Author: jmzheng

 

As I began the first day of my internship, I was apprehensive of the many possibilities: tasks I might complete, what the company looks like, and the co-workers I will meet.

The first week was fairly exhilarating, as I had fresh, new ideas to improve the Chinese-American Planning Council’s Education and Career Services Program. However, as the weeks continued, I began to realize that there are many challenges when doing social work. For example, my task was to create a tech program and work on fundraising initiatives; yet, upon designing my tech program, I realized there were many limitations in funding, staff, and resources to create this program and other existing programs at CPC.

With my particular work, I contributed to the organization by researching additional grants to provide CPC with financial stability and different resources to increase their funding for their underfunded programs. In addition, upon my arrival, I understood that there is not a great focus on technology programs and applications. Therefore, in understanding the imbalance between available tech jobs and people interested in tech, I understand the need for technology programs to increase interest towards the field. I even introduced my boss to many different marketing ideas, as well as ways to spread the message about the different fundraisers. While social justice work is extremely challenging due to limited resources and the constant need to seek financial stability, I will say with pride that I truly am fortunate to contribute to CPC and its mission to serve Asian Americans.

As my internship is coming to a close to, I wish I attempted to gain relationships with other co-workers and people who worked in the company at an earlier time. I wish I learned their stories, such as why they worked at a nonprofit, and what does CPC mean to them, to gain a better understanding of the people I am working with. It was only near the end when I got up the courage to meet many of these gracious, truly remarkable individuals. Had I to give someone advice who wants to pursue a field in the organization, I recommend being continuously curious about the work and the people and to constantly ask questions. It is also truly important to learn the history of Asian Americans and understand the background behind why nonprofits devote their resources to Asian Americans. By doing so, people can truly see the impact and understand why CPC is such an impactful nonprofit that continues to positively influence the Asian American community.

Throughout these eventful 7—almost 8—weeks working at CPC, I must sincerely close the chapter with CPC and thank them for igniting the beginning of my profound interest in education, for my humorous coworkers and boss, and for the many laughs shared during lunch breaks. And I must thank New York City for continuously providing me with a home full of adventure. My time at New York City, too, is coming to an end, and even though I am only a train ride or bus away, I will miss the rush, the culture, and the never-ending surprises—from witnessing the ticket parade to seeing a live summer performance. My city never ceases to surprise me with its effervescent beauty and its fortuitous events.

As an underprivileged Asian American, I continuously fought for my opportunities. Opportunities did not come easily to me because of the many barriers in place due to my ethnicity. In particular, Asian immigrants—like my parents—face xenophobic stereotypes assigned to them like the “forever foreigner” narrative that causes great discrimination for Asians in the job market. This means Asians cannot access similar programs available to other minority groups like welfare due to the expectation that they are successful, so they do not need help. While I acknowledge my family’s experiences, I have never known it was a collective feeling amongst the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community until after my first semester in college.

When I took my first AAPI course—Introduction to Asian American Studies with Dr. Day—I understood that my truth is also other people’s reality. As I left my first lecture, I remember the crinkles from my furrowed eyebrows. I was unable to fathom the treacherous stories that lie within each scar of an Asian American’s hand: the marks of anguish for being refused by their own country—America, the cries of sacrifice stoned in their souls, and the lashes of alienation marked in historical novels. This class taught many topics: the stereotype of the “model minority” myth,  Asians’ forever foreigners narrative, and the sacrifices from the AAPI community. Because the perceptions of Asians as the model minority are deeply entrenched in our history, little attention is devoted to the AAPI community.

Therefore, my passion for assisting other Asian Americans arose because of understanding this information. I began to realize the many limitations and lack of opportunities provided to Asians to advance themselves, despite being born in America. This information explains why CPC (Chinese-American Planning Council) provides a positive impact and is crucial to the AAPI community: it combats common misconceptions. Through understanding the AAPI’s deep history with the US, I finally comprehend the significance of CPC’s mission: it provides services to the AAPI community that the government denies.

Understanding the importance of my contribution to CPC’s overall mission, I maintain my resilience through adversity. At times, it is difficult to establish fundraising initiatives and coordinate events as there are many restrictions—financial difficulties and understaffed workers to name a few. However, despite enduring several adversities, I am devoted to using these challenges as my motivation. I would execute creative, alternative solutions when there is a lack of resources for the bar fundraising event and when building the new tech program. I ensure, though, that with these modifications, my plans still align with CPC’s mission. I even take the initiative to research other grants to guarantee that CPC’s underfunded programs and lack of staff will not be an issue after the summer concludes. CPC’s mission and its influence throughout the AAPI community are what motivate me to continue instead of asking for an easier task. My greatest respect for CPC and the knowledge I gained as a first-year are the reasons I am confident and proud of the internship I am in.

If you are interested in seeing a day in my life as a CPC intern, click on the URL link: https://youtu.be/oP3d9xouklw! Enjoy 🙂

This summer, I am an intern at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), a social service organization that ensures the accessibility of resources and opportunities for over 60,000 Asian Americans. Its mission is to promote economic and social empowerment among Asians, immigrants, and underprivileged communities. CPC has over 30 locations and over 50 (and counting!) programs that continue to serve the community, including education to provide adults with opportunities to learn English, family support such as health services, and community empowerment programs used to help individuals plan their career paths.

As a disadvantaged Asian American, I chose this particular field of internship due to its support of Asian Americans. As an active leader in the Brandeis Asian American Student Association, I have a strong determination to improve the injustices that Asian Americans face. There are many Asian families who do not have access to government-funded programs due to the misconception that Asians are the “model minority,” and therefore do not need help. However, companies like CPC support Asian Americans with the understanding that Asians, too, need resources, and I want to be one of the collaborators in reducing the inequalities Asian Americans encounter daily and to better improve CPC’s Education and Career Services Program.

At CPC, my responsibilities are proposing fundraising initiatives and organizing events to increase its sponsorship so that this nonprofit organization has the financial means to continue executing its mission: to assist other Asian Americans in need. The additional donations will help fund CPC’s underfunded programs and contribute toward the new programs. For instance, due to CPC’s lack of inclusion of technology, I determined the need to design a program to further strengthen the education curriculum and expand CPC’s Business Exploration Student Track (BEST) to include a greater focus on technology. In addition, other projects I will take charge of include marketing CPC’s mission to other companies and developing strategies to create lasting mentors for the students.

The small changes in hiring interns and workers with different perspectives lead to greater changes to improve CPC’s assistance to other Asian Americans. As an intern, my small steps of discovering new challenges and problems that this nonprofit does not address will lead me to propose nuanced ideas on how to further develop this company. In terms of CPC, progress occurs when there is an initiative taking place to improve the current programs and develop new projects, extend the audience CPC reaches, and increase sponsorship from different companies. In general, progress occurs when there are assessments made by the company to determine where the improvements should be made and the implementation of these evaluations. Progress even begins when there is a nuanced version of completing an activity or the incorporation of a new rule. The simple act of changing the way someone accomplishes a task or goal will slowly lead to larger changes being made in the upcoming years and, hopefully, the advancement of a company.

For more information on CPC, please visit https://www.cpc-nyc.org.