With almost 25.6 million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) in the U.S., we’re underrepresented in politics by 85%, and make up only 6.4% of the federal workforce – with less than 4% of us serving as senior executives in this field. For the past 33 years, CAPAL has worked to change this and to Empower Our Tomorrow by building a strong public service pipeline for AANHPI students.

Since our founding in 1989, we’ve continued to increase access to public service opportunities to more than 600 students through our:

Public Service Scholarship & Internship program,
Six-week Washington Leadership Program speaker series,
Professional development workshops and career roundtable series,
Mentorship program,

And more -- because we envision a future with equitable AANHPI representation throughout all levels of government and public service.

Despite our hardships during these pandemic years as an organization and as a community, we’re proud to have disbursed over $63,000 in scholarships to support AANHPI students from across the country to pursue public service careers.

This giving season, help us raise $15,000 to directly support 5 students in 2023. Your one-time or monthly donation will continue to empower tomorrow’s AANHPI leaders in public service and build an equitable future. Our community and supporters help us continue our AANHPI public service pipeline.

Hear From our 2022 Scholars & Interns

"My experience with CAPAL truly made public service more accessible to me and taught me the value of community. It allowed me to connect and join in solidarity with so many amazing peers and realize there is a place for people who look like me in public service. My identities felt respected and validated and I was able to gain a deeper understanding of my self, career goals, and interests through this program. The programming provided so much information about the various sectors and careers that exist and really helped inform my understanding of what public service can look like."

--Elizabeth Sweet, 2022 Public Service Intern

This experience was everything I could have ever asked for. I loved being in a space with other AANHPI, and sharing our experiences as a part of the community. The CAPAL programming was very helpful and I learned a lot. I was able to make many connections through the CAPAL programming that I am very thankful for. I will miss being a CAPAL intern but I am looking forward to being involved as a CAPAL alumnus. Thank you all for this opportunity and for all the help and support. I truly cherished this experience. ❤️❤️❤️"

--Manasi Reddy, 2022 Public Service Intern

"Prior to this summer, I knew I was interested in public service, but I didn't have a very good idea of what that meant, or what the day-to-day would look like. Through my internship, mentor, and other informational interviews I did as a result of CAPAL, I'm happy that I was able to better understand what a career in public service looks like...All in all, I'm really happy about the mentorship, professional development, and lasting friendships that I received from participating in CAPAL."

--Aidan Ng, 2022 Public Service Intern

Empower Our Tomorrow

By Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL)

Empower Our Tomorrow

Raising $15,000 this season to support 5 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Scholars & Interns in 2023

Team Members