MassLive recently asked readers to identify people who are leaders from the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community throughout the state, working to make a difference in politics, education, business, the arts or another area of interest.
Profiles of these leaders will be published through AAPI Heritage Month in May. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.
Vineeth HemavathiSebastian Restrepo
Vineeth Hemavathi
Age: 36
Community: Longmeadow
His story: Vineeth Hemavathi’s parents immigrated to the United States because they believed the country could give their future children more opportunities. The attorney said that belief proved correct.
Over the course of his career, Hemavathi has worked on former President Barack Obama’s campaign, for the FBI, as a teacher at a low-income school and as an advocate for victims of domestic violence and housing discrimination, and was the first person of color ever elected in his home town of Longmeadow.
“Public service has always been my day job and my life’s work, as I’ve always strived to give back to the country that gave me and my family so much,” he said. “This means that public service has always been at my core, and not something that I do only when it is convenient.”
Hemavathi currently works as a staff attorney at the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, a Holyoke-based organization that helps victims of housing discrimination around the state. He works with people who need accommodations for disabilities, families looking for lead-safe housing and people facing discrimination because they have a housing voucher.
Outside of his work at the Fair Housing Center, Hemavathi was elected to the Longmeadow Select Board last year. On the board, he leads the Municipal Fiber Task Force which is exploring bringing fiber internet to the town and led the charge to increase wages for firefighters and town employees to bring them even with those in neighboring towns.
He also advocates for infrastructure updates in Longmeadow, including the replacement of century-old water mains, and has proposed increasing tax abatements opportunities for seniors.
In his words: “Spend more time listening than speaking. Whether that be listening to a constituent, a client, a friend, or even a stranger, we all have so much to learn from the experience and knowledge of others. In a time when social isolation is increasing, it is more important than ever to find connection and humanity in each other.”
We’re always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If you’d like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.
