When I received my bachelor's degree from UCLA in June, the only thing I knew was that I would be joining CAUSE for the next nine weeks. I didn’t know what to expect, however what I gained was a new sense of confidence, a community of amazing individuals, and a greater understanding of our AANHPI community and my place within it.
I often reflect on the “butterfly effect" moments that have occurred in my life; the seemingly small choices or coincidences that have led to profound changes. This internship is a prime example.
As each of the nine weeks of our internship passed, I felt myself developing skills and knowledge through my placement office at LA County First District Supervisor Hilda Solis’ Office and through CAUSE’s cohort sessions.
I often face difficulties coming up with answers for this icebreaker because my facial expressions always reveal my true feelings. So when I released the waterworks in front of the CAUSE board members during graduation, it was clear that I was not ready to say goodbye and close this chapter in my life.
As my time at CAUSE comes to a close, I reflect on the lessons I've learned about family, trust, and the collective power of API communities. CAUSE has not only deepened my understanding of civic engagement but also has reinforced the importance of prioritizing being rooted in community and centering our hearts in the work we do.
This was my first week at Assemblymember Chris Holden’s Office and it was very exciting! This week has been full of new opportunities, such as press releases, meetings with organizations, inputting constituent comments, and brainstorming outreach and social media campaigns for the Assemblymember. With the help of the immensely supportive staff at the District Office, I have learned a great deal about the inner workings of an elected official’s district office.
This week was orientation week for the CAUSE Leadership Academy and we learned a lot about what is expected of us from this program and how we are going to grow over the next few weeks. On the first day, I was nervous, partly because it was one of the first times I had driven in LA traffic and also because I had already been on summer vacation for a month and now I had to refocus and resettle into a professional environment.
In the short time that we spent in the Temecula heat, tightly packed in the confines of a beautiful Airbnb, I spent hour after hour reflecting on the lessons I was learning. These lessons not only came from the workshops, but also from the personal anecdotes shared by the CAUSE supervisors and my fellow CAUSE interns.
Pasadena, CA – CAUSE held the first CAUSE Leadership Network Reception on March 30, 2017 at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center. Speakers highlighted the need for Asian Pacific American (APA) media representation and shed light on how APAs are perceived in the media as well as what can be done to increase representation.
Pasadena, CA – CAUSE kicked off the CAUSE Political Institute with its first workshop on February 21, 2017 at the Hilton Pasadena. Dan Schnur, Professor from USC, and Charlie Woo, CAUSE Board Chair, welcomed the new fifteen-member cohort as they embark on a course to develop as political leaders for the Asian Pacific American community.
Los Angeles, CA – On Wednesday, October 19, 2016, CAUSE hosted a multilingual Voter Education and Registration Workshop at the Grand Plaza Senior Apartments in Chinatown, Los Angeles. CAUSE Board Chair Charlie Woo and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles Project Coordinator Maxine Hu, conducted the workshop and presentation with simultaneous translation in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin Chinese.
It is with mixed emotions that we share with our friends and supporters that CAUSE Director of Programs, Aki Leung, will be relocating to Hong Kong next week for family reasons. We realize that her decision to transition is an important step for her. Nevertheless, we will miss the leadership, passion, and energy that Aki brought not only to our organization, but also to each of our programs.
This is it. This is the last week of the CAUSE Leadership Academy and I’m sad for it all to end. This week’s civic leadership session was on “Understanding the Korean American Community.” Monday morning started off strong with a meeting with City of Los Angeles Councilmember David Ryu at the Los Angeles City Hall.
As my final week has come to an end, I have taken some time to reflect on exactly how far I have come over the last nine weeks. When I began the CAUSE Leadership Academy, I could not have imagined the sheer number of incredible events that I have experienced and the amount of amazing people that I have encountered.
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