André Zhang Sonera, MPA
#HaveYouHerd: Today’s #FridayFeature we are celebrating someone who has a passion for assisting the community in many different ways: Project Manager for The City of Indianapolis, André Zhang Sonera. To learn about how André does it all, keep on reading.
André Zhang Sonera is originally from San Sebastián, Puerto Rico and is also half Chinese. He received his Masters in Public Affairs in Policy Analysis from the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in 2021. Prior to his current role as a Project Manager for Economic and Community Development for The City of Indianapolis, he has had many experiences working for government agencies such as the White House, the New York City Mayor's Office of Operation, and the Indiana Lt. Governor's Office. All of these experiences have nurtured his passion for public service and government. In his spare time, he proudly serves as a Big Brother for BBBS of Central Indiana.
We asked André what Hispanic Heritage Month means to him, and he said, “It means honoring and remembering the sacrifice and struggle of all of those who have come before us, those who made it possible for us to have an education and build our own path.”
We also asked André if there was anything he’d like to share about his culture with those who are outside of the Latinx community? “As a Latino, I use this opportunity to share the inequalities still present today in Puerto Rico as part of their ‘territory/commonwealth’ designation,” he said. “Especially after the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the 2018 earthquakes, and the political unrest in 2019 – Puerto Ricans still have a limited amount of rights when you compare it with the rest of their fellow U.S. citizens.”
Currently, André is working on managing various economic recovery programs while also ensuring that our Latinx community is getting relevant information in their native language through programs such as #EnmascárateIndy (#MaskUpIndy), and #VacúnateIndy (#VaccinateIndy). These programs increase the rate of Latinx/Hispanic vaccination rate.
André is a dedicated public servant, and it shows in his commitment to the community. We thank him for his hard work, and we couldn’t be more proud to have him representing all of us. To keep up with André and his upcoming projects, you can follow him on Twitter (@azhangso) and LinkedIn(@André-Zhang-Sonera).