[It's the Interns] How to be a responsible voice for the people.

It is always hard to say good bye!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Summer Internship has come to a close. "it's the Interns" series continue with our interns who worked behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South and their thoughts on the Internship.

By Saisha Mediratta

·    What was your most memorable moment from the internship?

I think my most memorable moment was going to the Dream Riders conference. It was a chance to meet students around our age fighting so passionately for a cause we believe in. I think the Dream Riders represented unity and solidarity even with so many different nationalities. Talking to them and listening to their stories was an eye-opening experience, and I not only was able to witness a great movement, but also make some new friends.  

·    What was an eye-opening, unexpected experience, challenges, or knowledge gained from the internship?

I think what was “eye-opening” was how organic the whole process was. If someone felt passionate about an issue relating to civic engagement or the Asian-American community, she could do something about it. It could be in the form of an article, a blog post, an infographic, further research or building upon an older initiative. I realized there is always something you can do even if it as basic as raising awareness. 

·    Why do you believe it is important to be involved in Civic Engagement?

I think it is very easy to shift the blame to politicians and people who have a more public mouth piece to voice their opinions. However ultimately it is the people who make the decision of who they are going to give those privileges to. The only way to ensure that our leaders are representative of what the majority of his/her constituents stand for is to voice what we stand for, and that could be something as basic as voting.  

·    How do you hope to incorporate what you have learned this summer as you go forward?

I have learned a lot from Advancing Justice on how to be a responsible voice for the people. I hope to continue working on increasing civic engagement, and most importantly inform others of the problems facing our community. We often get undermined because of the model minority myth even though our struggle as immigrants is much more complex than that. 

·    What advice do you have for the future interns?

Make the most of your internship. Take every opportunity to help with something or do work because there is no replacement for experience. Because of all the responsibility placed on us as interns, we get an opportunity to be a part of the larger cause and picture in a big way. There are so many facets to the work we do that it is almost impossible not to learn something new every day. 

·    What unique skill set did you developed from the internship?

I think I have developed patience in a lot of different ways. A large majority of the material we work on is part of a more long term goal. One canvass may not make a difference, but multiple over the next three months will achieve larger results. Additionally with the civic engagement work, being patient with people especially when we are interacting with over 30 in one canvass and many more in a phone banking session. 

· What was the best Asian dish you had throughout the internship?

Without intending to offend any of my Korean brothers and sisters, I am not a big fan of Korean food, and the only other Asian food I had was Indian. So my final answer is: I loved Global Mall’s chicken 65 and The Palace’s Makhni Chicken. 

·    Why are you proud to work with the immigrant community?

I am proud to work with the immigrant community because it really represents a group of hardworking people striving to provide a better life for their families. I think there is a unique passion among the immigrant community because we look to America as a privilege and a land of opportunity as cliché as a sounds.