In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AA & HN/PI), we’re featuring the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) in this #ProblemSolver Spotlight. A partner of The Ascend Fund, APAICS is a national non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander participation and representation at all levels of the political process. Learn more about APAICS’ important and timely work in this Q&A with Madalene Xuan-Trang Mielke, President & CEO of APAICS.
I grew up in a multicultural household—my father is Caucasian, so my last name is German, and my mother is Vietnamese. Throughout my upbringing and the start of my professional career as a fundraiser, I worked with a variety of people from all backgrounds but didn’t specifically work within the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AA & NH/PI) political space. It wasn’t until later, when I stepped into AA and NH/PI politics, that I was able to educate myself on the challenges and experiences my community has gone through.
I embraced these stories to not only learn about AA and NH/PI participation in politics but also understand why it is critical that our voices are heard and represented.
APAICS has focused on developing new programs and increasing the value of our current program offerings. Some of our new programs include an annual Legislative Leadership Summit, Women’s Collective, and Youth Leadership Academy. We’ve grown and expanded our Congressional Fellowship program to place 20, nine-month Fellows on the Hill and in executive offices. Our internship program is larger than ever, and we are now able to provide no-cost housing to improve the internship experience. Lastly, we have fostered stronger ties to the community across the nation through our Regional Leadership Academy, providing training and resources to interested candidates early in their political careers.
AA and NH/PI women face immense barriers, both systemically and culturally. Many times, AA and NH/PI women serve as the primary caretakers for their families, in addition to a laundry list of other responsibilities that are expected from them. Despite incredible qualifications, there is a mental barrier that perfection is required to be a candidate. That's one narrative APAICS is trying to change.
Through our programs, especially our Women’s Collective, we hope to bridge this gap in women running for office and to really build a community and pipeline where women feel supported and prepared to run—whether it be for local, state, or federal seats. They just need to be able to make that initial jump.
The first step is increased visibility! That takes all of us, not just those in our community. There is something beautiful about people who may not look like you but are rooting for and supportive. The AA and NH/PI political base was built from individuals who had the courage to organize and campaign to represent the needs of our community, and we are sustained by the encouragement and generosity across all communities. Building, finding, and uplifting networks of like-minded individuals to embolden each other’s civic aspirations is critical.
We hope to bridge this gap in women running for office and build a community and pipeline where women feel supported and prepared to run...they just need to be able to make that initial jump.
It means so much to be part of The Ascend Fund community and work alongside similarly minded organizations to drive change toward gender parity in U.S. politics. As I mentioned, visibility is critical, and having a network of diverse organizations working toward eliminating gaps for underrepresented communities allows for all of us, not just some of us, to be seen and create lasting power.
Getting involved in APAICS is easy given our robust programs and events calendar. Check out our website, register for our listserv, or follow us on social media to keep up with our latest and greatest!
Having a network of diverse organizations working toward eliminating gaps for underrepresented communities allows for all of us, not just some of us, to be seen and create lasting power.
#ProblemSolvers shares perspectives on a wide variety of issues from across Panorama's network.
With partners working on a vast range of issues across the world, Panorama has a unique and privileged view of all the different ways change can happen across the social impact landscape. Whether we're working with advocates or funders, storytellers or policymakers, corporate leaders or entrepreneurs, it's clear that we're all #ProblemSolvers.
