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CAUSE

Home
About
Our Mission
Board of Directors
Our Staff
Annual Reports
2025 Sponsors and Supporters
Contact
What's Happening
Data and Surveys
Asian American Voter Access Report
Invisibility is Killing Us Report
Multiethnic Statewide Community Poll
Leadership Development
Programs Overview
Leadership Academy
Leadership Institute
CAUSE on Campus
Los Angeles County: Measure G
VOTE Initiatives
Together We Vote Fest 2024
Civic Leadership Opportunities
Vote Center Food Crawl
Did You Know Series
Public Comment Toolkit
Past VOTE Efforts
Annual Celebration
2025 Summer Soirée
2024 Summer Soirée
2023 Summer Soirée
2022: Reconnection: A Summer Soirée
2020: Reflecting on 2020
2019: The Future We Define
Get Involved
Stay Connected
Internships & Volunteering
Careers
Donate
August 27, 2024
Leadership Academy
Sydney Pike
BLOG 5: Saying, Yes!

When I received my bachelor's degree from UCLA in June, the only thing I knew was that I would be joining CAUSE for the next nine weeks. I didn’t know what to expect, however what I gained was a new sense of confidence, a community of amazing individuals, and a greater understanding of our AANHPI community and my place within it.

BLOG 5: Saying, Yes!
August 27, 2024
Leadership Academy
Malia Ferrer
BLOG 5: Thank Goodness I Checked My E-mail!

I often reflect on the “butterfly effect" moments that have occurred in my life; the seemingly small choices or coincidences that have led to profound changes. This internship is a prime example.

BLOG 5: Thank Goodness I Checked My E-mail!
August 22, 2024
Leadership Academy
Jianhao Cui
BLOG 5: Nine Weeks Just 60 Days

As each of the nine weeks of our internship passed, I felt myself developing skills and knowledge through my placement office at LA County First District Supervisor Hilda Solis’ Office and through CAUSE’s cohort sessions. 

BLOG 5: Nine Weeks Just 60 Days
August 22, 2024
Leadership Academy
Emma Tom
BLOG 5: C (you all) LA (ter)

I often face difficulties coming up with answers for this icebreaker because my facial expressions always reveal my true feelings. So when I released the waterworks in front of the CAUSE board members during graduation, it was clear that I was not ready to say goodbye and close this chapter in my life.

BLOG 5:  C (you all) LA (ter)
August 22, 2024
Leadership Academy
Ryan Horio
Blog 5: FTP (Family, Trust, Power)

As my time at CAUSE comes to a close, I reflect on the lessons I've learned about family, trust, and the collective power of API communities. CAUSE has not only deepened my understanding of civic engagement but also has reinforced the importance of prioritizing being rooted in community and centering our hearts in the work we do.

Blog 5: FTP (Family, Trust, Power)
Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 2: Comparing Notes

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 2: Comparing Notes

“They were a vivid reminder that queerness can come with community, should you choose it, and that community can come with power.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 2: Communities in Comfort and Celebration

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 2: Communities in Comfort and Celebration

“Together, we meditated, took deep breaths, and reflected on our own experiences with activism.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 2: We Need to Hang Out!

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 2: We Need to Hang Out!

“As I carve out my values, I hope initiative will show at the center of my character, actions, and impact.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 2: Community Events Reflection

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 2: Community Events Reflection

“Bringing conversations of civic engagement to a range of events is not the easiest task, but it is a crucial one.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 2: 2 Community Events (Lessons & why you chose them)

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 2: 2 Community Events (Lessons & why you chose them)

“To me, community events are like immersive learning experiences — they have humanized the political issues we discuss at CAUSE and deepened my understanding of the needs and concerns of Southern Californian Asian Americans.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 2: One Holiday, Two Cities, One Takeaway

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 2: One Holiday, Two Cities, One Takeaway

“the key lesson is that engagement isn’t just about scale—it’s about creating real opportunities for people to connect, which starts with how a space is set up and who it’s made for.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 2: Where Conversations Begin, Communities Grow

Denise Aquino
July 11, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 2: Where Conversations Begin, Communities Grow

“Events like this one show how civic engagement in American society goes beyond voting; it’s about building relationships, amplifying voices, and translating local concerns into collective action.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
July 10, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: A Seat At the Table, With My Cohort

Denise Aquino
July 10, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: A Seat At the Table, With My Cohort

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Full Circle Moment

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: Full Circle Moment

"From day one, I noticed how intentional and collaborative the [Assemblymember Sade Elhawary’s district] office environment is—everyone works with purpose to serve the community."

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Both. And. Now

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

“My mother’s resilience and sacrifice gifted me the privilege of transforming my family’s history of service work into the fuel that empowers our hunger for liberation: public service.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Orientation Week and Host Office

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: Orientation Week and Host Office

“I realized the importance of showing up. Standing up alongside my cohort, CAUSE, and CLA alumni was empowering and left a strong impression on the commissioners. Listening to the constituents voicing their opinions made me realize the importance of being present in one's local government.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Week 1 Reflections

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: Week 1 Reflections

"After supporting [a press conference and community outreach in Little Tokyo and helping highlight a local small business], this day, to me, highlighted the core values and goals that CAUSE embodies as an organization: API leadership, API solidarity, and direct outreach to API communities that has historically been lacking among our elected officials."

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Orientation & 1st Week at the Host Office

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: Orientation & 1st Week at the Host Office

“[CLA] and this cohort have consistently challenged me to become a more vocal and authentic leader. These past two weeks have expanded my understanding of civic engagement, transforming it from something passive and reflective into something active, intentional, and driven by initiative.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Checking Boxes — and Being Put in Them

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: Checking Boxes — and Being Put in Them

“At the end of the day, we live in a society. We operate in the frameworks and institutions we inhabit, whether or not we agree with them conceptually, towards the goal of achieving the best tangible outcomes for our community.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Making Noise

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

“Our communities should be included in decision-making, and if shut out, we must engage in the civic process of ‘making noise.’”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: From La Jolla to Little Tokyo: My First Week at CLA

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: From La Jolla to Little Tokyo: My First Week at CLA

“We all shared a common goal of serving our communities and exploring what type of advocacy work aligns with our aspirations.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Maintaining Promises

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: Maintaining Promises

“Good leadership is not just encouraging voters to cast a ballot– it is about maintaining promises.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: The Power of Presence

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

“Multiple experiences throughout orientation week inspired me and affirmed that my presence was not only welcomed; it was necessary.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: Oops, I Thought I Knew This

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: Oops, I Thought I Knew This

“This week has taught me to pay closer attention to when ‘knowing’ something becomes a stand-in for actually engaging with the present version of it.”

Tagged: CLA2025

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy

Blog 1: A Seat at the Table

Denise Aquino
June 27, 2025
Leadership Academy
Blog 1: A Seat at the Table

“The work we are doing challenges me to explore all the different forms of civic engagement because change is not singular nor immediate.”

Tagged: CLA2025

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Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE), 360 East 2nd Street Suite 819, Los Angeles, CA, 90012, United States(213)269-4639info@causeusa.org

Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE)


info@causeusa.org
213-269-4639