Week 3 - House of Cards

By Aayush Gandhi

The concepts discussed in the first speakership series were fresh in my mind as I got ready to start my new week of internship at State Senator Patrick Diegnan’s office. I started off my week by reading news clippings through the Office of Legislative Services Application (OLS). Following that, I entered some constituent email details into an excel spreadsheet to keep record of constituent concerns and requests. I then prepared a New Jersey Boards, Authorities and Committees vacancy list for the Senator’s reference. Wednesday was a surprise as Senator Diegnan visited the office to attend two meetings, both of which were very informative and compelling. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to attend the meetings with him and constituents.

The first meeting was with a business representative who wanted to organize literacy workshops for senior citizens in the district. The constituent was well prepared and well informed about the topic and we came to the conclusion that we would provide him with information about senior centers in the district. The second meeting was to implement a dual language immersion program in New Jersey schools. The constituent also informed us about the seal of biliteracy and other programs in the education space. Senator Diegnan promised to follow up with her and conduct further research on the program. I also followed the advice given by the speakers from the first speakership series and became a proactive intern and tried to ask meaningful questions to my supervisor and Senator Diegnan’s Chief of Staff Thomas Lynch.

After an exciting week at Senator’s office, I could not wait for the next speakership series. After researching the speakers of the week and preparing some questions for the speakers, I was ready! All the fellows arrived on time and were prepared to hear from the inspirational speakers. The first speaker was Congressman Pallone’s Campaign Manager Matthew Montekio. He talked about his experience as a Campaign Manager and how successful campaigns are led. He was followed by West Windsor  Councilwoman Ayesha Hamilton who explained how important it is to have professional experience in a particular field before getting involved in politics. She spoke about her own experience as an advocate and how it helped her in her political career. She also talked about campaigns she was involved in, as well as how she personally met people and connected with them to gain support for her campaign.

Jun Choi, former Mayor of Edison talked about his experience governing the 5th largest municipality in the state. He explained how diversity both helps and creates conflicts in a community. The final speaker of the day was Assemblyman Craig Coughlin. He explained how the government functions and how successful campaigns are carried out and won.

We learned that politics and campaigning is nothing like what you see on House of Cards, and if you really want to get involved in this field- don’t take any tips from Frank Underwood!

Anyway, being halfway through the New Jersey Leadership Program makes me both sad and happy. I’m happy about learning so much through this program and gaining invaluable experience through my internship and through speakers but I am also sad about that this wonderful journey will soon come to an end.

Week 2 – Zika Virus, Gun Reform and the Statehouse

By Gita Ganti

As I prepared Monday morning for my second week interning for State Senator Bob Smith (D- 17), I remembered a few key ideas from our NJLP orientation last Saturday: patience, professionalism, and positivity. I wanted to maintain the upward trend from my first week to create a lasting impression on Sen. Smith and his staffers because of another key idea we had learned this weekend: “every internship counts toward a bigger picture.” As I walked into the office, our scheduler, Sue, greeted me with a smile. She told me about her weekend and then handed me a file containing a myriad of articles and reports.

“On Thursday, we can head down to the State House with Senator Smith for the Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting,” Sue said.

I jumped at the opportunity. A couple other NJLP fellows had told me about working and visiting the State House.

I opened the file and perused a few of the documents.

“This file will inform you of key information that will be discussed during the committee meeting. Read it when you have some down time before Thursday.”

After I had settled my belongings in my office room, I began my work. By this time, I had considered myself an expert at Sen. Smith’s legislation because of the numerous tasks I had completed. I created spreadsheets, printed and filed copies of his sponsored bills, and researched legislative matters important to the Senator.

The next morning, AARP was hosting a tele-town hall with live web streaming, allowing AARP members in New Jersey to call their state lawmakers on issues. That morning Sen. Smith was asked to answer questions from AARP members in Middlesex County. One mother had called in to address her concern regarding her son’s unemployment, which had inspired my next project of creating a file that listed job training programs and employment opportunities in the area. Throughout the week, I would deliver the Senator’s mail, take phone calls, reply to constituent emails, and become a champion of filing.

