By Jonathan Silverman, 2025 CLA Intern
It was both a pleasure and a great privilege to be part of this year’s CAUSE Summer Soiree. On Thursday, I arrived at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens around 3:30 p.m. to help prepare for the event. I was in awe of the venue’s architectural and natural beauty, from the dazzling fountain to the rich greenery to the Spanish-style structures. My main responsibility was to assist in setting up the voting booth and ballot box, an understated corner of the event that symbolized CAUSE’s core mission of advancing API civic engagement and political empowerment. It also marked the culmination of my internship in the CAUSE Leadership Academy.
For the past eight weeks, our cohort had been divided into two mock campaign teams running in a hypothetical election, and I was the Soiree Campaign Manager for my team. As I helped construct the cardboard ballot box and suggested placement for the voting stalls, I recalled our team’s conversation the night before. In strategizing for the Soiree and hyping each other up, it became clear that I had a significant responsibility to secure votes for Team Mani and represent our campaign and CAUSE with excellence.
As the event began, guests trickled in, and I started conversations. I spoke with the mother of a Leadership Academy alumnus, who shared her son’s transformative experience in the program. I spoke with a staffer from the Jewish Federation, who expressed her admiration for the evening’s distinguished attendees, from Assemblymember Jessica Caloza to Congresswoman Judy Chu. I spoke with a CAUSE Board member and a leader from APAPA, both of whom praised Team Mani for our consistent messaging and compelling campaign strategy.
Throughout the night, I refined my approach for persuading voters. I highlighted Imani’s impressive background as a student-athlete at the University of Hawaii, where collegiate volleyball had instilled discipline, teamwork, and communication skills in her. I emphasized her comprehensive policy platform, from affordable housing and accessible healthcare with language translation, to infrastructure improvements. I also noted that in an earlier endorsement panel, two political experts had both endorsed Imani.
When the candidates took the stage to give their speeches, I watched with pride as both leaders spoke passionately about serving their communities and the unique experiences that shaped their decision to run. Admittedly, I shed a tear during Esther’s speech, as she described how her journalism background led her to interview members of the San Gabriel Valley and hear their personal stories and policy concerns.
While Team Mani did not ultimately win, I was incredibly proud of our work, the lessons learned, and the night’s success. As Imani graciously delivered the concession speech our team had prepared, she said it best: “Ultimately, this was a mock campaign, but the work and dedication my team and I put into it were genuine and have taught me so much about how political campaigns operate in the real world.”