By Alan Alexander, 2026 CLA Intern
Every afternoon, as we escape the hustle and bustle of Little Tokyo into our cozy conference room, Rachel grounds us with her signature mindfulness exercise: name four things you can see, three things you can touch, two things you can hear, and one word that would describe how you’re feeling.
The word that would describe how I’m feeling right now is determined.
A few weeks ago, I began my wondrous journey at the Office of State Senator Maria Elena Durazo. On the first day, I was introduced to the official constituent information management systems, where we logged the concerns of hundreds of people everyday. One detail that truly struck me as I began to help make sure our residents’ voices were heard was the incredibly diverse range of issues and experiences they presented. There were people from seemingly every walk of life fighting for actions such as the ban of 3D-printed cosplay weapons or establishment of state-subsidized portable solar panels. These exchanges revealed to me the unique perspectives that each individual carries and how that translates into true action within our government.
Just as I was falling into my flow at the office, fate struck down on our district with a horrendous catastrophe: the Lineage warehouse fires. Thousands of residents were egregiously affected during these fires and I even personally lost my voice due to smoke inhalation. However, during those days, the candid spirit of the office was replaced with a steely resolve as we worked furiously to convert our office into an emergency command center. The spacious office cubicles were filled with air purifiers that we later distributed to families in need, and I along with other staff provided as much as we could to support residents, especially elders, who called in seeking help. I also personally worked on a resource guide for thousands of people that provided direction to emergency pop-up medical clinics and unemployment services.
One incredibly important lesson I learned from this disaster is the importance of adaptability and exploring alternative possibilities. Our district office isn’t granted any funding for items such as air purifiers, so one of the main challenges we ran into was how to source much-needed resources without any money to spend. Unfazed by this obstacle, we persistently called non-profits we knew in the area until we were able to cobble together an adequate supply.
There are so many other experiences to delve into, such as tabling at the Lineage factory post-fire, but for the sake of preventing this blog from becoming a book, I’ll close by saying that it was heart-breaking to personally talk with so many who lost their jobs and livelihoods and were desperately seeking support for their families. However, the experience was also heart-warming in the sense that by providing for each other, we were able to come together as a closer community, as one people.
So, going back to my original sentiment of determination that I expressed at the beginning of this blog, I’m now much more aware of the ginormous amount of issues that have yet to be addressed and solved. However, through the heart of the community, I’ve learned we can come together to truly bounce back stronger than we were ever before.