Here is my essay for the summer internship at Pasadena. I was supposed to explain why I wanted to be an intern, how being my intern would help me achieve my goal and what I wanted to get out of the program.
It came in 250 words under the limit, but it was 6am and I really did not care at that point. Plus it should be quality over quantity right? I hope I get this internship, I am already starting to dream about how my first summer is going to be away from home.
Thanks to Ellie for doing the final edits at the last minute, she really made the whole thing sound a lot smoother. Also thanks to Emoinacloset for correcting most of my grammar.
-muffinman
Building a Vision
During my sophomore and junior year of high school, I interned at former vice mayor, Cindy Chavez’s mayoral campaign. This was my first internship and it my first political experience out in the real world. I loved every moment of it and for the next few months, devoted a large portion of my life to the campaign. It was during the campaign trail that I encountered the political prowess of the Vietnamese American community. The city of San Jose has the largest Vietnamese population in the world outside of Vietnam, which makes the Vietnamese community a very important part of the city’s politics. However, what I realized during the campaign was that the political power of the Vietnamese American community came not from its size but from the level of organization that was present throughout their community. Vietnamese Americans from all walks of life and social classes worked together to advance Vietnamese interests, creating a political force that could not be ignored by any of the city’s politicians.
After the campaign ended, it dawned on me that quite the opposite was happening in my own community. I lived in a very affluent part of San Jose, where Asians were a large part of the community in terms of population but not politics; they were far from being represented. Often times, I saw that the face of my community, the most vocal proponents of change, did not resemble or represent me at all, and after seeing the Vietnamese community on the campaign trail, I came to a realization: outside the Vietnamese community, Asian Americans simply did not have any political leaders or organizations to empower themselves. Seeing the lack of representation of Asian Americans in my own city has led me to strongly believe in the work that organizations like CAUSE are doing. The apatheticism of the Asian American community towards politics and civic activity must change. Becoming a CASIC intern is the first step for me to help work towards that change.
Currently, all I have is a vision. Without better skills and more knowledge, my vision will continue to be nothing more than a dream. The community organizing opportunity offered by the leadership program would be an excellent starting point from which I could begin to build my vision. Also, the chance to work with a legislator or public agency as offered through the CASIC program looks to be an excellent opportunity to raise the level of my political involvement and receive an insider’s point of view on how government works outside of the city. I strongly believe in the value of getting a more complete understanding of state politics, because to me, states are where the progressive ideas happen first. To take part in state politics would provide me with a wealth of practical knowledge that I am certain I would be able to use for the benefit of Asian American communities.
Most importantly, what the CASIC program offers is an opportunity to find like minded individuals and share ideas and experiences. I see the leadership academy as a way for me to get my foot in the door. It is a place where I can build my connections and networks with key players in the Asian American political scene. However, not only will I have the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals and career politicians, I will also be able to meet peers who share my vision and are working towards a common goal. Through these interactions, I hope to develop a better understanding of the Asian American political scene, as well as an idea of how I fit into the scene. In my first anthropology class, my professor repeatedly told me that the exchange of ideas is what drives social evolution. I can think of no better place than the CASIC Leadership Academy to exchange ideas on the next step in Asian American politics.
Back in San Jose in Cindy Chavez’s mayoral campaign, I certainly learned a lot from my interactions with voters, campaign staff and politicians. However, I believe that all the knowledge I accumulated during the campaign will pale in comparison to how much I will learn through the CASIC Leadership Academy. In the end, I hope to take the experiences, knowledge and skills that I have gained through this leadership program and build a level of political activism that I witnessed in the Vietnamese American community of San Jose, across California, and someday, the nation.
