South Asians denounce Indian American CEO of Wayfair, Niraj Shah, over migrant children

The home goods e-retailer has been under fire from its employees for selling beds to facilities for separated migrant children.

Just on the day when Wayfair employees staged a protest by walking out of the company’s headquarters, there seems to be more ire in store for the Boston-based furniture e-retailer.

Disappointed by the company’s refusal to back out of selling goods to a government contractor that furnishes a federal detention center for migrants, it is now the South Asian community that is fuming against the company.

The fact that Wayfair is headed by an Indian American CEO, Niraj Shah, has led to an outcry in the community and an open letter by South Asians Against Child Separations addressed to Niraj Shah and the Shah Foundation has been signed by prominent South Asian activists.

The letter states that South Asians are horrified by the humanitarian crisis created by the Trump Administration at the southern border.

ALSO READ: Meet the 10 richest Indian Americans (March 11, 2018)

It states: “We were deeply alarmed to learn that Wayfair, a company led by an Indian American CEO, is selling beds to contractors that operate facilities for migrant children who have been separated from their parents. We urge you, Mr Shah, to stop profiting off an inhumane policy that separates, criminalizes and incarcerates children.”

Many South Asian Civil Rights organizations have been tweeting their support to the Wayfair Walkout. Civil rights organization SAALT, tweeted: “We signed onto this letter from South Asian Americans calling on @wayfair CEO Niraj Shah to stop profiting off the inhumane family separation policy at the boder.”

Niraj Shah, who is the co-founder, co-chairman and CEO of Wayfair, has a net worth of $2.4 billion. The Cornell graduate, son of Indian immigrants, grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  His dad, a mechanical engineer, worked for General Electric.

In 2017, he also became the director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

He is married to Jill Shah and lives in Boston.

Here is the full text of the letter:

https://medium.com/@sasiansagainstseparations/south-asians-against-migrant-child-separations-a0352bf3d40d