Shon Week 3 - Shon for Congress
Every year in elementary school, there is always that one kid who, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, says, "The President of the United States". I was that kid. To me, that answer is a solemn promise to my dream to one day be elected to the United States Congress and who knows maybe a higher office. As an Indian American, I have connected that dream to the importance of seeing people like me in government.
This summer I had the opportunity to work on Aziz Akbari's campaign for Fremont City Council and also Congresswoman Dr. Aisha Wahab's campaign, helping elect the first Afghan-American woman to Congress. My work on these campaigns showed me that my identity should influence your leadership while keeping an open mind to people whose experiences differ from your own. The history of South Asian American representation stretches back all the way to 1956, when Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian-American to be elected to Congress to the modern day where there are enough Asian American congress members to establish the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Identity makes up what problems we face and how we approach them; factors like race, religion, age, and income all influence how people experience government.
That is why I will be making a commitment today to all of you.
If I am elected to Congress, I will make sure my identity as an Indian American is not compromised and it will inform my perspective and continue to learn from the experiences of all my constituents. Thank you, thank you! Vote Shon Khisti for the United States Congress! All suggestions for campaign slogans are welcome.
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| Photo of me with Congresswoman Dr. Wahab |
Hi Shon! Your blog is really empowering and it’s so great that you knew what you wanted to do at such a young age. It is very clear that you had a goal and you’re getting closer everyday! Your work on campaigns seems perfect for your goal of running for officer, and now you can say you’re the youngest campaign manager in California! It’s definitely important to interact with voters and understand their grievances on a more personal level, I personally think that it is something that makes all the difference. I also appreciate your fondness for your background as an Indian-American. I think especially in politics today, when I look at the people up in D.C. they don’t look like so many Americans that they are supposed to represent. It is important to keep your identity and your experiences close, as they are individual and unreplicable. I’m looking forward to seeing your campaign for Congress in the future and how you’ll incorporate your background and ethnicity into your pledge!
ReplyDeleteHello Shon! I appreciate the hyperlinks to the people you discuss in your blog, the attention to detail enriches your blog. I would appreciate having an organization like the CAPAC hyperlinked as well. I agree with your opinion on seeing more Indian-Americans serving as American leaders. No matter what some politicians or political groups may try to push, at the end of the day, America is a country that was founded by immigrants and one that needs to appreciate its immigrants. Every American’s own personal identity should be reflected in American identity as a whole, no matter how major or minor each person’s individual impact is. Immigration has always been, and will continue to be, an integral part of America’s identity. Having the representation to be able to form the CAPAC is a major step in the right direction, as it is a powerful organization that ensures Asian-Americans and Pacific-Americans are not left out of the past and future American legislature. I wish you luck with your journey to lead America to a culturally rich future where you allow your identity to be reflected in the American identity. Although, if I were you, a small edit I would make to your blog would be to write when I am elected rather than if. Whenever you do run for president, you have my vote!
ReplyDeleteHi Shon! Your hook about being that elementary school kid who actually meant it when saying they wanted to be President is really inspiring and sets up the whole post perfectly. I feel like almost everyone had a phase where they said that during career day, but the fact that you actually held onto that drive and are channeling it into real public service is truly something to look up to. It’s moving to see how your campaigns with Aziz Akbari and Dr. Aisha Wahab turned those childhood ambitions into real action. Staying deeply connected with your identity while representing your culture in a space that creates change is such a powerful thing. I really admire how you are actively building on representation rather than just talking about it with no action. I hope that you make it far in this journey and make it to Congress in the future. Plus, it will be pretty cool one day to say “I took AP Lang with the President.”
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