By Arza Bhalla/Special to EMS
As a young South Asian American woman, I was inspired by Vice President Kamala Harris’s journey from her early years to becoming the first female, Black, and South Asian American Vice President. Reading about how she always got involved in everything big and small raised a fundamental question: if Kamala can do it, what is stopping the next generation from building on the foundation she set for us?
As the daughter of Ravinder Bhalla, the first Sikh American mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, I grew up in a civically engaged family. I regularly volunteered for local election campaigns – school board, city council, mayor, you name it. I helped with voter registration drives, trying to show people how important voting is for getting the right leaders. I spent hours knocking on doors, talking to neighbors about the issues they cared about and why certain candidates could help.
Through my experiences, I saw how powerful it is when people come together to make change in their community. By stepping up, working with others, and taking action, each of us can make a difference. As the renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
In hindsight, I now see that change is not easy. It takes hard work, patience, perseverance and a firm commitment to advance the values we believe in.
Harris’ story has inspired something within my generation—an urgency to act, to participate, and to lead. Just by being better educated about the importance of representation, activism, and community-driven leadership, we are better equipped to take action to uplift our community.
January 26, 2025 was one of those days of action. The Hoboken Public Library hosted an inspiring evening titled, “She Persisted: Kamala Harris Book Launch & Panel Discussion,” focusing on civic engagement, leadership, and the importance of increasing representation in politics. Featuring writer Raakhee Mirchandani, an esteemed panel of elected officials, and passionate youth leaders, the event brought together community members to discuss the impact of running for office and advocating for meaningful change.
For me, this event highlighted the ideal: when well-meaning citizens of all ages come together, good things can happen. Seeing attendees write letters to key elected officials made me realize the power of civic engagement at all levels, and showed me that each of us, working together, can be part of a larger movement for change.
I was reminded that Harris’ own political journey started with small but meaningful acts of civic engagement—an important lesson for my peers and me. Stories like hers show how important it is to move from just knowing about issues to actually doing something about them.
A society which is vibrant and growing requires not just an educated and informed citizenry, but also an active one. This means each of us can take action and engage our local communities on issues that impact us to bring change. In this day and age, it is easy to think we can learn and know everything digitally, from the comfort of our couch. But there are times for us to get off the sidelines and take action.
Arza Bhalla is a senior at High Tech High School in Hoboken, New Jersey. She has a passion for journalism and will major in communications when she begins college this fall.
