commission to be able to offer my research expertise and advice on how to address the diverse needs of this population,” Ramakrishnan said in a statement.

He noted that one-third of the Asian American population in the U.S. lives in California. “Asian Americans are, by far, the most heavily immigrant racial group in the United States,” he said, adding that language access, naturalization, and barriers to voter registration are key factors to increase civic engagement for this population.

Ramakrishnan is a member of the University of California Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Multi-campus Research Program, and directs the National Asian American Survey and AAPIdata.com, a Web resource seeking to make data and reports more accessible to journalists and policy makers.

Source www.indiawest.com