Each May, the State Department joins the rest of the nation in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. During this month, we celebrate the accomplishments of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and the diverse perspectives they bring to the Department’s work and mission. This is the second DipNote in a two part series, where we asked AAPI staff members about their heritage, how they bring their experiences to work as a diplomat, and why diversity and inclusion is important to the U.S. government and in general.
Ann Touneh Dandridge, Civil Service Officer
Tell us about yourself and your heritage?
I’ve been a Civil Service officer with the Department since 2012, and prior to that with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement. I started my career in non-profit, community-based services for youth involved in the Maryland juvenile justice system.
I am Chru. My heritage is my family, a matrilineal indigenous tribe in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. My heritage is also my family lineage here in my country of birth, including a great-great uncle who was U.S. Ambassador to Poland (1945-1947) and Colombia (1942-1944).
How have you drawn on your heritage in your work as a diplomat?
I draw on my experience of family separation, and reunion, never losing sight of the deep impact that war, insecurity, and displacement had on my mother. I was seventeen years old the first time I was able to meet and hug my grandmother, one year after the United States and Vietnam restored diplomatic relations. I draw on the hope and healing that comes from watching my mother build a life full of joy here in her country of refuge. We tackle enormous global issues at State, but at the end of the day it is individual people who are affected by our work.
I draw on the weight of understanding that people share a common desire to send our children to school in safety, provide for our families, and express our faith and love in peace. My husband and I try to teach our daughters that their worth is inherent. This is their country. What they make of the enormous opportunity that comes with that is up to them. Their rich heritage makes clear that they will need to stand up for themselves and others to have a fighting chance. We teach them about the years that their grandmother and other black children had to leave their homes and families behind to be able to go to school when Prince Edward County shut down their schools in 1959 rather than comply with a federal order to desegregate. I think about these experiences when I weigh the policies that we advance around the world to uphold America’s values of defending freedom, championing opportunity, respect for the rule of law and human rights, and treating every person with dignity.
Why is a culture of diversity and inclusion important to the U.S. government and the workforce in general?
Especially at State, where we are tasked to take on huge challenges of climate crisis, global health security, and preventing conflict, we need the full diversity of experience and wisdom of everyday Americans who are willing to lead on behalf of our country and are committed to finding common ground with partners. We are stronger together. We need a culture at State that empowers service through respect for our authentic selves and embraces colleague’s courage to voice solutions that serve all Americans.
Nursultan Eldosov, Foreign Service Officer
Tell us about yourself and your heritage?
I was born in Uzbekistan following the collapse of the Soviet Union. I am an ethnic Kazakh from the Jalair tribe. My parents, brother, and I immigrated to the United States in 2002 thanks to the Diversity Immigrant Visa program. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, in a diverse community of fellow Americans committed to helping one another. Our visa interview experience with a U.S. Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow sparked an interest in diplomacy and foreign affairs. My wife is from India, and we are proud parents of my son Yusuf, who is the first family member to be born in the United States. I am grateful to have this opportunity to serve as an U.S. diplomat and for my family to represent our country abroad. My younger brother is also a Foreign Service Officer,
How have you drawn on your heritage in your work as a diplomat?
Growing up in Uzbekistan, I spoke Russian, Kazakh, and Uzbek. These three languages came in handy during my first overseas diplomatic assignment in Prague, Czech Republic, as a Vice Consul. I had over 90 countries represented in the Non-Immigrant Visa applicant pool. Having the three languages, in addition to Czech and English, helped me become a more effective officer making visa decisions. Plus, the memory of being on the other side of the consular interview window helped me better understand what it is like to be a visa applicant.
Why is a culture of diversity and inclusion important to the U.S. government and the workforce in general?
Tapping into the true potential of diversity and inclusion in the U.S. government will make us stronger, more creative, and resilient. Valuing people ensures that we build a foundation to help us all reach our full potential as team members serving our country domestically and overseas. A truly diverse and inclusive team helps us be better prepared to tackle global challenges.
This blog is part of the State Department’s Asian American Foreign Affairs Association (AAFAA) AAPI Heritage Month outreach efforts. Established in 1981, AAFAA is an association of more than 800 Civil Service and Foreign Service employees, fellows, contractors, interns, and retirees at the U.S. Department of State with the mission to improve recruitment, outreach, and professional development of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) officers. AAFAA welcomes all employees across the Department. Please reach out to aaffa.state.gov to join and follow us on Facebook.
Read part 1 of our two-part “Celebrating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at State” series here.
Elizabeth “Liz” Liu, Foreign Service Officer and Vice President of the Asian American Foreign Affairs Association at the U.S. Department of State, coordinated the responses for this entry. We thank Ann and Nursultan for contributing their time and effort to share their stories on DipNote.