For many of us, Labor Day marks the unofficial beginning of the year. Whether we’re many years from having finished high school or college, and whether or not we have children of our own we need to help prepare for the new school year, the promise of starting fresh is as much in the air as the gradual changing from summer to fall. The sun will rise later in the morning, new schedules will start surfacing for everything from day care to bus and train arrivals and departures. September is a blank slate on which we can all imprint our hopes and dreams for the future.
It’s with this mindset of looking towards the future with new eyes and open minds that Sampan spoke with Anthony Nguyen, the new Director of SPARK Boston. Once known as the Mayor’s ONEin3 initiative, former Mayor Marty Walsh re-launched the program as SPARK Boston in May 2016. The goals are lofty: set priorities, address city issues, and plan for Boston’s future. With millennial and Gen Z young people (aged 20-35) comprising 39% of Boston’s residents, SPARK has the potential to be an agent of positive change as we head into what will surely be a contentious 2024 election cycle.
SAMPAN: City leaders will often talk about their “civic journey” and what it took for them to get from where they were to where they are now. How do you define a “civic journey” for a generation more often than not preoccupied with being social media influencers?
NGUYEN: My civic journey started at a young age and I did not even know it. As a young boy I would often participate in community service trips after school and on the weekends. Instead of sitting around the house watching TV, I took the opportunity to give back to my community. As I grew up, the passion for community service grew with me. All of these experiences would amplify my understanding of the needs people have every day and how the government can influence our lives and why everyone should actively engage. I chose public service because I am able to truly influence people’s lives for the better.
SAMPAN: Words are carefully chosen when creating and selling a city program. Many years ago, the notion of “community” was more solid and definable, literally and figuratively black and white. Change can be difficult for some people. How do you define “community” in a `social climate that seems to be more divisive than ever? Can there be “community” when neighbors don’t speak with each other? Can there be “community” when the forever marginalized and disenfranchised always have to fight for a place at the neighborhood table?
NGUYEN: I believe Community is fluid and ever changing; it happens in places and the lives of people you have never had the opportunity to connect with. Sometimes communities can be formed in small groups of people and other times you are one of thousands. If we have a mindset of building towards community, you would be amazed of how much joy, love, and support there can be in society. All it takes is one initial conversation with your neighbor to start the chain reaction.
SAMPAN: Cultural awareness can manifest in many ways and at many different levels, not all of them positive. What steps are you taking to ensure that all elements of the diverse cultures reflected in Boston get the chance to shine?
NGUYEN: SPARK Boston is focused on connecting, innovating and empowering all of Boston including those who live, work, or hangout in our city’s cultural districts. Whether that’s Little Saigon where Vietnamese families reside, Upham’s Corner or along Dudley Street where some Cape Verdeans call home, South Boston where Irish families may live, or pockets of Dorchester where Caribbean families live. SPARK Boston considers all of Boston when we are developing programming. We want our programming to be culturally responsive and a space that is made for everyone to connect to local government regardless of who you are. Understanding the local culture and population is key when determining how civic engagement shows up in SPARK Boston. We also want to give people the space to tell us their needs, interests, and desires for the City of Boston without assuming what is best for the younger generation. This year, our council members represent almost all neighborhoods in Boston. They all bring their own personal perspectives and life experiences to the council. I look forward to their leadership during their term with SPARK Boston.
SAMPAN: Transformation within the heroic journey is a big part of all our narratives. We start in one place and end up in another, for better or for worse. The immigrant narrative is even more gripping, more immediate. As the son of Vietnamese immigrants, what’s your story? How has what your parents sacrificed to come here made you the man you are today?
NGUYEN: I owe everything I am to my parents. My parents immigrated to the U.S. with very little to nothing in their pockets. It was an extremely difficult time for them to adjust and start a new life in America considering the lack of English, finances, and limited access to programming at the time. Over the years, they were able to establish themselves and raise my sister and I in Dorchester. My parents worked very hard to make sure I had what I needed. Growing up in this environment I was able to see firsthand how much hard work is required to support a family, to grind and sacrifice everything so the next generation can have a better life. Everything I do today is because of them and for them. Because of all their struggles they were able to instill all the values I hold dear to my heart today.
SAMPAN: The literal face of Boston leadership has changed over the years and maintaining that trajectory will only make us stronger as a city. Aside from building up the ethnic and racial diversity of Boston’s future through SPARK, how do you hope to change the mindset and ideology of the unfortunate perception many have that Boston has not and will not come to terms with its racism? The recent NAACP conference went far to rehabilitating Boston’s image. Are you hopeful this younger generation of potential civic leaders forge a more positive path for Boston’s future?
NGUYEN: I believe change starts first with ourselves. And then as a collective community. I am excited about the progress our city has made in regards to doing the work to ensure everyone feels welcome. As far as the younger generation, in my experience as a SPARK Council member and now as the director of the program I have witnessed the younger generation leading in neighborhoods in Boston, volunteering their time for community cleanups and working towards being the change they want to see in Boston. So, yes I have hope in our city and the younger generation. I encourage young people ages 20-35 years old to connect with SPARK Boston on social media or visit our website at www.boston.gov/sparkboston.
