This blog post is written by Anaya Sheik, Khadijah Zahid, Iqra Waheed, and Zahra Alam, all part of the APF 2024 Interns cohort. APF Interns worked in an experiential learning environment with the APF GOTV 2024 program, operations, communications, Leadership Council, and other related initiatives.

Anaya Sheikh

My motivation for joining APF’s Get Out the Vote (GOTV) initiative was the education and research of civic engagement among Pakistani Americans, which allows shared lived experiences and ultimately influences policy making. I was interested in engaging with others to encourage civic duty, especially during a time of political conflict where voters are unsure of their political stance. My unique roles during this experience included tasks in operations and communications. It was my first experience aiding in grant research using the Instrumentl platform. It was a little daunting at first, but once I was comfortable with the platform, it became easier to provide weekly updates on grants that aligned with APF’s goals. My second task was creating and updating an infographic for an APF informational pamphlet highlighting APF’s initiatives and their impact on the community. This included the Leadership Council, the UN initiative, the APF One mentorship program, Rising Stars, Youth Development, and GOTV.

Khadijah Zahid

As an intern at the American Pakistan Foundation, I maintained the unparalleled opportunity to experience a multifaceted role across research, operations, and GOTV initiatives. This structure offered an invaluable perspective, combining data-driven research with operational execution to deepen APF’s impact within the Pakistani American community. One of my core projects was managing the operational aspects of APF’s webinars, including crafting themes, developing outlines, and overseeing logistics. These webinars served as platforms for dialogue and learning, offering Pakistani Americans a space to connect, explore, and contribute their capacity in civic life. My execution in coordinating these events permitted me to transform research into practice, creating consequential experiences for the community. Alongside this, I developed a comprehensive outreach database that strengthened APF’s ability to engage with community leaders, organizations, and advocates. By identifying contacts, collecting and analyzing data, and segmenting key groups, I designed a resource that enhanced our outreach precision, ensuring communications were both strategic and relevant.

Iqra Waheed

My first experience with the American Pakistan Foundation was when I was interviewed for the GOTV internship. My interviewer, Noah Usman, listened thoughtfully and asked me questions that related to the work that GOTV and APF have done in the past. As he asked me questions, I became intrigued with the work of APF and I wanted to be a part of so many varying subsects of the organization. 

My experience as a GOTV intern with the American Pakistan Foundation has been incredibly enlightening, as I worked towards engaging the Pakistani American diaspora for the 2024 presidential election. I will say that throughout my internship, what I did primarily was work with Pakistani Student Associations (PSAs), join weekly meetings, and create content including slides, and YouTube videos. One of the most impactful aspects of my work was collaborating with PSAs across New York City, specifically within the CUNY system, including schools like Baruch, John Jay, and Hunter Colleges. Working with these student organizations, I encountered challenging conversations. At times they upset me, and I felt as though I was annoying others or that I was pushing for an effort that no one seemed to care about. However, as I worked with PSAs—whether on the phone, through Zoom calls, or in person—I learned the value of engaging and diverse dialogues.  

I recall several conversations where students voiced their frustrations, expressing disinterest in voting because they felt disconnected from the candidates or skeptical about the impact of their vote. When I replied, I emphasized the privilege of having the right to vote, noting the struggles many faced to secure this fundamental right. I explained that while our initiative was nonpartisan and did not endorse any candidate, our goal was to ensure that Pakistani communities were recognized as active participants in democracy. I shared the GOTV initiative with adults in my community, such as my family, or those who came to our family’s restaurant. I explained how, through research and pledge tools, we could demonstrate to policymakers that our community's voices matter, which could drive future efforts to address our needs and concerns.

When I spoke at the APF Annual Fellows and Interns Presentation, reflecting on my experience, as well as when I filmed YouTube content with Imaan Zaheer, I was excited to be sharing information with those who may not have ever voted before. I'm also excited about our upcoming Leadership Council event in New York City, where I’ll have the chance to network with those I have only ever seen through a screen—the influential leaders at APF who are passionate about Pakistani American advancement. Even attending the Jim Luce Foundation awards ceremony and meeting Dr. Nasir Qureshi, APF Board Chair, and Maha Butt, APF Executive Administrator, allowed me to see how APF was able to bring new experiences for myself and my sister, Samia Waheed. Overall, this internship has taught me the power of community engagement. I am proud to be the representation of Pakistanis both in the voting booth and beyond.

