This summer I am excited about the opportunity to engage in the Laidlaw Scholars program, conduct research on Asian American voter behavior with my mentor, and also explore NYC! I have long been interested in civic engagement and voting rights, starting from following my mom to the polls when I was younger to leading a national voter registration initiative for the nonprofit Dear Asian Youth in high school and now serving as the Digital Director of Columbia Votes. In high school I even engaged in my research, conducting a literature review on how racial identity, logistical barriers, and perceptions of political qualification influence Asian American voter turnout. However, I noticed how quantitative research lacked lived experiences and failed to take into account the diversity of the Asian American community, which is what I hope to expand on this summer. 

Therefore, I am excited to revisit this topic but go more in depth and take a qualitative approach by conducting interviews to connect with my community more deeply. I am excited to go through the processes of obtaining an IRB while also interviewing community organizers and voters, though I recognize that there may be some challenges and some changes I might need to be flexible with. Furthermore, I am excited to also utilize the city by being able to go in person to Queens for interviews while also going on food crawls as an Instagram foodie and exploring new museums.