I will not lie—I was extremely hesitant to begin my journey with CAUSE. My relationship with politics has been one twisted in passion, anger, and hope. When asked about my career, I would always steer clear of answers directly involving government: “Oh I would love to do corporate or nonprofit communications work,” or jokingly say “I love politics but no one should ever put me in public office.”
Little did I know that these quibs would come to bite me when my team declared me the Candidate for the Mock Campaign. As someone who is not from California and not well versed in local LA politics, I was flustered and tense trying to figure out how I could best represent the constituents of AD-49 and my team.
Intern Haley Ku listening to District Director Jennifer Tang’s professional journey
My feelings as an outsider quickly diminished as I began to talk more with my peers in the cohort and attend the various workshops with CAUSE. Speaking with Robinson Lee, a fellow CAUSE intern and constituent of AD-49 from Arcadia, I was fascinated to learn about where he grew up and the problems he faced and what he thought the district could improve upon. As we were discussing issues of housing affordability and the increasing unhoused population, I began to learn more about how large the API community in San Gabriel Valley was and the various challenges that came in addition to earlier issues.
Visiting California State Assemblymember Mike Fong’s Office and speaking with the Director of his Office, Jennifer Tang, I was captivated to learn about the work being done directly in AD-49 to improve language accessibility and the strength the office presented in times of crisis. In the tragedy of the 2015 San Bernardino shooting, I was so touched to learn about the immediate response from the Assemblymember’s office to comfort the public and create spaces of safety for constituents.
CLA interns posing for a photo after meeting and speaking with Monterey Park Mayor Thomas Wong
Hearing from various API speakers and seeing the strength of our community, I am extremely grateful to be learning how to be a leader in API politics and what it means to represent your community. CAUSE is teaching me to be proud of my passion for public service and venture into the unknown to discover what is needed to best aid my community. And now, slowly but surely, I am excited to continue to learn about AD-49 and develop a campaign that reflects the needs of the community.
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 Haley Ku, 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.