Ep. 21 - Oliver Ma: Redefining Representation, Civil Rights, and Young Leadership in California

In this episode of Beyond the Hyphen, host Mark Li sits down with Oliver Ma, a civil rights attorney and leading candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California, to examine what leadership looks like in a moment defined by division, inequality, and generational change.Drawing from his work representing tenants and immigrant communities, Oliver reflects on the limits of individual advocacy and the need for structural change. The conversation explores the realities facing AAPI communities, the barriers to political representation, and how identity shapes both legal practice and public leadership.Mark and Oliver also discuss youth civic engagement, declining trust in democratic institutions, and what it takes to build meaningful connections with the next generation beyond election cycles. Grounded in both lived experience and policy perspective, this episode considers how power, responsibility, and representation are evolving in one of the most consequential political landscapes in the country.