Zahra Alam

My experience with the American Pakistan Foundation as part of the GOTV initiative has led me to understand how to engage with communities and how to effectively spread a message. Throughout my time at APF, I worked on various social media projects, such as a reel of different testimonials and different infographics. Because of this, I learned what strategies are effective and what is not. In the future, I believe more time should be focused not just on Instagram but on additional social media, such as TikTok, where much of the younger generation lies. I’ve also learned that longer videos and ‘testimonials’ don’t do as well as simple infographics or short video clips, which is just because of the fast-paced nature of social media. One of the most important things I worked on was the call-to-action video. I wrote out a quick script, sent outlines to multiple members of APF, and edited everything together. Although the response wasn’t as great as I hoped, I still feel that the video was really impactful and adequately met the goal of a call to action. 

While trying to get signatures for the Pledge to Vote, I encountered many individuals who were conflicted on whether or not to vote because of certain issues specific to the 2024 elections. This experience taught me how to navigate trying to stay non-partisan and still answer questions that people might have. I emphasized how important it is to have representation from our communities and to show that the Pakistani community is recognized as an active participant in democracy. I explained how taking steps to participate in local elections to national elections can benefit our communities and give us the resources we need to address our concerns. In the future, I would love to engage more with my local PSA and Pakistani communities during non-election years in order to keep good relationships and keep them involved. 

Overall, I am extremely grateful and proud to have been a part of the GOTV 2024.

Webinar

Anaya and Khadijah organized the webinar, “Advocates as Architects of Civic Power,” featuring four distinguished panelists from diverse fields across the country. The discussion centered on their advocacy efforts to strengthen democratic participation, complemented by their personal experiences and unique perspectives. In preparation for the event, we coordinated extensively with panelists, developed a detailed agenda, and crafted a comprehensive memo that included tailored questions. To maximize outreach, we designed an engaging infographic for social media promotion, ensuring broad visibility within our community. Khadijah served as the host, skillfully guiding the conversation with thought-provoking questions, while Anaya moderated the event, seamlessly introducing panelists and ensuring logistics operated accordingly. The webinar was highly successful, fostering collaboration among advocates, sharing actionable strategies, and providing valuable resources for attendees. It served as a platform to amplify Pakistani American civic engagement and inspire greater participation in advocacy, reinforcing our mission to empower underrepresented communities in driving social change.

Research

A central focus of our internship was contributing to APF’s “Get Out the Vote” research report, an in-depth 35-page analysis examining the civic engagement dynamics within the Pakistani American community. Our initial work centered on constructing an annotated bibliography and gathering sources to build a foundation for capturing statistical patterns in voting and civic behavior, as well as the personal, lived experiences underlying these trends. Pivotal areas of our research included voter turnout, civic identity, and the socio-political factors influencing Pakistani Americans’ engagement with public life. We utilized the annotated bibliography to collaborate on a literature review highlighting the unique challenges Pakistani Americans face despite high levels of educational attainment—ranging from linguistic and cultural gaps to skepticism toward political institutions. These insights provided crucial context, shaping our approach to community outreach with greater sensitivity to these barriers. A pivotal aspect of the research involved conducting interviews with community members to gain qualitative insights that quantitative data alone could not convey. Through these conversations, we identified consistent themes, including the need for community representation, generational divides in civic perspectives, and how Pakistani Americans view their role in American society. Incorporating these firsthand narratives enriched the report, lending depth and authenticity by connecting statistical findings with real voices from the community. This experience underscored the value of qualitative insights for a more nuanced, human-centered understanding of civic engagement.

Podcast

Our final step before publishing was to produce a podcast with the GOTV Research team, showcasing key findings and future implications. We provided historical context on Pakistani American engagement in U.S. society, highlighting shifts in political participation, particularly post-9/11. Essential patterns from the oral interviews included generational variance in political involvement, socioeconomic influences, and the need for greater representation. This election cycle emphasized issues like immigration, healthcare, and foreign policy. Limited data on Pakistani American voting trends posed challenges in quantifying participation, and our research—focused on metropolitan areas—may not fully capture the broader diaspora. Our Pledge to Vote tool offered insights into voter distribution, though engagement was lower than anticipated. Future research should gather more comprehensive data on Pakistani American voter behavior and expand efforts to foster continuous civic participation. Our webinar and podcast are available on APF’s PAK Network YouTube channel.

Conclusion

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Misaal Irfan, APF GOTV Program Manager, and Henry Alphin, APF Director of Operations, for their unwavering support and guidance throughout this process. Their mentorship not only enriched our understanding of civic engagement but also inspired us to strive for excellence in serving the community. Additionally, we are immensely grateful to the other interns and staff members who collaborated with us, bringing creativity, dedication, and a shared passion for empowering Pakistani Americans through research, dialogue, and action.

This internship has been a transformative experience, equipping us with practical skills and deep insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the Pakistani American community. Programs like APF’s GOTV initiative are vital in amplifying underrepresented voices, fostering civic empowerment, and nurturing the next generation of advocates and leaders.