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HONOLULU (Oct. 4, 2023) – The East-West Center is proud to announce civil rights champion Dr. Amefil “Amy” Agbayani as the recipient of the Center’s 2023 Women of Impact Award for her lifetime of working for a more equitable and inclusive society—most recently as a member of the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The award will be presented to Agbayani, an EWC alumna originally from the Philippines, at a private event on Oct. 20.
“I cannot image a stronger embodiment of the intent of our Women of Impact award than Amy Agbayani,” said EWC Board of Governors Chair Dr. James Scott. “Her lifetime of fighting for equal rights and access for the most vulnerable among us is a truly an example to us all.”
“For decades, Amy has given so much to our East-West Center community as an invaluable mentor and alumni leader,” said Center President Suzanne Vares-Lum. “We are so thrilled to be able to honor her in return for her unwavering commitment not just to the Center, but to all of humanity.”
“I am humbled and proud to receive this honor,” Agbayani said. “Mahalo plenty to the East-West Center and many other organizations and individuals who continue to address inequities and give voice and visibility to marginalized communities. I am so very grateful to the Center for awarding me a scholarship and bringing me to Hawai‘i nearly 60 years ago, and providing me with lifelong friends from all across our region.”
About the Women of Impact Award
The Women of Impact Award was established by the East-West Center Board of Governors in 2022 to recognize the important role of women’s leadership and impact in governance, diplomacy, and society. Awardees are selected based on their outstanding accomplishments, including important career achievements, civic leadership, and significant contributions to the Center’s mission of better relations and understanding among the people of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The recipient of last year’s inaugural award was US Sen. Mazie Hirono.
About Amy Agbayani
Born in the Philippines, Dr. Amefil “Amy” Agbayani came to Hawai‘i in 1964 on an East-West Center fellowship and earned her doctoral degree at UH Mānoa. After receiving her PhD in political science, she successfully established programs that promote multi-culturalism, civil rights, and improving the status of Filipinos and other underrepresented groups at the University of Hawai‘i.
Over the years, Dr. Agbayani has secured millions of dollars in funding for student scholarships and community outreach to empower and equip immigrants and disadvantaged children. She was founding Chair of the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission and most recently was selected by President Biden to sit on the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, where she continues to advocate for equity and social justice.
Dr. Agbayani’s lifetime of commitment to providing educational opportunities for underrepresented communities came full circle with the establishment of the Amy Agbayani Endowed Scholarship at the East-West Center. Long a leading member of the Center’s 70,000-strong alumni network who continues to mentor many student participants, she received the EWC alumni association’s Outstanding Volunteer award in 2020. “The foundation of my professional work and philosophy of service was formed during the time I was an East-West Center scholarship student in the 1960s,” Agbayani has said.
HONOLULU (Oct. 4, 2023) – The East-West Center is proud to announce civil rights champion Dr. Amefil “Amy” Agbayani as the recipient of the Center’s 2023 Women of Impact Award for her lifetime of working for a more equitable and inclusive society—most recently as a member of the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The award will be presented to Agbayani, an EWC alumna originally from the Philippines, at a private event on Oct. 20.
“I cannot image a stronger embodiment of the intent of our Women of Impact award than Amy Agbayani,” said EWC Board of Governors Chair Dr. James Scott. “Her lifetime of fighting for equal rights and access for the most vulnerable among us is a truly an example to us all.”
“For decades, Amy has given so much to our East-West Center community as an invaluable mentor and alumni leader,” said Center President Suzanne Vares-Lum. “We are so thrilled to be able to honor her in return for her unwavering commitment not just to the Center, but to all of humanity.”
“I am humbled and proud to receive this honor,” Agbayani said. “Mahalo plenty to the East-West Center and many other organizations and individuals who continue to address inequities and give voice and visibility to marginalized communities. I am so very grateful to the Center for awarding me a scholarship and bringing me to Hawai‘i nearly 60 years ago, and providing me with lifelong friends from all across our region.”
About the Women of Impact Award
The Women of Impact Award was established by the East-West Center Board of Governors in 2022 to recognize the important role of women’s leadership and impact in governance, diplomacy, and society. Awardees are selected based on their outstanding accomplishments, including important career achievements, civic leadership, and significant contributions to the Center’s mission of better relations and understanding among the people of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The recipient of last year’s inaugural award was US Sen. Mazie Hirono.
About Amy Agbayani
Born in the Philippines, Dr. Amefil “Amy” Agbayani came to Hawai‘i in 1964 on an East-West Center fellowship and earned her doctoral degree at UH Mānoa. After receiving her PhD in political science, she successfully established programs that promote multi-culturalism, civil rights, and improving the status of Filipinos and other underrepresented groups at the University of Hawai‘i.
Over the years, Dr. Agbayani has secured millions of dollars in funding for student scholarships and community outreach to empower and equip immigrants and disadvantaged children. She was founding Chair of the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission and most recently was selected by President Biden to sit on the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, where she continues to advocate for equity and social justice.
Dr. Agbayani’s lifetime of commitment to providing educational opportunities for underrepresented communities came full circle with the establishment of the Amy Agbayani Endowed Scholarship at the East-West Center. Long a leading member of the Center’s 70,000-strong alumni network who continues to mentor many student participants, she received the EWC alumni association’s Outstanding Volunteer award in 2020. “The foundation of my professional work and philosophy of service was formed during the time I was an East-West Center scholarship student in the 1960s,” Agbayani has said.
