The capital was blistering hot, a heavy air swept across our faces by only a slight breeze–in stark contrast to the AC-blasted airports that we had been navigating for the past six hours. Most of our group was running on more caffeine than sleep, and the entire cohort was facing another half a day of panels, meetings, and work before we could crash for the day. The long-anticipated and much-hyped CLA trip to Sacramento started out with a long, sleepy yawn, rather than a bang.
As we stood at the road waiting for our Ubers, I was powerfully anxious. I’d visited our capital a few times before, but never before in this capacity–dressed in business professional, walking inside the State Capitol building, and meeting with some of the most experienced AAPI officials in the state. I don’t know why this was such a problem for me. We’ve met plenty of chiefs of staff, city council members, and mayors at CAUSE events. Sacramento was different. I felt like I didn’t belong.
We began our tour of the capital at a leisurely place: lunch at a local Thai restaurant, then a guided tour of the State Capitol. So far, so good. Afterwards, we headed into a session of panel discussions with legislative directors who worked with elected officials in the city: Erika Ngo and Ellen Green. They were tough, sharp, and experienced, describing their careers and all of the dedication, sacrifices, and sleepless nights they poured into their work. I’ll admit, this wasn’t great for my anxiety. Hearing about the grueling process that a career in Sacramento politics demanded, I started to second-guess my interest in politics in my future.
2024 CLA cohort pose in front of the State Capitol Building
The next day was at once better and worse. Although our group was clearly acclimatizing to the fast-paced, intense Sacramento environment, the guest speakers scheduled for that day were also higher-ranking, more experienced veterans of capital politics. Case in point: we started our session with a panel led by Assemblymember Mike Fong’s Chief of Staff, Sophia Kwong Kim. She was a powerful speaker and honest about the challenges that she faced in her position: from the long work hours to the extra barriers that were in place as an Asian American in politics. After a quick lunch in the Capitol Annex Swing Space–and watching, agape, as several Assemblymembers walked through the halls in front of us–we made our way to the panel discussion of the Sacramento figure who made the deepest impression on me: Former Political Consultant Bill Wong.
It started with the books. They were recently published, an autobiography of Bill’s work in Sacramento. The CAUSE staff handed them out to the interns as Bill started talking about his decades-long career fighting for AAPI representation in state politics. I half-read and half-listened as Bill talked about the need for decisive, forceful action from Asian American communities to ensure our interests are represented in government. In both his book and his speech, he relayed stories about old political fights he had participated in: elections where the deciding factor was the AAPI vote, appropriations bills for Asian communities locked by endless debate, and political events where Asian American participants were denied their voice. His experiences spoke to a different side of politics than the previous speakers, one that was fiery and contentious and cynical, but also was able to affect great change. Our entire cohort was spellbound.
2024 CLA interns take a photo with Former Political Consultant Bill Wong
As Bill started talking about the barriers of entry for Asian Americans that exist at high levels of government, it dawned on me that this was the reason for my discomfort in Sacramento: its institutions, power structures, and very architecture was designed to keep communities of color away from the decision-making table. Every guest speaker we had spoken to over the trip had tried to, in their own unique way, make this point clear. Chief of Staff Kim talked about needing to balance her interest in helping her community with her bosses’ policy directives. Erika and Ellen offered advice about the importance of speaking up when people don’t expect to hear Asian American voices . And Bill, of course, taught us that in order for our communities to get a seat at the table, we needed to take it by force. These people had been shaped by a hostile political environment and had shared with us the stories, wisdom, and resilience they accumulated over the years in defiance to this system.
The discussions held over the course of the cohort’s Sacramento trip were at once sobering and motivational. These awe-inspiring trailblazers who came and spoke with us showed us an ugly side of state politics–the grueling hours, the competitive atmosphere, the uncredited work–but also the thriving, tight-knit group of AAPI legislative staff that formed in resistance to these aspects. As interns and college students, we have to be prepared to face similar challenges in the future in all our areas of work, carrying that same resilience with us.
2024 CLA interns pose for a photo in the State Capitol Building elevator
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 Grant Li, 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.