I really want to go to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this coming year. B, my politically connected white friend is encouraging me to run to be a delegate from my district. He made it sound really easy. "The first time I ran I was in high school. I didn't get it, but I almost won. It's really easy. Just get a bunch of people you know and get them to the delegate election site." He got me really excited. So I started asking my politically connected Asian American friends.
BW, who has been working in politics for over 20 years told me, "you need to organize organize organize and bust your tail. You need to get at least 100 of your friends out." I asked him, "have you ever been a delegate?" His answer, "no." So my hopes were deflated significantly, because of all people I'd expect that he would have gone as a delegate before. BW is Asian American.
I saw my friend M today who is my age and also very active in city politics. He wants to run to be a delegate in his district, which is adjacent to mine. He's also Asian American, but is not hopeful that our state of California will meet our Affirmative Action goals of 9% Asian American. He too was a bit deflated to know that he would need to mobilize 100 people to vote for him in his district. Now if M is daunted by this challenge, how am I to do this?
Maybe I'll just go to Denver to be a volunteer. It's probably best that I start at the ground level to learn and build. But this whole experience thus far has me thinking about "capital." For B, it's really easy. He has the cultural/social/political capital as a white man. For me, it's very daunting and intimidating, and even more so when none of my political mentors have been delegates, and when I don't personally know any Asian Americans who have successfully run to be a delegate before.
I hope M gets to be a delegate. I'm not sure if I'm going to run anymore.
