By Jordan Dove, 2025 CLA Intern
As we’ve approached the halfway point of the CLA program, I've been able to settle more into my duties at my host office. At State Senator Ben Allen’s district office, I am often the person to answer constituents’ calls, read their emails to the Senator, and process their submissions through the form on our website. With more and more experience in doing so, I’ve begun to move beyond absorbing everything and start really understanding how the state legislature serves constituents.
Because I have primarily been on the other end of these offices, as a constituent, and not a member, I bring a unique perspective to the way this system operates. I also simultaneously occupy an AAPI advocacy niche that contextualizes my experience of the system, and as an intern, I am frequently the closest person to the community. To put it simply, I am the voice on the phone that asks, “How can I help you?”.
In being that voice, I’ve come to realize that the average person doesn’t truly understand how to call their representatives, how their feedback is processed, what information is necessary to include, or what impact their comments have on their representative’s actions. They don’t often know which representative to call, or even what their representative does for them in the first place. This isn’t for a lack of attention to the political landscape. Often, those that call our office inquire about specific bills or to express their opinion about the Senator’s vote that day, and their attention to these issues reflects a desire to engage with policy processes.
Their lack of understanding is evidence of a greater need for work that bridges the distance between constituents and their governing offices. Bureaucracy can be slow and inaccessible. Without the ability to navigate it effectively, those who require assistance may not receive it in a timely or efficient manner. I work for an office that is very intentional about facilitating resolution of constituent issues, but with the mass of inquiries we receive at even the State level, I would imagine that not every legislative office is able to sift through this influx so consistently.
Education is the greatest form of liberation. If people understand how the system works, they are better able to utilize it and amplify their voices within it. With issues like language accessibility and unfamiliar legal processes, AAPI and other immigrant communities are at a disadvantage in this regard. If everyone understood how to register their comments, this would reduce the strain on government offices, too, making the system work more smoothly on both ends.
The skill to be heard by these systems should not be a privilege of class or ethnic background. Giving our communities the tools to navigate bureaucratic processes while pushing for policies that bridge this divide, like language accessible materials and in-community voting centers, will make bureaucracy more straightforward for everyone. I’m thankful to CAUSE for giving me the perspective to see this need so clearly, and I’m excited to continue pushing for programs and resources that enable AAPIs to be civically engaged.