Blog 2: 2 Community Events (Lessons & why you chose them)

By Esther Lian, 2025 CLA Intern

Learning Through Presence

When we were first assigned to attend four community events over the course of the summer, I expected to have to carve out time in an already busy schedule to make it happen. To my surprise, though, these events came naturally. They were seamlessly woven into my host office experience, allowing me to engage with a wide range of events and connect with an even wider range of people.

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of being my supervisor’s plus-one at the Women Involved in South Pasadena Political Advocacy (WISPPA) Cocktail Party, where I met members of the South Pasadena City Council, newly appointed City Manager L. Todd Hileman, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Alhambra Mayor Sasha Renée Pérez, and several other elected officials. It was truly inspiring to connect with so many accomplished and passionate women involved in politics.

What was most meaningful to me, however, was meeting an elderly South Pasadenan couple standing quietly in the corner of the garden. We spoke at length about the issues they found most pressing: immigration, taxes, welfare, and income inequality. I’m deeply grateful to have formed this unexpected connection with people I might never have met were it not for community events like this one.

While I initially chose to attend this event to get to know my supervisor better, I came away with a more nuanced understanding of how individuals from higher socio-economic backgrounds engage in politics — particularly through fundraising and leveraging their networks to support their communities.

Attending the AAPI Solidarity Press Conference on June 26 was also personally transformative. It was an honor to finally meet Assemblymember Mike Fong and hear him deliver a speech using talking points I had helped draft. I was also thrilled to meet LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman and AJSOCAL CEO Connie Chung Joe, and to hear them speak so powerfully in support of undocumented immigrants and in protest of LA’s ICE raids.

I chose to attend this event because ICE raids continue to pose a serious threat to members of our communities. One powerful lesson I took away was just how deeply Asian Americans are being affected by these raids on undocumented populations. It was a reminder that standing in solidarity with the Latino community is essential in this time, but so is recognizing that our own communities are also being harmed.

To me, community events are like immersive learning experiences — they have humanized the political issues we discuss at CAUSE and deepened my understanding of the needs and concerns of Southern Californian Asian Americans. I’m excited to continue attending more events and building deeper connections within and outside of my community.