his month, we had the opportunity to chat with Anita Malik – another Indian American running in the mid-term elections coming up in November, 2018. Anita’s approach differs from those currently in politics which can be seen in her motto of “Listen first. Then Lead.” A resident of Arizona since she was 7 years old, Anita made the bold decision to switch gears from a career in the high tech private sector to politics by running for Congress in Arizona’s Congressional District 6.
Anita has spent 25+ years in the technology industry. With an undergrad in Technology and Finance and a Masters in Journalism, she is worked in various industries and for many start-ups. Most recently, she served as the COO of ClearVoice, a content technology company downtown. Having been part of many start-ups, she feels that it has taught her a lot of skills critical for a politician. Running herself as a candidate, she has also realized how much the political scene struggles on the digital front and her background in technology is helping change that. Having been at the forefront of advances in digital marketing and technology, Anita recognized the urgent need for real tech leadership in D.C. to help build an economy of the future.
The inspiration to make this sudden change from the private sector to politics comes from her two children. Having grown up in the district she is running in, she feels bias existed when she was growing up but she definitely didn’t feel it as much as she does these days. We are now moving backwards on the gains we had made in diversity and in an atmosphere of increased hate, there is a fear in every parent’s heart about the future of their children. Schools in the district were comparatively doing well when she was growing up. While they were not at the top, they were average but they were not at the bottom of the national list as they are today.
Originally, she thought she would work as an advocate/activist but having noticed that the seat she is now running for had gone unchallenged for a very long time, she thought it was time to put up a competitor. Looking at the numbers, the demographics all over Arizona have changed including District 6. While there were lots of naysayers who see CD6 as a solid Republican district, she sees that the district has become more diverse – not just from an ethnic stand point, but overall demographics by age and causes the new population cares about have changed and it is time to give these constituents a person they can relate to. If we can engage this new base that has never had a candidate they could identify with, we can make a change and this year every House of Representatives seat will make a difference. And, even if she does not win, she is hoping to make an impact by starting a movement that can help future candidates get there by igniting this base.
Looking around, she sees all generations struggling with something or the other: millennials are in education debt when they get their lives started, seniors are struggling with the cost of healthcare, and the sandwich generation is struggling with the cost of taxes and the impacts from the other two generations. This is why one of her top focuses is on economics of quality. While the cost of living (healthcare, education, etc.) continues to go up, wages have stayed relatively stagnant and there are no opportunities to improve that thus widening the gap between wage and cost of living. Anita believes that raising the minimum wage is a small step but will not solve all the problems and there must be further investments in low income communities. These investments do not have to be just in terms of handouts, but there are many creative ways to invest such as lower loan rates and tax reforms that help the larger public instead of just large businesses or corporations. Tax reforms given to large businesses should also enforce putting them back into employees because healthy workers contribute to a healthy economy. People are working harder now and have even less time for their kids and families and no savings for retirement. It is important to look at the holistic picture, not just wages, and see how we can build an economy that puts back into its workers.
Another issue close to her heart is that of gun safety. While many have told her not to bring up the topic given she is running in Arizona, she cannot shy away from it because it is a critical issue for the safety of our children and families. And, last but not least, is the importance she gives to campaign finance reform and the efforts to get dark money out of politics. Given her passion towards this issue, she has vowed not to accept any corporate back-money. While this makes it a harder race for her to run because her opponent is not doing the same, it is still a principle she wants to stand by because she strongly believes in it.
When asked about how the actual run differs from her expectations, she candidly responded that she didn’t have a clear expectation of what to expect but felt strongly on her message and just concentrated on that. She is proud and humbled by the diversity in age, ethnic background, disability status, etc. in the room in all of her events and it solidifies her belief that the demographics in Arizona and CD6 have changed. Even if there is not a win at the end of this run, she is excited to know they are activating a base that will be good for the future of this district and state.
Anita’s final message to South Asian readers is to engage in politics. This is our opportunity to use our voice and each and every vote is important and matters. If we are concerned with hatred and what is happening around us but not comfortable protesting against it, you can at least register and vote. Educate yourself on the issues and whatever position you take, use the power to vote to influence change. It is important that we have representation in politics that looks like all of us. If we want to be heard as South Asians, we need to have representation and you want your children and grandchildren to feel that this is normal. While the South Asian community’s involvement in politics has increased, it is not where we would like it to be. Anita believes this may partially be because they don’t see a lot of themselves sin that leadership and will not believe it can happen until they see someone there. We get so busy working and raising families, it may seem like there is no time to do this but it is important because it is those people show voices are not getting heard. Find a candidate that speaks to you and if you can’t give money, give time. Given an hour a week to a candidate to volunteer – stuff envelopes, make phone calls. If people get involved, they will feel the energy and help the cause and themselves.
Asia Today Arizona is grateful to Anita for her valuable time and if you connected with her cause and her message spoke to you, you can help her campaign by donating or volunteering. All information can be found on her website at www.anitaforarizona.com. We wish her the best in the upcoming elections!
