Dear White House -- Some Questions From Those of Us in the 'Ethnic Media'

Editor's Note: The White House is open for questions. Anyone can go online and submit a question. The administration today will answer some of the questions submitted from across the country. NAM asked editors and journalists from ethnic media to submit their question for the White House.

As a new right-wing government prepares to take over in Israel – while illegal settlement in the West Bank, a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and home demolition in Jerusalem continue – are there any genuine, specific measures or stances the administration will take to counter apartheid in the Palestinian territories?

-Khalil AlHajal, The Arab American News

How can you ensure that ethnic groups are fully represented in the Obama administration? Why haven’t you hired more Arab Americans and will you do interviews with Arab American media instead of leapfrogging over the American Arab media to do interviews with the Arab world media?

-Ray Hanania, Arab Writers Group, Mornings with Ray Hanania

What is your policy on comprehensive immigration reform, and when are you sending it to the 111th Congress to act on it?

-Jennie L. Ilustre, Asian Fortune

The U.S. economic magnet is losing some of its power to retain skilled immigrants from China and India, threatening the United States in an increasingly competitive global environment. Do you have any plan to retain these engineers in Silicon Valley?

-Diane Liu, China News Service

What do you think about Joe Arpaio's incarceration of undocumented immigrants in Arizona in a manner that seems to be taken out of the slavery period? When will the immigration raids stop? Or does your administration plan to continue them?

-Maria Mejia, El Mensajero 


The nation, in general, is relieved that the Administration are seriously addressing the country's major issues: the economy, healthcare, education, and, of late, the Mexican drug cartel wars -- now with a $700-million earmark -- that is spilling onto U.S. soil. Apparently, however, one area of major concern seems to have been regarded as a non-issue, even during last year's presidential campaigns by both candidates, and that is IMMIGRATION REFORM. When will the Obama administration realize that it cannot isolate the immigration problem from these issues -- especially the economy, which to a large extent depends on immigrant labor and immigrant consumer spending?

-Jun Ilagan, Fil-Am Star

Pres. Barack Obama, in an appearance on Meet the Press some months ago, and in a separate interview with the Chicago Tribune, you talked about ‘rebooting’ the image of the United States in the Muslim world. It was also reported that you planned to deliver a major speech in an Islamic capital within the first 100 days of your presidency. At that time, the location had not been determined or disclosed. Has that location been determined and is the delivery of that speech still on the agenda?

-Ashahed M. Muhammad, The Final Call

Is the administration planning to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir, notably Bill Clinton? If not, does it have any plans to mediate the dispute itself? How important is the issue of Kashmir to the administration's overall strategy of combating terrorism in South Asia?

-Sunita Sohrabji, India West

What is your administration’s response to the claims by multiple national Islamic organizations that the FBI is sending undercover agents posing as worshippers into mosques, pressuring Muslims to become informants, labeling civil rights advocates as criminals and spreading misinformation?

-Saaqib Rangoonwala, InFocus News (IFN)

What are the administration’s plans for immigration reform, if any?

-Sean Canniffe, The Irish Herald

If Iran or any of Israel's other adversaries in the Middle East region were to attack Israel, what would the president's first action be?