Making an Impact, One Step at a Time: Conversation with Long Beach Candidate Sunny Zia

NIAC discusses civic engagement and our community’s political impact with Sunny Zia, Iranian-American Candidate for Long Beach Community College Board

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and
suddenly you are doing the impossible.” -St. Francis of Assisi 

The urgency of greater
Iranian-American involvement in U.S public life can feel overwhelming. After
all, the issues impacting our community are massive and inordinately complex. Fortunately,
an increasing number of Iranian Americans are disrupting the narratives of passivity
regarding our community’s political potential, and are leading by example in
various parts of U.S politics and government by making concrete, incremental
changes.

One such leader is Sunny
Zia, an Iranian-American candidate for the Long Beach Community College Board
that represents the tenaciousness, hunger for justice, and inclusive values our
community aspires to embody in public life.

In a recent interview with
NIAC, Ms. Zia emphasized that for individual Iranian Americans and the broader
community alike, taking concrete action is fundamental to making a difference.
Drawing on personal stories, Zia emphasized how crucial it is that Iranian
Americans act locally, and do “grunt work” at the local level in order to learn
how to be effective in public life. “It’s amazing to be in someone’s kitchen
licking stamps for envelopes — something so simple that eventually puts
someone in office.” This somewhat unglamorous behind-the-scenes work is
essential to making political campaigns and policy changes succeed, and
therefore should not be taken for granted. Zia’s participation in such efforts empowered
her, an Iranian immigrant who moved to the U.S during the Iran-Iraq war, to
become a force to be reckoned with in the U.S political system.

Zia embodies success in
various levels of professional and public life. Not only has she had a
lucrative career as an engineer in the private sector, but she also has a long
track record of achievements in the non-profit and public sectors. When asked
why Iranian Americans ought to consider participation in the civic sector
rather than focusing exclusively on private sector success, Zia responded that,
“We are involved in the private sector and that’s fantastic, but I would love
to have both [private and civic] elements involved, so we are involved in
decisions rather than just being informed of decisions after the fact.” Having
a seat at the table in political life is essential for Iranian Americans to
achieve long-term results that are in line with our interests, and also to truly
achieving the American Dream.

Zia’s reflections
on public life offer crucial lessons for Iranian Americans regarding the
importance of patience, hard work, and concrete steps locally in order to make
a difference. As Zia takes incremental steps toward winning elected office and
climbing the U.S political ladder, the NIAC team hopes that she inspires others
to do the same. Our community can only leave a consequential historical mark if
we become active participants in public life and learn through direct
engagement. And while we may seek to make changes on the most complex and large
of political issues, the first step can be as small as licking a stamp at one’s
kitchen table.

A
longtime Southern California political activist, Sunny Zia currently serves as
Contract Compliance Manager at the Port of
Long Beach, as well as Chair of Congressman Alan Lowenthal’s Citizen Advisory
Committee on Human Rights and Foreign Affairs. Zia has also led fundraising
efforts for several political candidates, including Hillary Clinton. In her
current campaign, Zia has received endorsements from Democratic and Republican
officials, including former Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad. If elected, Zia
will join a handful of Iranian Americans elected to political office around the
country. For more information, please visit www.sunnyzia.com.

NOTE:
NIAC is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse political candidates
at any level of government.