Democracy in Action: Meet Joshua Cardenas ’19

Joshua Cardenas ’19 had worked for five members of Congress but had never been involved in vetting and research before he took a job at the White House for Vice President Kamala Harris in 2022.

“If you have opportunity to work in the White House, you take it. Whether it be pushing the snow, cutting the grass, anything to work there,” Cardenas said. As associate director of research and vetting in Harris’ office, he said he was tasked with ensuring events were focused on the people and issues the administration wanted to support.

Cardenas always knew he wanted a career in government, he said. His goal is to ensure that the government works for families like his—he comes from a low-income, immigrant family in San Francisco—and that people have a positive experience with their representatives.

His path to Pennsylvania Avenue was inspired by his mother’s service in the U.S. Navy and former President Barack Obama’s calls for young people to be active in politics. Before Wesleyan, he served on the San Francisco Youth Commission that advised local policymakers on issues relating to young people in San Francisco.

“There I got to see how city government works. That’s where I cut my teeth in politics,” Cardenas said.

With aspirations of eventually working in Congress, he sought out colleges that he thought could get him there. Wesleyan, he said, stood out. “What inspired me to come to Wesleyan was its rich history of political activism and engagement and thoughtfulness on issues,” he said.

“I wanted to be in the same environment where people would be just as engaged and prepared and push me on my positions or help me understand where they’re coming from,” Cardenas said. “And to really ensure that my positions are sharp and informed.”

Breaking into Congressional work was difficult. It took dozens of networking coffee dates, late-night policy events, and hearing the word “no” repeatedly. But Cardenas refused to let rejections deter him from fulfilling his dreams.

“This is possible despite the structural barriers that may prevent somebody from my background from working in Congress or at the White House,” Cardenas said.

While at Wesleyan, Cardenas interned for the California Department of Justice, a nonprofit housing developer, and in the district office for former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. This is where he got comfortable interacting with meeting with the public, which would come in handy later in his career as he got more responsibility in policy work.

After graduating he was itching to work in Washington and found his first job answering phones in Harris’ Senate office through the now defunct College to Congress program, which helped individuals from underrepresented backgrounds work in Congressional offices. After working for Harris and California Senator Alex Padilla, he got his first shot to participate in policymaking for Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. In that role, he wrote memos, met with constituents and stakeholders, and worked to help advance Blumenthal’s policy proposals, he said.

Cardenas spent four years in Washington before he returned home earlier this year to work for San Francisco Mayor London Breed as a junior fiscal and policy analyst. He now spends his days working on the San Francisco city budget to ensure it reflects the mayor’s priorities. During the budget process, he and his team met with residents and organizations on several occasions to make sure their voices were heard.

“Research shows that any experience that you have with an institution will alter your views on that specific institution forever,” Cardenas said. “What I wanted to do in any position I had, whether it be as an intern, or as a staffer, is ensure that experience with government is a positive one.”