Visibility is key. In order to effectively advocate for your community, people must first know that you are present before anything else can ensue.
Intern Gabrielle Shen takes notes during Monterey Park Mayor Thomas Wong’s talk
Over the past couple of weeks at CAUSE, we had the pleasure of meeting Monterey Park’s Mayor, Thomas Wong, in addition to PFLAG SGV’s Barney Cheng and Marsha Aizumi. Personally, I often have trouble placing myself under the spotlight. However, when listening to our guest speakers that Monday, I was taught that standing out and being seen can ultimately be what brings local (and potentially personal) issues to light. As difficult or daunting as it may seem, using personal anecdotes to address different issues can create decisive moments for others in the community.
I was fortunate to briefly discuss the AAPI community’s role in local and larger-scale environmental efforts with Mayor Wong. The perceived invisibility of these topics has no doubt impacted our communities, but growing climatic repercussions has granted such issues visibility in terms of, for example, economics and current events. By connecting bigger-picture efforts to a person or community’s well-being, more can be communicated through association with things that matter to them—to get people to care, something must connect them to the issue at hand. In addition, engaging in heartfelt conversation with the representatives from PFLAG allowed us to see how visibility is also critical in their everyday work. Therefore, by making yourself known, you allow for others’ voices to be heard.
2024 CLA interns take a picture with Monterey Park Mayor Thomas Wong
We also had the recent opportunity to visit the South Asian Network (SAN) in Little Bangladesh, as well as the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) office in LA. With both SAN and AJSOCAL providing direct services to the communities they support, it is imperative that people know and utilize their existence as a resource. Thus, this means being visible and consistent in the communities they serve.
Chapter Treasurer Barney Cheng and Board Member Marsha Aizumi from PFLAG share the work that they do with CLA interns
In the end, whether it is visibility in terms of having your voice heard at a local voting center, or visibility in terms of making yourself known through networking and coffee chats, making oneself visible and not shying away can be hard. It not only requires you to embrace all aspects of yourself, but it also requires sharing parts of yourself with others. However, rejecting invisibility may very well create change within the community and inspire others to do the same.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the views or positions of CAUSE or the CAUSE network.
Written by Gabrielle Shen, Leadership Academy 2024 Intern.
The CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA) for students is a nine-week, paid, internship program that prepares college undergraduates to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific Islander community on their campuses and beyond.