The Rev. Deth Im knows what it feels like to be isolated. A native of Cambodia who immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1973, he didn’t have a way to identify his race for most of his school years.

“I was forced to check the ‘other’ box,” Mr. Im said during an interview from his home in Kansas City, Mo. “So, I know what it’s like to be and feel invisible.”

Today,...