A Story of My Civically Engaged Self
If home is where the heart is, then mine is somewhere in San Pedro, California—in the rougher part of town, that smells like low tide and overgrown vacated lots. This is where I was born and raised. I mean ‘born’ in the sense that born-again Christians would use born, not circle of life born. San Pedro is the place that gave my life character.
I was circle-of-life born in Redondo Beach, California, a town as white and uniform as the sandy beaches of its well-known coast. A significant portion of my childhood was spent at those white sandy beaches, playing in the water with my white friends, while their white affluent parents watched on. Occasionally checking our status with every turn of the page of their new Bill O’Reilly book.
They were long carefree days. Our only concerns were if the lifeguard was looking out for riptides and how many minutes were left on the parking meter. Seven years of my childhood was spent like this.
In 2001 my parents decided to relocate to San Pedro—just a 30-minute drive south. Unbeknown to me the cost of living in our sheltered carefree bubble of a town was too high for a young family trying to establish itself.
They sat my sister and me down after a long day at the park, our bellies full of Capri sun and orange slices. They told us the same way they ripped off our band-aids. One moment we were completely content and the next we were in tears. Redondo Beach was the only thing I knew and had no intention of wanting to go anywhere else! I didn’t want to make new friends or find a new favorite park to go to.
Even though it was just a short 30-minute drive down the freeway San Pedro was a whole other world than what I once knew. The houses in my neighborhood were encircled by chain link fences and their windows were fortified with heavy iron bars. Both of which must have been installed the around the same time; they had all developed that matte red-brown color that only comes with decades of morning dew and afternoon sun. My dad signed my sister and me up at the local boxing gym so we could defend ourselves if we got into trouble at school. And—not often—but every once in a while, I heard the faint pop of a gunshot between the low drones of the foghorn that blew as we slept. This was the world I lived in. Early on it was scary and intimidating but now those feelings have turned into appreciation for the town’s immense character.
It was in San Pedro where I learned that things should not be discounted because they are different or unknown. I made new friends. Benny, Nick, Johnny and Ramon. Benny’s mom is only 16 years older than him. Nick lives with severe dwarfism. Johnny and Ramon are the children of illegal immigrants. Despite our differences, I learned that each and every one of them is a genuinely good person. They always lent a helping hand and stood up for what was right; even when that meant being the first to throw a punch at a neighborhood bully. They taught me not to shun the different world around me, but to understand and embrace it.
It was in San Pedro where my parents taught me compassion. My elementary school was only a few blocks away from our house. It’s a straight shot down the street that only takes 7 minutes by foot and 3 by razor scooter. Despite the schools proximity, my sister and I had to take the safer route—three whole blocks out of the way— to avoid the homeless people living in beat up Bounders permanently settled next to the curb in front of vacant lots.
However, when I walked my dog with my mom we would take the sketchier route. She regularly volunteers at People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a civic organization focused on ending homelessness in communities. We would talk politics, or world affairs, or long division but every time we walked by someone less fortunate she would pause conversation. She would stop, turn, and offer a genuine, “How are you?”
This is not the type of,“hi, how are ya?” that we regularly ask the cashier at the local supermarket, but a heart-felt and respectful interrogative. My mother always told me, “These are people who have stories to be heard and need to be helped.”
It was in San Pedro where I developed the drive to understand and positively affect the world around me. It was on September 11, 2001 when realized that there was a world out there that stretched far beyond my current understanding.
I woke up to see my mother standing in the living room completely still with tears silently rolling down her face, and my father, sitting at the edge of his seat with his fist to his chin. Their eyes were fixated on the television screen. Our nation’s sense of security was crumbling on a never-ending loop imprinting fear on their wide eyes. I became fixated on why this had happened, and I became driven to understand nations and cultures that I was not a part of.
I learned that this big world around us could be scary at times. September 11th proved that there are certainly aspects of the world that are outright evil. However, there are other instances where this world of ours is not as frightening as it may seem. A roaring bloodthirsty beast can turn out to be a wailing gentle giant upon learning about a thorn in its paw.
I wanted to mitigate the personally frightening effects of the unknown and to use this knowledge to positively influence the world around me. The way to create a positive influence on the world in its current condition is to be civically engaged.
Civic engagement is the deliberate communication of information within and between societies that encourages collectively creating a common good for humanity. Civic engagement opens people and societies up to issues, passions, and solutions that they once were not aware. This information we share with one another—however presented—allows the opportunity for anyone and everyone to develop agency and contribute to positive change.
Harry C. Boyte states that this deliberate communication of information within and between societies is essential for developmental democracy— a democratic system that provides society with the capacity to create collective change. This shared information allows people to become agents of their own development to create an ideal society.
Last summer I had the honor of working for a true champion of civic engagement, Congressmember Karen Bass. Community organizer turned Member of Congress Karen Bass helps Boyte’s idea of developmental democracy become a reality.
As an intern in her legislative office I witnessed Congressmember Bass use her position of power to not only serve the needs of her constituents, but to amplify the voices of people who would otherwise go unheard. Ms. Bass is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations and is the Founder and Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth. Taking on these immense responsibilities does not greatly benefit her chances of reelection. People who live in Africa cannot vote in the 37th District and Foster Youth are too young to vote. Karen Bass does this because she has an overwhelming sense of compassion and she knows that informing people of the issues at hand is the catalyst to organize and create positive change.
Ms. Bass is in the unique position where she has the capacity to further conversation and help those in need; her most effective technique was the famous “Policy Breakfast.” Once a month Ms. Bass’ office organizes a forum for discussion for people to share information on issues in Africa or issues in the Foster Youth System.
She would invite a variety of civically engaged individuals people to her forums, from foster youth to African Ambassadors. Every breakfast Ms. Bass ensured that everyone’s voice was heard and his or her ideas were equally considered. The first half of the breakfast a panel of experts would read carefully prepared statements to the audience and for the second half any member of the audience could go up and ask that expert a question. What occurred was a lively debate that considered a variety of perspectives around the issue.
Ms. Bass would then communicate these messages displayed in the policy breakfast to Congress, media outlets, diplomats and her constituents. She spread awareness of these rarely talked about issues and facilitated the type of informed discussion that allows people to solve problems.
Karen Bass is just one person with a small staff. Despite the daunting undertaking she continues to inform and inspire us everyday, and everyday she takes small steps to making this world a better place.
I believe that this form of productive and considerate communication is essential for the progression of American society and societies around the world. Today we live in a world where communication is instantaneous. This communication is causing political, social, economic, technological, and scientific revolutions.
We now have the capacity to gain an immense understanding of the world around us and the United States has the capacity to contribute to the common good all around the world. Similar to Karen Bass, the United States is in the unique position of power to use diplomacy as a catalyst for organization and collective creation of positive change.
We now know that merely throwing weapons or money at another society does not create positive change. Proper diplomacy requires working with any and all members of another society for a common good.
When I graduate I want to take my values, aspirations, and understandings and apply them to a position as a Foreign Service Officer. I do not know where I want to go or what specific cause I want to champion, but as of right now that does not matter. I trust that I will maintain the same values and drive that I have developed throughout my life to make this big scary world a better place.