The Foreign Service Journal, March 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2021 57 the 2011 Fukushima disaster and family visits as proof that she could not work on national security matters related to Japan, a country the United States considers one of our strongest allies in Asia. As a result of AAFAA and others’ advocacy and prior work to establish an appeals mechanism for restriction cases, Ms. Kondo-Shah was able to see the DS memo that accused her of showing “foreign preference” to Japan, counter each point and contest the decision. While we appreciate the department’s efforts to codify an appeals process to challenge questionable assignment restric- tions, many employees, disproportionately of Asian American descent, are still trapped in a cycle of fighting perceptions of disloyalty because a major flaw remains: The appeals process is not independent from DS. We recommend that State create an independent appeals process outside of the DS chain of command. We also recom- mend that the Bureau of Global Talent Management collect and publish data on the number of officers and their Equal Employ- ment Opportunity Commission–protected backgrounds. We are hopeful that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will engage with AAFAA and relevant bureaus to make meaningful change on this issue, as Deputy Secretary Blinken did in 2016, to ensure a more diverse, inclusive and transparent State Depart- ment. n Shirlene Yee, a management officer in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, is president of the Asian American Foreign Affairs Association. Assignments process that the embassy was being bathed in microwave radiation by the Soviets. The second issue, the high number of unfilled leadership positions at State, is easier to resolve. Brian Wilson is a Foreign Service information specialist at U.S. Embassy Berlin. Step Up Engagement Outside Capitals As we emerge from a global pandemic and reengage with partner governments and multilateral bodies to tackle chal- lenges to U.S. and global security and prosperity, we also need to reinvigorate American connections to the people and com- munities these institutions serve. Public diplomacy initiatives, exchange programs and com- mercial outreach help counter false narratives and amplify American soft power that truly sets us apart from competitors. Provided with training, technology and space for creativity, Foreign Service professionals overseas can step up engagement outside capitals to demonstrate the benefits of partnership with the United States to broader host-country communities. The successful American Presence Post model can be expanded, in countries where local conditions allow, to deliver on-the-ground diplomacy to important regions and economic centers. Given basic embassy support and guidance, an APP consisting of an FSO and several local staff can achieve outsized impact at minimal cost and build enduring ties at the local and regional level. FSO Toby Wolf is a team lead in the Office of Science and Technology Cooperation at the State Department. Address Flaw in Assignment Restrictions Process The Asian American Foreign Affairs Association has made significant strides with the State Department Bureau of Diplo- matic Security to improve transparency and fairness in assign- ment restrictions. But more needs to be done to reform an archaic system that doesn’t appear to value America’s diversity as a strategic advantage. Six weeks before departing for Japan, DS informed Yuki Kondo-Shah that she had an assignment restriction. DS cited her parent’s country of birth, volunteer work done in Japan after