Dipakshi Sarma

As a Chuck Green Fellow, I had the opportunity to work with the Coalition of Asian American Leaders based in St Paul. I was excited to collaborate with a BIPOC social justice organization through the fellowship and had known of CAAL’s work for a while. The more I learned about CAAL’s efforts toward creating a just and joyful future, I knew it was the right fit. 

I supported CAAL’s civic engagement efforts and planning for the 2022 elections in Minnesota and youth programming. I worked closely with the Network Weaving team to map out a Listening Tour throughout Minnesota, support logistical and outreach needs, and assist in developing materials for the tour. CAAL’s website highlights that they are a leadership network, not a membership organization. That means that they rely on people who want to come together to learn, share and act together. So, through the Listening Tour, we connected with Asian Americans outside the Metro area in 3-5 regional hubs in places such as Worthington, Rochester, etc. By listening to the concerns of various Asian-American communities, we can engage in capacity-building training and engaging in working towards some of CAAL’s community priority issues like combating hate, Asian-American immigration issues and leadership support for people from various age groups public in Minnesota. I also supported college engagement efforts, base building, and turn out for Leadership Summit that is happening in September 2022.

I am so grateful that I was able to do the fellowship alongside folks I already knew and others I befriended during our seminar. All the fellows were so passionate that I felt at home with them even as we navigated various processes of learning together, choosing organizations to work with, the very slow turnaround, etc. My love for community healing and learning was also reiterated during my time at CAAL. Not only did I see the power of Asian-American organizing but also of love and kindness. I am even more sure now that community organizing will be a part of my life as I look into the future.