Having grown up in a low-income Chinese immigrant family in San Francisco, I experienced first-hand the struggle of finding affordable housing and engaging with local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations. In the past, I had a hard time understanding why a hard-working family should have to worry about finding affordable housing when they are already doing everything they can to pay rent. For four years, I lived in a basement with my family in the Sunset District and had to deal with flooding because the draining system was not properly designed. While it was not obvious to me at the time, this experience helped prepare me for important conversations on affordable housing and led me to my current position.
Through the Fund for American Studies (TFAS) internship program, I stumbled upon an internship opportunity to work at the DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) as the Community Outreach Intern. Through my former supervisor Andrew Chang, a former CAPAL board member, I learned the various issues facing the AAPI community that I never knew before. By providing English-to-Chinese translation to local businesses and AAPI stakeholders with limited English proficiency, I was able to inform them about new District initiatives that would make a difference in their lives. It was the first time I realized I had the ability to help others overcome the struggles that I went through, and the first time I considered going into public service.
CAPAL gave me much more than an opportunity to participate in an internship at the U.S. Forest Service last summer. It provided me an opportunity to network with and learn from former CAPAL scholars and interns, who have made significant contributions to the AAPI community. During the ten-week internship, I assisted my supervisor with coordinating outreach, communication, and planning efforts that would benefit States, private landowners and other partners. More specifically, we worked hard to make sure that communities of color and socially-disadvantaged forest landowners, former and ranchers, tribes, and urban and rural communities have the financial and technical assistance they need to protect their lands. Through working with the U.S. Forest Service, I gained valuable insight learning about and interacting with various non-profit organizations that aim to protect and defend the rights of underserved communities. When I had additional questions about public service or needed advice at work, CAPAL connected me with mentors and partners who were experts in their fields. Although I was new to the public sector, I was never alone in the job hunting process. CAPAL staff and board were instrumental in making sure I have the support I need to pursue a career in public service.
CAPAL showed me that public service is not a linear path or cookie-cutter profession. Not everyone in
the public sector came from the same background, had the same expertise or took the same part-time job in college to get to where they are today. CAPAL has taught me that regardless of where you are coming from, as long as you have the right foundation and a strong support system you can be who you aspire to be.
I am currently working at National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) as the Policy and Civic Engagement Program Assistant. I coordinate the recruitment process for the Community in the Capital (CITC) fellowship program, connect local partners to appropriate technical assistance and training opportunities, and work with grantees to perform data reporting on voter registration work. In my spare time, I volunteer at various events and conferences for local non-profit organizations.
People who know me know that I am an avid traveler and an experienced Couchsurfer. Some of the most valuable friendships I have made were through talking to and living with kind-hearted strangers who walked into my life with love and open arms. The picture below (of me sitting in front of a potter’s wheel) was taken by a generous French potter from Corsica, who taught me how to make ceramic art and showed me that the fundamental way to cast away fear is to show someone that you are capable to love.
A wise man told me once “leaders create leaders.” To be a good leader, it is not enough to show other people that you can lead, but to demonstrate that you can also follow. The idea that leadership does not depend on how good you are at showing people the path, but your willingness to walk with them through the difficult time resonates with me. I want to become the type of leader that people can rely on and trust. I want to be the person who recognizes the leadership potential in others, who inspires them to believe that they can be one too.
Originally from ZhongShan in Southern China, Annie emigrated to San Francisco with her family in 2005 and later attended college at University of California, Santa Cruz. She received her B.A. in Global Economics and a Political Studies Certificate from the Lyon Institute of Political Studies in France. In 2014, Annie interned as the Community Outreach Intern at DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) through The Fund of American Studies’ (TFAS) summer internship program. She returned to Washington DC the following summer and was a two-time Federal Intern at the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL). Annie is an avid traveler and an experienced Couchsurfer. She also enjoys volunteering at local community events and aspires to become a professional Wedding Planner one day.
Posted by Felicia Wong
Felicia Wong is currently a senior at the College of William and Mary, double majoring in Neuroscience and Asian American Studies, and minoring in Biochemistry. She is president of the Filipino American Student Association, and current non-academic projects include creating films calling for diversity curriculums/requirements and establishing an official APIA Studies program. Felicia was also elected president of Global Medical Brigades to lead a sustainable healthcare program in rural communities in Nicaragua. She hopes to connect her interests in healthcare with the community she has found in her cultural background. Having lived in Germany for most of her childhood, Felicia makes yearly trips back to visit her family, providing opportunities for her to indulge in her greatest joys: touring castles, eating at cafés, taking fashion cues from strangers, cooking with her family. Non country-specific pleasures include: biking, watching live music performances, screaming because Game of Thrones.