On Thursday, I traveled with Sen. Smith and Sue to the State House for the Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting. The room was filled with press, spectators, aids, and interns, with the Senate Committee situated around a sizable conference table in the middle. With a nearly bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund, the Senate Committee had questioned the decision of halting transportation and road construction projects without a proper study. However, after a heated and prolonged hearing, Richard Hammer received unanimous support from the committee to be NJ’s Department of Transportation Commissioner. The Committee also approved of the nomination of Christopher Gramiccioni as the Monmouth County Prosecutor, as well as Governor Christie’s controversial nomination of Ben Bucca for a superior court judgeship.

The week culminated with our first NJLP speakership series. First, we were privileged to hear from Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. who discussed his experience in government and answered our questions varying from Zika Virus legislation to gun control measures.

We had then heard from a panel of speakers that included Dinesh Suryawanshi, a project specialist for U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Raphael Chavez-Fernandez, an associate at Mercury Public Affairs and former advisor to U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Francine Glaser, a Legislative Aide to Assemblywoman Joann Downey and Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, and lastly Ishan Shah, a Regional Director for Governor Chris Christie. Each speaker on the panel talked about the importance of internships as a way of getting involved in government. When they had discussed their personal experiences in the government workforce, I was thoroughly impressed by their level of dedication and numerous accomplishments at a rather young age.

Kenneth Armwood, Middlesex County Freeholder, had then graced us with the inspiring story of how he got involved in government. He taught us how we should always fight for what we believe in and never run from the consequences. This same inspiration carried through our next speaker, Assad Akhter, who discussed how hard work and patience led him to become the Deputy Chief of Staff to Congressman Bill Pascrell. He explained how any career path can be integrated with politics. Lastly, we heard from Daniel Harris, a Woodbridge Board of Education Member and Legislative Director to Assemblyman Craig Coughlin. After discussing his background and aspirations, he listened to our opinions on the current education system. We shared our views on the stress and pressure created by standardized testing.

The people I have met through NJLP are not just speakers, but people who dedicate so much time and energy to put their words into action. I look forward to what the rest of my internship will bring.

Week 1 – My First Week with NJLP!

By Bharati Ganesh

After a relaxing long weekend, I was prepared to start my fellowship at Assemblywoman Elizabeth Muoio’s office (D-15). I set my alarm earlier than usual, packed my lunch, and laid out my clothes. I was excited to have a new experience this summer—something different than studying for SATs or binge watching a show on Netflix—which I hoped would fuel my interest in politics and provide me with an invaluable skillset. That morning, I was nervous with anticipation. What would they have me do? When would I meet the Assemblywoman?

When I first walked into the office, I was welcomed by Assemblywoman Muoio’s staffers. Her Chief of Staff was kind and helpful when showing me how to use the Office of Legislative Services (OLS)’s various features, check press clippings, answer phones, and reply to constituent emails. In addition, she had a caseworker show me how track constituents. But what I appreciated most about the Chief of Staff was that she listened to me closely and valued my opinions, which not something many adults can do when interacting with teenagers.

I established a routine at the office for the rest of the week and relished in my surroundings. What I loved about being in Assemblywoman Muoio’s office was that we were located right across from the State House- the seat of government in New Jersey. With its imposing columns and golden dome, the State House served as an inspiration for me, as did my cohort. Meeting them at our orientation was enlightening, and I felt that we were beginning to connect once we all became comfortable with each other.

During our orientation, we discussed important people in our lives and took a Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) quiz on thinking styles in order to discover ourselves. Comparing our quiz results and examining each thinking style was stimulating and helped me understand group dynamics. In addition, we were taught how to leverage diversity in order to improve our effectiveness and communication when working with others. I never knew that there were elements of diversity such as tenure and union affiliation.

We ate lunch as a group, and then we reconvened to talk about generations- how events that define each generation shape its expectations. This means that it is essential to enhance generational awareness in the workplace to promote communication and teamwork across the age gap. To conclude our day, we practiced thirty second elevator pitches, which are brief introductions used when meeting people at networking events. We all received helpful pointers to improve our pitches after speaking.

I could not be more grateful to be in such a unique program that offers South Asian youth the ability to engage in and learn about local government. I can already sense that the leadership training I am obtaining is useful and will benefit me in the long run.  Even though this is only my first week, I cannot wait to see what the next five weeks have in store.

