Keynote Address by Frank F Islam On the occasion of Republic Day Jan 2016 Thank you for that kind introduction. It is truly an honor to have been asked to deliver the keynote address on this Republic Day. Before I begin my remarks, I want to thank Gisela Ghani for inviting me to speak here. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the leadership of the National Council of Asian Indian Associations for your service to the community and hosting this Republic Day event again. Hats … [Read more...]
Articles
Frank blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and writes occasional columns and articles for publications such as the International Business Times and The Economic Times of India.
Frank writes on a wide variety of topics that are critical to shaping the future of America and the American dream and to making the United States and the world a better place. These include: Business; education; poverty and inequality; politics and public policy; immigration; manufacturing; innovation; leadership; citizenship; and social commentary.
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Musings on Words of the Year for 2015
Q. When is a word not a word? A. When it is chosen to be the word of the year. Here are two cases in point. In 2015, Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford) selection for word of the year announced in October was a pictograph - officially called the "Face with Tears of Joy" emoji. Not to be outdone, in December Merriam Webster proclaimed that its word of the year for 2015, was the suffix - ism. Our reaction to both of these selections ran the gamut from disbelief (Say what?) to incredulity … [Read more...]
Indian-American entrepreneur Frank Islam receives UP Ratna award
WASHINGTON: Azamgarh-born Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam has been awarded the inaugural UP Ratna award for his contribution as a son of Uttar Pradesh. An Indian American friend, Dr Fazal Khan, received the award on Islam's behalf from UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on the opening day of the inaugural UP Pravasi Diwas in Agra on Monday. Islam, who came to the US in the early 1970s to study at University of Colorado, said the "award means much to me and I am most … [Read more...]
Mr. Islam acceptance speech on receiving UP Ratna
2016: Two Roads Diverge in America This Year
The race to win the nomination to be their party's candidate for President of the United States in 2016 has presented stunning contrasts in substance, style and tone. In January of 2012, we wrote a blog commenting on the nature and implications of the national conversation during that election cycle. The dialogue and exchanges during 2015 have not been an instant replay. They have "trumped" those of 2011. In spite of this, we believe our earlier blog remains relevant in 2016 -- probably … [Read more...]
Mr. Islam interview with Al Cole
I’m humbled, honored to get UP Ratna award: Azamgarh-born Indian-American Frank Islam
New Delhi, 27 Dec 2015: "I have received many awards. But, this award is extra special because it comes from my homeland. Uttar Pradesh is where my journey began," says Azamgarh-born Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank F. Islam on the announcement of Uttar Pradesh government to confer state's highest civilian award Uttar Pradesh Ratna on him at the UP Pravasi Diwas in Agra on 4th Jan 2016. Excerpts from interview with IndiaTomorrow.net : What was your … [Read more...]
Article in The Hindu on Mr. Islam Receiving UP Ratna award
Donald Trump Is Being Politically Correct
Donald Trump frequently asserts that he's not being politically correct in what he says. For example, in an interview with Jake Tapper of CNN before the final Republican debate this year he proclaimed, "I'm not looking to be politically correct. I'm doing this to do the right thing." In that statement, Trump himself revealed the paradoxical nature of Trump-speak. Trump is correct that he is not being politically correct in his pronouncements -- at least in the conventional sense of that … [Read more...]
Mr. Islam column in the Huffington Post on Revitalizing Urban Neighborhood
Neighborhoods -- stepping stones or millstones? The choice is ours. Let's make it the right one for all of our American kids. Those were the closing lines for our blog on urban education which The Huffington Post ran on June 30, 2015. In that blog, and others posted throughout this year, we have highlighted the "crisis" conditions of many of our urban neighborhoods. Numerous studies released in 2015 reveal what David Leonhardt labeled the "neighborhood gap" in an article that he wrote for … [Read more...]