The Immigrant Effect
November 2022 - by Zahra Gokal
America is a “melting pot” of different identities as we are constantly told. You may be Pakistani while the person living down the street is Guatemalan, and the person way down the street is Turkish. Many of our parents moved to this country to have better opportunities with the belief that this government will care about us more than their previous one - and many times, they’re met with disappointment. They come into a place where the leaders don’t advocate for them, don’t provide jobs for them as newcomers, and don’t allow certain freedoms as in other places in America. Fortunately, we have a say in our leaders: by making our voices heard through our votes.
Immigrants make up ¼ of Houston’s population as of 2021 (houston.org). That’s an outstanding ~1.7 million foreign-born people, and only a fraction of this fraction makes an appearance at the polls. With these numbers plus the families, we could make a significant difference in who wins the elections. There’s a reason why politicians try to shut certain masses down - because they know if we rally together, we have the numbers to completely shift the tide of an election.
Many people of color believe it’s not their responsibility to vote in a country that struggles to provide for them, but voting is our right as citizens. We’re given the chance to elect our leaders while many other countries don’t have the privilege of doing this. Without voting, we give up on the voice we are given to make a change. Without speaking up for ourselves, how would those in charge know what the people want? How would they know our needs and wants if we do not tell them to their face?
In America, the loudest people tend to have a say in what goes on. Those who make that noise carry the power of the country in the palms of their hands - so we need to take advantage of it and drag as many of our family and friends to the polls as possible.
Voting Day is Tuesday, November 8th. Be sure to show up at the voting station earlier than later because lines will be long. A list of polling locations in your district can be found online - they are normally open from 7 am - 7 pm.