Matthew Dallalah’s Reflection on TANIP 2025 Experience

This summer, I had the privilege of participating in the Thai-American National Internship Program (TANIP). Applying to TANIP, I knew I would learn more about bilateral diplomacy and gain some professional experience in a congressional office if I were accepted. However, I didn’t anticipate how deeply it would affect my understanding of identity, civic responsibility, and the kind of work I hope to do in the future.

I spent the first seven years of my life in Bangkok, surrounded by Thai family, Thai language, and Thai food. After moving back to the United States, my touchpoints with my Thai identity dwindled, and for a long time, I struggled to find where I fit within those two worlds. TANIP gave me a chance to revisit those early uncertainties, not as someone caught between those identities, but as someone who could engage with both in a meaningful, civically engaged way.

My internship with Congresswoman Angie Craig’s office gave me a front-row seat to how the federal government operates on a daily basis. At first, answering phones, logging voicemails, and writing letters to constituents felt like basic administrative work. But as the weeks went on, I realized just how important those tasks really were. Every call was someone taking time out of their day to participate in our democracy. Some were frustrated. Some were scared. Others were just trying to be heard. Engaging directly with the concerns of people in my own community made me view my role as a conduit between people and policy, which gave me a sense of purpose I had not experienced before. I better understood that representation is as much about listening as it is legislation, and by the time my internship concluded, I felt more connected to my district and had never felt more proud to be a Minnesotan.

One particular experience that stood out to me is when I had to sift through more than 500 voicemails after a controversial bill passed. Many of the messages were from the district’s most vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or low-income, all pleading for their healthcare not to be taken away. It wasn’t the function of government that surprised me, but the rawness of the human impact behind every policy. I knew intellectually that federal legislation affected lives; what I hadn’t fully appreciated until then was the degree of vulnerability people feel when they believe the system is failing them. It reminded me that policy isn’t abstract; it’s deeply personal. It affects people’s lives, their sense of stability, and their futures. Sitting there, listening to those voices, I felt the weight of what public service is supposed to be.

Not everything I saw was encouraging. While watching a floor vote one afternoon, I watched a member of Congress show up to vote visibly intoxicated. While their physical condition caught me by surprise, I was more disheartened by the lack of any visible intervention or accountability. It was merely business as usual. Seeing this unfold, I couldn’t help but think about the people who entrusted that Congress member with this responsibility, and those whose lives are directly impacted by their policy decisions. The imperfections of government are well known, but this laid bare to me how performative some aspects of politics can be. Those moments were disillusioning, but they also gave me clarity. They pushed me to think critically about what kind of public servant I want to be and what values I want to carry into any space I step into moving forward.

After my time on the Hill, I spent the final portion of TANIP working at the Royal Thai Embassy. That shift from domestic politics to international diplomacy was both refreshing and eye-opening, especially since I hope to pursue a career in international relations. One notable task I got assigned was analyzing how Thai and Cambodian media outlets were framing the border dispute between the two countries, as well as tracking coverage of new U.S.-Thailand tariff adjustments. Tasks like this not only gave me a window into the day-to-day work of an
embassy, but also reminded me that diplomacy is just as much about trust and perception as it is about trade deals and treaties. I got to see how deeply symbolic policy decisions can be, especially between countries with long-standing ties. It was a very different kind of political engagement than what I saw on Capitol Hill, but no less important.

In many ways, this dual exposure helped me clarify my professional aspirations. I came into the program with a general interest in public service and international affairs. Now, writing this from the gate of my flight home, I leave with a more focused sense of direction. Whether through the pursuit of a graduate degree or working directly in the foreign service post-graduation, I now understand the kind of impact I want to make. I am particularly interested in the intersection between identity, diplomacy, and governance. In the future, I hope to contribute not only to broadening the touchpoints underrepresented communities have to government, but also to reshaping it in ways that center their values and lived experiences rather than treating them as an afterthought.

This brings me to one of the most important takeaways from TANIP: the power of visibility. Thai-Americans are a relatively small population in the United States, and as a result, our voices are often overlooked in government and media. Programs like TANIP help address this gap by building pathways into systems that too often feel out of reach. They remind us that even small communities can and should have a voice in policymaking and diplomacy. As a Thai-American, I am uniquely positioned as a bridge between cultures, and I have a responsibility to make that position meaningful.

Looking ahead, I want to carry what I learned this summer and apply it to the work I do in the future, wherever that may be. Whether I end up working in domestic policy, international
affairs, or a completely different field, I know I want to stay connected to the values that guided me throughout this internship: empathy, community, and accountability. I want to continue creating space for people whose voices are often overlooked. I want to work in ways that build trust, whether it be between governments and their people, between communities, or even between countries. I also hope to support civic engagement within my own Thai-American community. Though small in number, we deserve meaningful representation, and I hope to shift the boundaries of who gets heard and whose experiences are centered. TANIP has shown me that representation, when coupled with intention, can not only open doors but fundamentally change the narrative around what leadership looks like in civic institutions.