OUT ON THE HILL is the official blog of the Victory Congressional Interns. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. Learn more about the internship at victoryinstitute.org/vci.
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I grew up believing safety required smallness. As a first-generation college student and child of Chinese immigrants, I was taught early on to pursue what my parents couldn’t, so long as I avoided doing anything that would make me vulnerable to the same racial discrimination they faced when coming to America. In Taishanese, my parents warned me, “Don’t draw attention to yourself. It’s better to stay silent than to risk losing everything.” For them, my future hinged on keeping my LGBTQ identity in the closet and relying on the model minority myth of being the “good Asian boy” society wanted to paint me as. This normative life was comfortable; it was safe.
For a while, I never imagined myself in public service, a sector I grew up associating with privilege and exclusivity for the do-gooders who could afford to take on the challenges of the future. It was these preconceived barriers to access that ultimately forced me to reconcile with the reality of public service as one that served not just the most privileged but also the communities being pushed further to the margins. The public good never needed to be mutually exclusive. I found myself at the intersection of my lived experience as a gay man of color with policies that directly shape the communities that have affirmed who I am and who I will become.
Being on the Hill has made me value the power of identity in understanding how one minority’s representation dictates the visibility of other populations that have also been historically underrepresented in politics. Bridging my experience working with constituents at the district level in New York with the caucus-level legislative work with elected officials has allowed me to critically examine how thousands of voices are distilled into a single vote that can effectively turn the tide on our established notions of civility and respect. In a time when coalition-building means the difference between the affirmation of human rights and its dissolution, representation is not just a concept, but a call to action.
Despite the challenges that come from working within this climate of divisiveness, occupying a space on the Hill means more to me than getting to add this internship to my resume. While I know that I am not going to change the world during an eight-week internship, the work I do here will be shared with the local communities I’m returning to in New York City. Most importantly, I share the work I do with my parents, who trusted me to take the risk of putting myself in the spotlight. It is through their struggles that I remain committed to being truly myself, showing my community and future generations of lawmakers how unique lived experiences can and will move the needle forward in breaking down barriers.