NJLP Fellow Debates Presidential Election Politics on TV Asia’s Race to the Presidency

The New Jersey Leadership Program takes pride in its fellows. These are young leaders who are passionate about their communities, want to learn how government and politics work, and most importantly want to make a difference in the world.

One example is Nikhil Lahiri, an NJLP Fellow who will be working with Assemblyman Joe Danielsen’s office this summer. Nikhil represented the New Jersey Leadership Program on TV Asia’s Race to the Presidency hosted by Rohit Vyas this past week. He eloquently debated the President of the New Jersey Teenage Republicans on the merits of the presidential candidates, the economy and issues important to the nation’s youth.

Nikhil is just one example of our amazing fellows, and the New Jersey Leadership Program is excited to begin its Summer Fellowship Program on July 5th! To find out how you can get involved with NJLP, click here.

The South Asian Gap in Government and Politics

The South Asian American community has much to be proud of in their contributions to the United States. South Asians have proven to be leaders in all sectors of American society, ranging from academics to business to politics, as well as leading in socioeconomic status and education attainment.

South Asians have ascended to key public office positions, including two governors, a congressman, many federal prosecutors, a federal appellate judge (who was on the shortlist for the Supreme Court), and in this past year, a presidential candidate. There are also South Asian elected and non-elected public officials on the state and local levels throughout the nation. However, even with these successes, South Asian political participation at any level of government is not proportionally representative of the South Asian population.

In my home state of New Jersey, the N.J. Department of Labor and Workforce Development estimated through 2010 U.S. Census Data that major South Asian groups accounted for approximately 3.5% of the State’s population. Yet, in the state legislature–which consists of 80 Assemblyman and 40 State Senators–Assemblyman Raj Mukherji is the lone South Asian member. This is the case despite the fact that New Jersey has South Asian representation in state commissioners, party chairs, councilmembers and other positions.

This lack of involvement in government and politics can be attributed to many factors, one of which is culture. As far back as I can recall, my parents have always wanted me to be a doctor. This is a common refrain in the South Asian communities–that the children of first generation descent should enter highly paid professions such as the medical, legal and engineering sectors,–but alongside this laudable advice I rarely hear encouragements that South Asians should become political activists, government officials or elected representatives, despite the fact that it is members of the political class that often shape the professional and social environment for all of us. If our community wants to increase our influence and build on our already impressive successes, this will have to change.

First, the message has to change, and young South Asians need to hear the truth that government service and political participation are noble career options. It is only through a sustained cultural effort that we can cultivate the qualities and leadership skills that will allow our young people to one day run for elected office or to work as a public servant in our government.

Second, we need more participation from civil society groups and other nonprofits. Pursuant to this, we recently created the New Jersey Leadership Program (NJLP), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with the mission of promoting South Asian American youth participation and education at the local level of government in the State of New Jersey. Through this program, youth of South Asian descent who are currently in high school or college can experience government firsthand through a 6-week internship with a local mayor’s office, a city agency or a state legislator. Also as part of this program, the NJLP will host a speaker series, networking events and career development workshops. Interested youth should apply by April 20 at www.njlead.org.

The NJLP builds off of many other non-profits that promote Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and South Asian involvement in government and politics, such as the Washington Leadership Program (WLP), the Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies (APAICS), SALDEF’s SikhLead, and more. We believe that NJLP can help by allowing students in high school to begin thinking about careers in government and politics, and learn about their local government; building a pipeline to the aforementioned national programs to experience the federal government, and eventually enter careers in these fields. As a previous fellow in the WLP and APAICS programs, and in conjunction with the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) Leadership Program, these programs truly solidified my interest in public service and gave me a formal avenue in which to pursue this interest as a member of the AAPI and South Asian communities.

I hope the New Jersey Leadership Program can do the same for youth in New Jersey.

Amit Jani
President

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The New Jersey Leadership Program (NJLP) is a non-partisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting South Asian American youth participation and education at the local level of government in the State of New Jersey. NJLP and its fellowship program focuses on developing leadership, building public policy knowledge, and filling the pipeline for South Asian Americans to work in government or pursue public office at the local, state, and federal levels. To learn more about NJLP, please visit www.njlead.org