Sanjyot Dunung (Weinberg ’86) said attending Northwestern was “the most pivotal” experience of her life. At NU, she said, she discovered her love for business and politics — worlds she is now exploring professionally.
The alum announced a bid for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District — which encompasses Chicago suburbs west of Evanston — on May 13. She said her experience as an immigrant and small business owner are central to her campaign.
The Daily spoke with Dunung about her campaign, goals if elected and experience at NU.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
The Daily: What inspired you to run for office?
Dunung: Like many people, I have been increasingly more active in politics over the last five or six years. When I was out in the community and talking to folks — long before I even decided to run — I was hearing a lot from people about how worried they were about the chaos, the uncertainty and the economy. I took care of my aging mother, who was disabled, so I was sort of seeing it firsthand.
With the election unfolding the way it did in November, I was deeply concerned, like a lot of folks, about what this meant for our future. People were angry. People wanted change. I was hearing a lot about that. As we started to get into this new year, people started thinking about wanting responsible change. I thought, ‘I’m really ready to roll up my sleeves.’
The Daily: You were born in India and immigrated to America as a child, and your campaign uses the line “Made in America.” What does that saying mean to you?
Dunung: It’s a mindset. Immigrants are the secret sauce of what’s made America so great over the last several hundred years. I think it’s always good to remind ourselves that that’s why we’re the engine of growth for the world, that’s why we’re the innovation hub for the world. We want to attract the best and the brightest. We want people who come here with strong work ethics, because we benefit as a country, as an economy and as a community.
I have been so fortunate that my parents chose to come here. I can’t take credit for that. They brought me here at age 6, but I’ve benefited. They brought their work ethic, they brought their sense of purpose, but they also instilled in me a really deep sense of pride in everything that America has to offer. It’s the promise of what America is.
It doesn’t mean that we’re perfect today, but we’re all aspirationally moving in the same direction — hopefully to try to get to that improved version of whatever America is. “Made in America” is really a mindset for me about what is so great about this country. We certainly need to fix some things, but we take pride in the American dream and making sure that the American dream is here for the next generation and generations yet to come.
The Daily: The Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Rising & Empowering Political Action Committee endorsed your campaign earlier this week. How is your identity impacting your campaign?
Dunung: I’m deeply humbled and honored to have received that endorsement. It’s not common to get that kind of an endorsement in week two of the campaign. It was a huge vote of confidence by the members in the House who were part of the ASPIRE PAC, and I am very grateful to them. I think it really shows that there’s an understanding that we need to get more people into the House who understand the immigrant experience, but also champion small businesses, champion the American dream and make sure it’s available for everybody.
As somebody who’s built a business with integrating social sciences methodologies and talking about culture and how we communicate, interact and manage more effectively across all cultures, I have a deep respect for folks from every part of the world. I’m very fascinated and curious about how culture impacts how we think, how we act and how we value things.
I think that this is an opportunity for me to really be able to engage with people from everywhere and really say, “What’s our shared experience? What are our shared values?” I think that this endorsement really helps me connect more with my community at large.
The Daily: How did your time at NU shape you as a person and professional?
Dunung: Week two of my freshman year, I was in a class with R. Barry Farrell, a political science professor, and he just completely captivated me — so I became a political science major. That was probably one of the most pivotal classes that I had. I did stay pre-med, although I became pre-business as well, which is the track I ended up in. I think that’s one of the values of Northwestern. You can be pre-professional and major in a wide variety of things, which I think gives people a better liberal education.
I lived in Willard Residential College my freshman year, and I was a Gamma Phi. One fun fact is that I delivered newspapers for the Chicago Tribune for three years — it was how I had my spending money. At 5:30 in the morning, seven days a week, I delivered newspapers. I’m deeply grateful I came to Northwestern.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— NU alum announces campaign for U.S. House of Representatives
— Democrats announce bid for state Senate seat after Laura Fine launches Congressional campaign
— Three Democrats join race to succeed longtime Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin
