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Door to Door: Asif Khan
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Daniel meets thousands of 17th District residents during the course of his door to door walks. This is part of a series of profiles of people in our community who first got to know Daniel at their doors. Read the most current profile below or click here to see others. |
I’ve been unemployed for over a year, so when Daniel came to my door last month and asked what issues were on my mind, I said point-blank "the economy." I’ve been in the banking business for 19 years, since a year after I arrived from India. I rose from an entry-level position to increasingly responsible positions in management. I have so much experience that I thought I would be able to get another job quickly. I was wrong. Two months ago, I attended an information session for a new FDIC satellite office—along with 600 other people looking for work. That was just the morning session; there was another in the afternoon. Illinois ranks second in the country in bank failures, and more banks are expected to fail in 2010. It is very disheartening—even more so since we just found out that my wife’s position as a library media technology assistant at Madison School will be cut in June.
I instantly liked Daniel—his approach, the way he talked to me, and his ideas about what he would change in Springfield. He is very candid, and I loved that—as well as his determination and enthusiasm. I’m impressed that he has been knocking on doors since February.
I’ve never wanted to work for a candidate before, but I immediately volunteered. I walked door-to-door with Daniel just a few days after our conversation in my doorway. People take to Daniel; many asked him to come inside and talk. And lots of people said they remember him and had voted for him in the last election. I expected to walk until 5:30 p.m., but he’s so energetic—we were still walking when I could no longer read the numbers on the houses or the addresses on my walk sheets!
Asif Khan and his wife, Raqshinda, came to the United States in September 1990 with their two-year-old son. Drawn by the excellent school system, they moved to Skokie 13 years ago. They have two children: a 22-year-old son who attends Oakton Community College and Northeastern University, and a 17-year-old daughter who is a junior at Niles North High School. Asif is the treasurer of the East Maine School District 63 Education Foundation and has been on its board for five years.
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