This past week, our CAUSE cohort went out to Sacramento to hear directly from the people working to create progress within our state’s legislature. We heard from so many inspiring speakers it’s hard to know where to begin. Every person we spoke to had their own unique path to working in the Capitol, using their careers to actively create the kind of world they want to live in.
It was especially important to me to hear from people who were in the position that my cohort members and I are currently in as CAUSE interns: just starting to figure out the ways that we can become part of the legislative and political world. On our first day in the Capitol, Ericka Ngo, the current Legislative Director for Assemblymember Ash Kalra and CLA alum, told us about how important the legislative work in our state’s capitol is for the nation as a whole. She talked about how the progress made in Sacramento has ripple effects across the nation, motivating people in other states to fight for similar change. Her comments stayed with me for the rest of the trip, as I kept thinking about the far-reaching impacts of state and community level advocacy.
Later on the first day, we heard from more CLA alumni working for various Senators and Assemblymembers within the state capitol. Almost all of the CLA alumni spoke to us about their experiences with imposter syndrome and I deeply appreciated their honesty in telling us about their doubts and fears. I have definitely struggled with imposter syndrome myself, both in college and also when I was accepted into CAUSE, so it was comforting for me to hear from people who had overcome their own doubts. They made sure we left with the understanding that though there may not always be people in the room that look like us, we still belong in those rooms where decisions are being made.
On the second day, we listened to Bill Wong, a political consultant and strategist, and his talk was an experience I won’t forget anytime soon. If I left the first day still mulling over my imposter syndrome, Bill Wong did his best to obliterate any and all remaining insecurity. He talked to us about exactly how important it is that we play an active role in a legislative process that directly impacts our daily lives. He emphasized the impact that one person’s strategic actions can have on our broader community. It was so inspiring for me to learn about his struggle to help get Congresswoman Judy Chu elected to office, his journey weathering the tough decisions he had to make along the way. But more than that, he constantly reiterated to us the importance of us taking up space as Asian Americans and standing up for our values and our community, even and especially in the face of difficulty.
If there’s one thing I learned from this trip to Sacramento, it is that a seat at the table where decisions are made is worth fighting for. Though I’m not fully cured of my imposter syndrome, I can’t help but think that being a part of this kind of broader systemic change is worth working through my doubts and insecurities.