What it means to be Asian American.
I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in the CAUSE Leadership Institute and meet many colleagues working towards deepening our civic engagement in the API community. On Saturday, January 14, we began our journey in person at the CAUSE office in Los Angeles. I was struck by the diverse backgrounds and professional achievements of my fellow cohort. One colleague worked for the Speaker’s office in a State Capitol, another ran for the state legislature, and yet another leads a non-profit Asian American Professionals.
We spent the day getting to know each other and defining what civic engagement meant to us. In the second group activity focusing on civic engagement, we fell into a robust discussion about responding to the homelessness crisis that many cities were facing across the country. In the process of being challenged to see different perspectives on the topic, I felt free to not be “the Asian perspective” – as many of us feel when we are the only one in the room.
Some of these vigorous conversations continued during our lunch. However, we also used that time for an adventure. Many of us made an impromptu decision to get boba milk tea, which became a fun bonding experience as we shared umbrellas and navigated through the rain.
In another small group discussion after lunch, we explored our life maps and I was amazed by the journeys each of us took to get where we were. We suffocated under the model minority stereotype, which took away our ability to be and define ourselves. I was fascinated by the different kinds of people who inspired my colleagues and led them to share this space with me. One thing that was particularly noteworthy was that, like me, a colleague was inspired to run and won a seat on their county party’s central committee, but for a different party than myself. It truly shows how there are opportunities to build bridges and share common experiences even through our differences. In those opportunities, we can partner and advocate for the needs of our community.
We finished up the day with a delicious dinner with CAUSE board members and program alumni. I do feel as though we will be a close cohort. I am grateful to share in the different stories of my new friends because the myriad experiences allows us to reveal what it truly means to be Asian American.
(Emily Ramos, bottom left, sits with CLI 2023 Fellows Dara Smith and William Yen and with CAUSE Board Treasurer Wen Hong and CAUSE Board Secretary Ben Wong.)
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 Emily Ramos, Leadership Institute 2023 Fellow
The CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) for professionals is a 6-month-long certificate program that prepares and equips mid-career professionals with the tools, skills, and network to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific Islander community.