Juliette Kayyem, a daughter of Lebanese immigrants, has spent most of her career in public service. She says her Arab American roots are the motivation for her involvement in the public sphere. She has worked in government and for the public because of  — not despite —her family’s background.

Kayyem has served as a civil rights attorney; national security adviser in Massachusetts and Washington DC; and a columnist for the Boston Globe, promoting progressive causes. Recently, she announced her candidacy for the governor of Massachusetts.   

“What drives me is who I am, as the daughter of a Lebanese immigrant family,” she said in an interview with The Arab American News. “Being an immigrant is about contributing to this nation.”

She added that being from a large family, where her grandparents have more than 30 grandchildren, has contributed to her leadership skills.

“I have more than 100 people related to me. That makes me realize the importance of the cycle of communities. I understand how people always want something a little better for their kids,” she said. “The warmth I grew up with in a large family makes me optimistic. Hoping and working for a better future is an important part of leadership.”

Kayyem recalled how her mother, who immigrated from north Lebanon to Kentucky, then moved to California, would carry her immigration papers in a Ziploc bag and always say, “I belong.”

“When President Obama asked me to participate in the naturalization ceremony of 400 people, I understood how the new guard can become the old guard,” she said.

Kayyem graduated from Harvard Law School with a Jurist Doctor degree in 1995. She is the mother of three children. She resides in Cambridge with her husband David Barron, a Professor of Public Law at Harvard Law School.

She said the positions that she has held have helped her open the doors for others and raise issues that are important to the community, such as opposing racial profiling and promoting comprehensive immigration reform.

Kayyem.

Kayyem, who worked as an analyst for CNN during the Boston Marathon bombing in April, said the terrorist attack will not affect her negatively in the race.

“In Massachusetts, there was no generalization or bashing of immigrants after the attack,” she said. “I played a big role for CNN during that period. I urged everyone to be calm and not rush into conclusions. My experience in crisis management helped. It showed the kind of leadership I can bring.”

Kayyam said, as governor, she would not allow any surveillance, based on racial profiling, by local law enforcement.

She added that she was “very critical” of the New York Police Department’s “demographics unit,” which spied on the Muslim community in the City.

Kayyem was appointed as Massachusetts’ first Undersecretary for Homeland Security by Gov. Deval L. Patrick in 2007. She was also the Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, under President Barack Obama. 

She said that during her work in national security, she combated policies “dividing our community against the government,” such as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), which placed restrictions on the travel of citizens from mostly Muslim countries to and from the U.S. and resulted in the deportation of thousands of people. 

She added that law enforcement agencies should have a commitment to the communities they serve. 

Kayyem said that she was also supportive of BRIDGES, a national security program that set up a communication process between community leaders and law enforcement agencies in the post-9/11 era. 

Kayyem, who is currently a lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, said, as a Democratic governor, she will focus on job creation, education, schools, infrastructure and gun control.

“I will also focus on ways to convince all the people to participate in a common effort to improve our State,” she added.

The Harvard lecturer added that electoral races in Massachusetts are not divisive, because of the progressive nature of the state. There is little disagreement on social issues, like abortion, so candidates can focus on matters that are important to everybody.

“For states like ours, most people are socially progressive, which makes it possible for the campaign not to divide and appeal to people from all sides of the political spectrum,” she explained. “All people want to be able to have jobs and better lives and education for their children. They look to government to make that journey easier.”

Kayyem said her campaign is going “great.” 

In Massachusetts, candidates need to get the support of at least 15 percent of their party’s delegates, who are elected in state-wide caucuses, to make it to the primary ballot. The primaries will take place in September. The general election is on November 4, 2014.

Kayyem, who has never been elected to public office, said she counts on her appeal to young voters in her bid for governor. She adds that she has a “distinct opportunity to engage a new generation of voters and activists.”

 Her advice to young Arab Americans is to be involved in the decision-making process, whether by holding government positions, or challenging the government through non-governmental organizations.

“Always serve your country, even when you disagree with it,” she said. “Having voices, like ours, inside the door will change things. Let us reach out, instead of antagonizing our community. We all belong.”