Testimony by Seema Agarwal-Harding for the AAPI Commission
Good evening, Council members. My name is Seema Agarwal-Harding, and I’m honored to testify tonight on behalf of the Luminus Network regarding our organization’s seat on the Howard County AAPI Commission.
I bring 20+ years of international development experience—work with UNICEF, USAID, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, as well as Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children, and the International Rescue Committee. I hold a PhD in International Education Development from University College, London and post-doctoral studies at Oxford University focused on human diversity, equity, and family self-sufficiency. I’m currently Interim Executive Director of Luminus, with an exciting announcement before year’s end.
But credentials alone don’t matter here. What matters is this: Howard County is a global crossroads.
Over the past decade, our county has experienced steady growth driven largely by international immigration. We are one of the most multicultural and immigrant-rich counties in the United States. Nearly a quarter of Howard County residents are African American. Our eastern and southern Asian population comprises about 20% of the county. We have nearly 10% Hispanic/Latino residents. And critically—nearly 25% of our neighbors are foreign-born. That means one of every 4 persons living in our County is a recent immigrant.
This is evident when you walk through our neighborhoods and listen. A quarter of Howard County speaks languages other than English at home: Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Urdu, and many others. Our AAPI communities alone span India, Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, the Philippines. The diversity within our AAPI communities is dazzling.
This growth is beautiful. It is also an opportunity—and a responsibility.
That’s where Luminus comes in. Our mission is straightforward: EMPOWER immigrants, refugees, and asylees as they build new lives. We provide legal support, information, and critical referral services that help individuals and families not just survive, but truly thrive.
Why does a partnership between Luminus and AAPI matter? AAPI communities face unique barriers—language access, cultural navigation of systems, immigration-specific legal challenges, workplace discrimination, and often, deep isolation. While Luminus provides direct legal support and referral services, we cannot do this work alone. We need strategic partners like the AAPI Commission who understand the specific cultural contexts, lived experiences, and priorities of our AAPI neighbors.
The Commission brings institutional knowledge, community trust, and a unified voice. Luminus brings direct service capacity and on-the-ground expertise. Together, we amplify impact. Together, we ensure that legal support reaches those who need it. That information flows in trusted languages and through trusted messengers. That referrals connect families not just to services, but to community.
Consider what’s possible: Schools partnering with us to ensure immigrant families understand educational rights and pathways. Community colleges connecting with us to remove barriers for AAPI students. Local businesses working alongside us to address workplace exploitation. The AAPI Commission serves as the vital connective tissue—convening these partners, ensuring our efforts are coordinated and not duplicative, and most importantly, holding all of us accountable to the communities we serve.
What could this look like in practice? Increased school enrollment and academic success rates for AAPI students. Expanded access to legal services and immigration support. Reduced workplace discrimination and labor violations. A coordinated referral network where a family contacting one organization is seamlessly connected to others. Regular data-sharing and feedback loops that let us measure impact and adjust course. Most critically: AAPI residents themselves at the table, informing strategy and evaluating whether we’re truly meeting their needs.
As I join the AAPI Commission, I represent not just Luminus, but also, as a a person from India, I am a true member of our AAPI community myself. I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with other AAPI Commissioners with first-hand knowledge of its mission and purpose. And I am hopeful and eager to deepen our work in cultivating a safe and welcoming community where every AAPI resident feels seen, valued, and heard.
I am deeply grateful for your consideration to be on the Commission. Having witnessed firsthand the transformative power of welcome and support, I know what’s possible when institutions listen, act, and commit to equity.
मैं आपका शुक्रिया करती हूँ कि आप मुझे आयोग में शामिल होने के लिए सोच रहे हैं। मैंने खुद देखा है कि स्वागत और समर्थन से क्या बदलाव आ सकता है। मुझे पता है कि जब संस्थाएं सुनती हैं, कुछ करती हैं, और समानता के लिए सच में प्रतिबद्ध होती हैं, तो क्या-क्या संभव है।
Howard County has the opportunity to be a model—a place where diversity is not just celebrated, but actively strengthened. Where AAPI residents don’t simply survive, but thrive. Where belonging is not aspirational, but real.
Together, let’s build that Howard County.
Thank you.