Election Day Reflections
We have come to the end of another election cycle, where the fate of who controls the White House and Congress will be determined once votes are counted. I don't need to remind this group why this is so important. We all know. One the one hand, we have a candidate who promises to be a president for all, and on the other someone who has made it his legacy to sow hate and division, dehumanize immigrants, take away women's rights, and degrade Black and Brown people. It's distressing that it's come down to a toss up between these two very different visions of America, even though we know who will win the popular vote. It's also been inspiring to see the enthusiasm this election has inspired in people to defend civil rights, the climate, and democracy. The amount of donations, activism, phonebanking, and doorknocking has been unprecedented.
Voting and civic engagement are very meaningful to me because of my family history. My parents came to the United States from China as political refugees. My father was a political prisoner during the Cultural Revolution for 20 years. He was a graduate student in the United States at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 and was granted refugee status to remain in the United States through the Chinese Student Refugee Act of 1990, an act of generosity towards refugees that would be unimaginable in the United States today. He was then able to bring my mom and me into the country as well. My parents are the hardest working and most patriotic people I know. My father worked in the Washington DC Public Health Department until he retired at age 83, he loved his job so much. My mother worked at a telecommunications company that manufactured devices for the U.S. Department of Defense until she retired. We remember what it was like to live in a country where you had no rights—no right to choose your leaders, where you could be arrested for no reason, and where you could be exiled or killed for speaking out against the government. Democracy is a precious gift that not everyone in the world gets to enjoy.
It's been hard over the years to see our country become so polarized, and so much hate grow towards immigrants, refugees, Asians, and China in particular. But we have also made progress towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. The backlash is merely proof that we are winning. Throughout this election season, I have felt keenly the sense that we are all in this together. The things that are most important to our wellbeing--safety, community, economic security, a stable climate--can only be achieved if we work together. We hold each other's fate in our hands. Doing this work alone is futile and dispiriting, but together we are powerful and can accomplish anything.
I have also felt joy in doing this work. I understand that some people find politics overwhelming and depressing, and for our mental health it's good to not be immersed in it all the time, but I also relish the sense of community when we organize, of the hope in talking to people about a common vision, and the excitement in building a better future. This year was also a time of personal challenges for me. My partner of seven years and I separated and my parents have gone through a health crisis. Being engaged in equity work, building this community at Oasis, and helping to get out the vote has been so helpful and healing to me. It helps me to hold the perspective that there are much bigger problems out there and to be part of something much bigger. The relationships I have formed with so many people in this movement have been lifelines.
At the end of the day I do this work for myself as much as for anyone else, because it gives me so much purpose and belonging. Voting matters. Civic engagement matters. Showing up, whether it's for one person or everybody, matters. No matter what the outcome this week, I am grateful to be doing this work together, and proud of what we are creating in the world. I feel so fortunate to be in this world at this time with you, fighting for the future we wish to see.
With gratitude,
Clara