By Jonathan Silverman, 2025 CLA Intern
Over the last nine weeks, I have gained invaluable experience in local government, nonprofit work, and API political empowerment as a member of the CAUSE Leadership Academy. As a lifelong East Coaster, moving to Los Angeles for the summer was daunting, yet it ultimately resulted in one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made. The people I met, the projects I contributed to, and the hands-on learning I experienced converged into a truly impactful and transformative summer.
The program began with a bang. In our first week, we attended a public hearing at City Hall, advocating for CAUSE-endorsed candidates for the City Charter Reform Commission. We met CAUSE alumni working in government, political consulting, and nonprofit organizations, and learned about CAUSE’s key initiatives—from protecting Asian American communities during the 2021 congressional redistricting cycle to engaging voters through the 2024 CAUSE Vote Center Food Crawl. That Friday, we kicked off the summer-long mock campaign, dividing into two teams and selecting our respective candidates. Over the course of the program, the mock campaign took center stage and occupied high priority in each of our minds, as we worked on various campaign deliverables, including a comprehensive budget, marketing materials, and a robust policy platform. As one of the campaign managers for Team Imani, I helped draft her candidate profile and worked closely with my teammates to formulate a personal and policy-informed narrative for who Imani is, why she wants to run, and her vision for Sacramento.
Week two took us to the County Hall of Administration to meet Dr. Sara Sadhwani, a professor at Pomona College and member of the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission, who shared her insights into post-Census redistricting and the various factors that determine district lines. Week three brought us back to Little Tokyo, where small business owner James Choi discussed past work with CAUSE, including the Haunted Halloween Block Party, a community event geared towards voter mobilization, fully equipped with mobile vote centers.We also spoke with Professor Natalie Masuoka, faculty director of API Policy at UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center, the longest running program of its kind in the United States.
The highlight of week five was our trip to Sacramento for the Capitol Summit. We observed the State Assembly’s final day of session and met with a variety of elected officials. The following weeks focused on our mock campaign. In week six, we presented before an endorsement panel of political experts, Meghan Choi of Ground Game LA and Michael Colorge of the Stonewall Democratic Club. In week seven, we prepared for the mock election at the annual Summer Soiree, slated for week eight.
Now, as week nine comes to a close, I am consumed with gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to be a part of the CAUSE team and fulfilled from a summer full of political education, community engagement, and mentorship. I look forward to taking the various lessons I have learned and applying them to my academic and professional careers.