COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT :
Jake Fitisemanu Jr . BY JENNY HOR
The work of Jake Fitisemanu goes beyond the usual eight-hour workday . From organizing civic engagements to providing keynote addresses , he does it all . And humility seems to encompass all that he offers .
His commitment towards community advocacy seamlessly intersects with his status as a self-described “ regular person .” He once shared the stage with local elected officials addressing a room of Asian American and Pacific Islander students and young professionals . He was one of two individuals not in the political realm but his message was clear : Everyday people are capable of reaching their upper limits to better their community .
Identity is important to Fitisemanu , whose community work is rooted in his Samoan , Chinese , and Korean ancestry . Prior to calling Utah home , Fitisemanu lived in New Zealand and Hawaii .
“ I can ’ t pull myself apart from my culture ,” he says . “ I love that I can rely and draw on centuries of indigenous wisdom . I reflect back with a lot of happiness . We were an immigrant family .”
His advocacy work also stems from his family . His grandparents passed away from preventable chronic diseases and his work revolves around helping others live long , meaningful lives . He is engaged with the idea of community members working together to empower each other and to “ do it for ourselves .”
He enjoys Utah ’ s “ growing diversity ” but understands the frequently-cited phrase is a bit of a misnomer .
“ We talk about diversity as a theme that ’ s emerging or a new trend , but if we actually look at the history of Utah , white folks have only been the majority for a very , very short time . It ’ s important to recognize this growing diversity is not a new idea . However , the immigrant groups coming in are very new .”
Last year , he was appointed to President Barack Obama ’ s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders . The commission works to establish ties among local Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and federal agencies by focusing on a broad range of issues such as education , economic development , and health .
“ I was actually pretty shocked ,” Fitisemanu says when he learned of his nomination . He expressed initial hesitation in serving on the commission because his work doesn ’ t put politics first . It ’ s the grassroots and community organizing that keeps him grounded .
He dwelled on his decision for a day before agreeing to the nomination . “ The work that we do here affects my own kids and me , as well , so it was an opportunity I couldn ’ t say no to .”
As the clinic manager for the Health Clinics of Utah , Fitisemanu is tasked with overseeing the state-owned clinics
05 | VOICES | MCA . UTAH . GOV