NextSharkNextShark.com
Latest NewsletteršŸµ Ming-Na Wen honoredRead

Article

Pakistani-American Becomes the First South Asian Woman Mayor in America

    Asian America Daily - in under 5 minutes

    Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories, to your inbox daily, for free!

    Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive

    Sadaf Jaffer is the first South Asian woman to become a mayor in New Jersey and the first female Pakistani-American mayor in the United States.

    The Montgomery Committeewoman sworn in as the mayor of the township during its reorganization meeting on January 3 with Attorney General Gurbir Grewal initiating the oath of office, according to India Abroad.

     

    Jaffer, who has been living in the township for five years, was elected to the committee last year on the Democratic Party ticket.

    ā€œTo me, Montgomery is all about the people that make up our vibrant community,” the Pakistani-American politician said in a statement via India Abroad. ā€œI love attending local events, from the South Asian Charity Organization’s ‘Ootsave’ celebration to the strawberry festival hosted by the Boy Scouts.ā€

    A scholar and activist, Jaffer has experience in cultural education and government service. She previously worked for the United States Marine Corps Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning and the U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of South Asian Affairs.

    On top of being a postdoctoral research associate in South Asian Studies at Princeton University where she teaches courses on South Asian, Islamic and Asian American Studies, Jaffer also serves as one of the Board of Directors for Art and Resistance through Education (ARTE).

    She’s also the Somerset County director for the South Asian American Caucus of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.

    Jaffer earned her bachelor’s degree from Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and obtained her PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations with a secondary field in Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality from Harvard University.

    Featured Image screenshot via YouTube / Azra Baig

    Support our Journalism with a Contribution

    Many people might not know this, but despite our large and loyal following which we are immensely grateful for, NextShark is still a small bootstrapped startup that runs on no outside funding or loans.

    Everything you see today is built on the backs of warriors who have sacrificed opportunities to help give Asians all over the world a bigger voice.

    However, we still face many trials and tribulations in our industry, from figuring out the most sustainable business model for independent media companies to facing the current COVID-19 pandemic decimating advertising revenues across the board.

    We hope you consider making a contribution so we can continue to provide you with quality content that informs, educates and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way.Ā  Thank you for everyone's support. We love you all and can't appreciate you guys enough.

    Support NextShark

    Mastercard, Visa, Amex, Discover, Paypal