Quick summary: Reflecting on assisting her mother with voting in a local election and reading about civic interpreters, the author showcases how immigrant children and diaspora youth can empower their communities through discussions on voting and engaging in the civic process, as highlighted in reporting from URL Media partners Epicenter-NYC, Prism and WURD Radio.
To engage older generations in the electoral process, young Sikh advocates take to community hubs like gurdwaras. Credit: The Sikh Coalition via Epicenter-NYC
How second-generation youth are helping their elders vote
Hey fam,I remember helping my mother cast her ballot in a local election about 18 months ago. It was a quiet morning in the Bronx and we had been discussing the local races all week. My mother was on her way to work, and this was my last chance to help her vote before returning to D.C. later that day. I was willing and eager to join her.
The process felt seamless. We walked past the doors of my old elementary school, P.S. 93 — my family's polling site for over 20 years — and I let an election worker know I’d be with my mother at her voting station to assist her with the ballot. They pulled up her ballot and we made our way to an empty booth.
While my mother, a naturalized citizen, can speak and understand conversational English, she often prefers more detailed explanations in her native language, which I do my best to provide. Because this was a citywide election, her ballot contained several propositions — issues put to a vote alongside the candidate sections. I read each proposition aloud, and we discussed her choices. We finished just in time for her to catch her bus to Manhattan. Mission accomplished.
I recognize my mother’s privilege in even being able to vote in an election. Earlier that week, I reminded her that not all immigrants have this privilege and that she should not take her right to vote for granted. She understood where I was coming from — after all, she’s voted in other elections (just not always the local ones). I felt good about encouraging my mom to take civic action; at the time, I didn’t think what I had created would align with the work of a “civic interpreter” until I read this story published by Epicenter-NYC a few days ago.
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