I Can Vote! I Can Vote!
Starting February 20, Boston Progress Radio is participating in the first Youth Media Blog-a-thon hosted by WireTap and Youth Outlook. Young bloggers from around the nation will come together to discuss the hot topic of the day: Election 2008. This will be the first in what we hope will be a monthly event of youth sharing ideas and building stronger alliances. Please read the other blogs participating in this event and come back over the next few days to read our response(s) to the other blogs.
I am a naturalized American citizen. My naturalization ceremony took place on July 4, 2002 at the Seattle Center in a building just next to the Space Needle. I took my first pledge of allegiance and revoked all affiliations with all other countries just so I could call myself a citizen of the United States of America. I was pretty happy to be a citizen and it wasn’t because I could now call myself a card carrying member of the only modern day hegemony (or are we an empire?) on Earth. I was just happy that I could finally vote.
I have often wondered why the right to vote should be restricted to American citizens. Why shouldn’t immigrants (legal or illegal) be allowed to vote? As a permanent resident, I had the privilege of paying state, local, and federal taxes, I had the privilege of registering with the Selective Services System so that I could defend and fight for this country, and I had the privilege of subjecting myself to a physical examination just to prove my worthiness.
I suppose I’m making at least two points here: 1) The rules governing naturalization (I really despise that word) are pretty arbitrary here and anywhere else. 2) Many immigrants contribute in productive ways to this society. They should be allowed to make choices that help them shape the place they have chosen to call home.
The issue of who should be allowed to vote has an interesting history that I won’t go into. I think it is sufficient to point out that women and people of color, immigrant or not, have always had to fight to get that right to vote. That fight has not ended. If you recall, back in the 2000 elections, voters in Florida were essentially disenfranchised by being turned away at the polls. Needless to say, many of those voters were black and lower-class. One might even say that all the voters of Florida were disenfranchised by Clarence Thomas with his vote to stop the recount. Voter irregularities still continue today.
Despite all this voter irregularity, I was still pretty excited to get my vote on. Having moved from Canada before I was allowed to vote (age restrictions really seem like an arbitrary rule too), my voting hand was itching to pull some levers, punch some holes, and fill some bubbles. But who would I vote for? Who should I support?
That was 2002, but those same questions plague me again in 2008. Another election is upon us. I’m trying to figure out who I should support. As an Asian American, I think it important to consider how the candidates will support Asian Americans and their beliefs. Barack Obama has a whole group dedicated to API issues within his campaign. Maybe a fellow person of color will understand the Asian American diaspora?
One thing does puzzle me: what do Asian Americans believe? Asian Americans don’t look all the same, why should they have common beliefs? Sure, many Asian Americans may share experiences, but certainly, their views are very diverse. This is where the category may not serve us well.
For example, I once went to a banquet where Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao was speaking. Note that Ms. Chao is the only original cabinet member of Bush’s administration to still be serving. Yeah, it was great to see all these Asian American people coming together to support an Asian American woman who won a place in the cabinet. I have no idea why I was at the banquet though, because my views and hers don’t match at all. I think I’ll chalk it up to youth: I thought that someone who looked the same would think the way I do and have the same beliefs.
The same can be said about former Governor Gary Locke. When I became an American citizen, I was honored to meet Governor Locke at my naturalization ceremony. You all know him as the first Chinese American governor of the United States. I will be honest, I was in awe of him. He was a role model to me. Back then, he was someone I could stand behind and support. Now, I’m not sure I can agree with everything he stands for.
So, on November 4, 2008, when I go to the polls to exercise my right to vote, besides thinking about how lucky I am to be able to vote, I’m going to think hard about who to vote for. I would be happy to see a female president. I would be happy to see a person of color become inaugurated. But it isn’t just these external characteristics that matter—I’m not going to be very happy if Bobby Jindal becomes VP. What matters to me is that I hope when election day comes around and I step into that voting booth, that I can see past the red, white, and blue; see past the bright lights; see past the music videos; see past all the advertising; and vote with my beliefs and with my conscience.
Be sure to check out the posts from other Blog-A-Thon participants.
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Tags: Elections, Immigration, Youth Media Blog-A-Thon.
I think that you should not look at things by race or gender. That kind of thinking is what causes racism. We are all individuals and non of us should have special rights. We should all have the exact same rights and be looked at exactly the same as individuals and human beings. Ron Paul talks a lot about this while the other candidates try to make you think they are going to do something special for your “group” or your “race” or “gender” - this is just bad and it encourages racism and all they are really trying to do is win your vote.
Some folks like Ron Paul would like to believe that this country is a true meritocracy, that if you work hard, you will get what you deserve, that everybody has equal opportunities. Those folks are typically part of a more privileged group of people.
I’m not sure that I want to be looked at exactly the same and furthermore, I’m not sure what you say is possible. I am an individual and I have unique experiences and qualities. Part of that quality is my race, my gender, my identity; you cannot separate those from me as an individual.
I do think that embracing diversity rather than pretending everyone is the same actually does more to make people feel that their individuality is being recognized.
This comment space is probably not the best place to further discuss this. You are entitled to your view.