Ohio State club fosters political education and civic engagement among Asian American students

When Ohio State students Nathan Schiffler and Kayli Rego recognized the gap in civic engagement training and political education within the university’s Asian American community, they decided to address it head-on.

In July, the Asian American Advocacy Alliance — or A4 —was born.

Schiffler, co-founder of A4 and a second-year in medical anthropology, said he and Rego, a second-year in public management, leadership and policy, wanted to create a space where Asian Americans could build community while increasing their political engagement.

“When we first founded this club, the reasoning was because we thought that there was a need on campus to have Asian students come together and talk about the political needs of the community,” Schiffler said. “There was already a great presence of cultural clubs at Ohio State that nourished and educated on the rich cultural history of Asian Americans, but we felt that there was a need to have discussions about advocacy and the political needs of the Asian American community.”

Since its inception, the nonpartisan club has made significant strides in promoting advocacy and civic engagement among the Asian American community on campus and in the Columbus area. The club’s goal is to create a safe space for Asian Americans, as well as allies, to discuss how certain policies impact them, understand the importance of advocacy and foster a politically educated community, Schiffler said.

The club’s mission is guided by three pillars: advocacy for the Asian American community, civic engagement among Asian Americans and raising awareness of issues — both historical and contemporary — that affect Asian Americans.

“Our vision for [those goals] was creating a club where we could have not just Asian Americans, but anybody who was interested come together and discuss those issues,” Schiffler said.

Ohio State is a diverse school with a large Asian American population, so the co-founders felt it was necessary to create an organization that focuses on the political needs of this specific population, Schiffler said.

“There is a great population of Asian Americans at Ohio State,” Schiffer said. “That number is growing nationally and also at Ohio State. So, it’s important that there is a student organization that Asian Americans can join where they can feel comfortable talking about the specific political issues that they are concerned about.”

The organization emphasizes creating community through its meetings, where students can discuss policy issues that directly relate to them and learn about the importance of civic engagement alongside their peers, Singh said.

“Every time I go to the club, we have really great conversations about what the current issues are that are affecting us,” said Manasi Singh, a general member of A4 and a second-year in computer science and data analysis. “A lot of the time, especially as ‘cast-aside’ minorities, we tend to get lost in the mill of political issues. Being able to actually sit down and talk about how exactly policies are affecting our community is an opportunity to bring together a bigger community of Asian Americans who have greater insight into what is actually happening in our community politically.”

A4 also creates links between current policies and how they will affect the Asian American community. This allows students to directly connect with the policy content and speak to their personal experiences in a political context, reducing the detachment that students may feel when discussing politics, Singh said.

“Sometimes, when we’re so focused on everything else, we try to detach ourselves from what is happening politically because it seems chaotic at times,” Singh said. “You need to sink yourself in there and learn more to become more aware of what is happening in your community. This makes you a better and more well-informed citizen and a better voter.”

Another major pillar of the organization is promoting civic engagement among young students, especially within the Asian American community. This semester, the club has focused on registering students to vote for the upcoming presidential election, Schiffler said.

“We are really trying to focus on changing this narrative that young people are not interested in politics and voting,” Schiffler said.

Schiffler said A4 has also spearheaded education campaigns through voter registration booths, where members have taught students the importance of voting and the power that a single vote can hold, Schiffler said.

“A lot of us who are either born from immigrant parents, or have been here for only a couple generations, don’t really see our vote as counting for much,” Singh said. “Coming to these club events and learning about the impact of the Asian community and how much we are growing within the U.S. really helps us understand the importance of advocating for ourselves and our community.”

The organization has hosted several voter registration drives on campus to increase voter registration among students, leading to over 40 new voter registrations. A4 also boasts a 100% voter registration rate among its members, Schiffler said. The co-founders said they stress the importance of using voting as a method of civic engagement to actualize change in the policies they discuss.

“You’re not just voting for your interests, but also voting for everybody and how they are affected by policy and people in power,” Schiffler said.

In addition to its focus on civic engagement, A4 is committed to creating a welcoming environment in which students can openly discuss political issues without fear of polarization, Singh said.

“One of the great successes I’ve seen is the sense of community,” Singh said. “I love that it’s nonpartisan because I think politics tends to intimidate people, especially given how polarized society is right now.”

A4 is open to all students, regardless of race or political beliefs, Schiffler said.

“You don’t have to be Asian American to be interested and invested in supporting the Asian American community,” Schiffler said.

Singh said though A4 is relatively new, its successes are already evident.

“It’s a new club, but it’s still managed to have such a big impact,” Singh said.