THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 4: FEBRUARY 6 | FEATURE EDWIN | FROM PAGE ONE
whatever I could with the resources I have to give back. I inspiring,” Edwin said. “They realized I had what I did not kept LGBTQ folks in the an- because we were smarter or ti-discrimination clause and more deserving, but because said ‘sorry, but no matter of roll of the dice.” what your club is, anyone can She took notice of the participat, no matter their inequities that many children sexuality.’ I honestly feel have had in India. She took nothat The Emery was kind of tice of a kid eating dirt. my start doing community “I realized that I could organizing work.” have easily been born in their Nineteen years later, place ,” Edwin said. “So I have she is running for Ann Arbor a responsibility to do everyCouncil for Ward 3. thing I can to give back and imFrom then on, as prove my community.” more students approached The Class Clown The Emery, the more EdEdwin was voted the win made an impact with her class clown of Huron High words in the editorials. But School’s graduating class she did not just stop there. She of 2003. She unapologetiwould help others write piec- cally admits that she wasn’t es and make sure their voices the most studious. were being heard. “I just tried to make “[This is] kind of like other people laugh all the the similar passion that I con- time,” Edwin said. “I was a littinue having throughout my tle bit of a rebel. I was young. I career, and why I want to run knew I had these values about for office,” Edwin said. poverty and about fighting for The South Asian other people, but I hadn’t fully Edwin was born in realized what my purpose was. London and moved to Ann And I think that’s okay. I have Arbor when she was three. changed lifetimes from the She attendperson that ed Northside I was when School (now I was 18 A2 STEAM years old. S c h o o l ) , Ifsomeone switched to had told me Logan, atback then tended Clague you’re goMiddle School, ing to move and graduated back here from Huron. one day and F o r run for city Edwin, Ann council, I Scan the QR code to look at Arbor taught wouldn’t Edwin’s campaign page. her more have believed about diversithem.” ty and inclusion. Throughout middle “There’s still room to school and high school, Edgrow, right?” Edwin said. “But win was described as “a very I love it. This community is charismatic people person” just unapologetic about talking by her best friend and Huron about and trying to be as inclu- counselor Emily Mashal whom sive as possible.” she met at Clague and talks to She would get the oc- every single day. casional comments like, ‘your “Everyone was friends lunch smells bad,’ and in fact, with her,” Mashal said. “I was Edwin was always placed in shyer in middle school and “English as a Second Lan- we became closer friends. So gauge,” however, it was not we were friendly, but we beher second language. came much better friends “I don’t think that later in high school. And anyone was trying to be ill then we’ve been friends ever intentioned,” Edwin said. since. I couldn’t be prouder “There was less of an under- of her. She has accomplished standing about people who so much already in her career have other identities back being, an executive director then. So there were some ex- of national organizations and periences that I had, but I is a lecturer for Social Work think they also shaped me at U of M, a mom of two. She and made me more acutely is so passionate and dediaware of how people feel - and cated to Ann Arbor. We’ll whether they feel like they do be friends forever.” or don’t belong.” Despite being the Gaining Perspective burst of joy to the world, in “Is it true that reality, Edwin sometimes in America, the roads struggled with her identity . are paved in gold?” She admits to a period in midA wide-eyed, inno- dle school when she used to cent, seven-year-old Edwin straighten her hair and wear was on the streets of In- blue contacts to school. dia when a kid approached “[Your generation] her asking her this. will call out inequity when “It hit me so hard,” you see it,” Edwin shared. Edwin said. “I realized that “ And it’s more supported the world that I lived in was now, to have different diverse like a fantasy world to people identities. When I was growthat have so little. “What it did ing up, you weren’t supposed for me is, I felt a need to do to call it out. You were just
Huron High School 2003 graduation, pictured far left is Emily Mashal and Ayesha Ghazi Edwin on the right. COURTESY OF EDWIN supposed to fit in.” The activist After graduating high school, Edwin pursued a bachelor’s degree at Albion College in sociology and political science and obtained a master’s at the University of Michigan school of social work majoring in social policy and evaluation. After moving to Albion College, Edwin was struck by the lack of diversity on campus in comparison to how she grew up in Ann Arbor. Edwin recounts the moment she was considering transferring schools and what her mom said to her: “If you leave you will be just as ignorant as other people who you may think are being small-minded. So let yourself have these experiences with people and get to know these people with completely different upbringings.” And she did. I ended up making friends for life,” Edwin said. I realized when I was in college, just how unique growing up in Ann Arbor is. It’s unique, and it’s an exceptional place.” She has worked for several organizations over the last decade in fighting anti-Asian American discrimination, for labor rights and civil rights while being appointed several positions. Edwin’s parents did not fully understand her career path but always emphasized the importance of civic engagement and public service. “They’ve always emphasized how important it is to be involved in changing your community for the better,” Edwin said. “They’re impressed that I’m doing this as my career forever. I hope it will inspire other immigrant kids who feel like they may not be following the typical path, that if you’re an immigrant or not an immigrant, you can
get involved in changing your community. And you can help others do it too.” She continues. “My parents have always kind of said that, ‘people with different backgrounds and political opinions from you, and religions from you. They all have something to teach you, like every person that you encounter has something to teach you. These experiences help you grow and learn, and make you who you are.” This approach has indefinitely encouraged her to be a community organizer.
I believe that civic engagement should be accessible. It shouldn’t just be for the rich or retired. It should be for the working mom, the middle class worker. We all pay taxes, and have a right to have a say in how our community functions. And that’s what I hope to bring to office. I hope to bring the voices of working people to our city’s governance.” “We are one of the most economically segregated cities in the nation,” Edwin explains. “And that’s a cost to us. When you have almost 80 percent of your workforce commuting in because Let yourself fail. Let they can’t “I believe afford to yourself try new things. that we live here, as a comthat’s a loss Let yourself deviate munity for us.That’s from your plan. Be kind agree on people who so much, are spendto yourself on your and our ing their tax journey. You may find values dollars in are very businesses yourself exactly where much the someplace same,” else, votEdwin ing someAYESHA GHAZI EDWIN said. “We place else. all want We’re losa safe ing the kind community, with good jobs, of unique identities that schools and a place where our made our city great.” children can thrive. We just Finding Herself need to focus on our shared Edwin knew in her values and less on the poli- early 30s what she wanttics that divide us.” ed to do. She knew that If Edwin gets elect- she liked helping people . ed for Ann Arbor Council She liked public speaking. (Ward 3), she plans on mak- She liked writing. ing sure everyone’s voices “It took me trying difare heard, continue efforts ferent things before feeling like around climate change, af- ‘okay, this is actually where I fordable housing and making belong,’” she said. us a more equitable and acHer contemplative cessible community for all. advice speaks to all of us. “I think it’s so import- “Let yourself fail,” she said. ant that people have their voic- “Let yourself try new things. es heard in their government,” Let yourself deviate from your Edwin said. “And one of the plan. Be kind to yourself on reasons I’m running, despite your journey. You may find having two kids under three yourself exactly where you and a full time job, is because were meant to be.”
“
you were meant to be.
