Sayu Bhojwani is currently the founding director of The New American Leaders Project, the only national organization focused on preparing first- and second-generation immigrants for civic leadership. From 2002 to 2004, she served as New York City’s first Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. During her tenure as Commissioner, New York City established Immigrant Heritage Week to honor the contributions and cultures of immigrant communities in the City. Her office facilitated the passage of the earliest laws to increase immigrants’ access to translation and interpretation — Local Law 73 — and spearheaded the writing and Mayor’s signing of Executive Order 41, an unprecedented policy to protect the confidentiality of immigration status for those seeking City services.

In 1996, Sayu started South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), to develop the leadership potential of immigrant youth in Queens. The first and only organization of its kind, SAYA! currently works with over 500 youth each year. Sayu holds a M.Ed. in Comparative Education from Teachers’ College, Columbia University, and is a recipient of numerous awards for her community leadership. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate in the Politics and Education program at Columbia University, where she is researching political participation by low-income immigrants in New York City. Sayu serves on the boards of The AfterSchool Corporation (TASC) and the National Immigration Forum, where she is on the executive committee. Sayu speaks and writes regularly on immigrant issues and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and Next America, an editorial initiative of The National Journal. She is an immigrant of Indian descent who was raised in Belize, Central America, and is a naturalized citizen of the United States.