Dear John,
On Wednesday, a delegation of eight staff members from Alliance San Diego ventured up to Sacramento to stand in solidarity with other advocates from all over the state. Over 70 of us stood under a blazing sun to show just how much we care about voting power. With so many forces conspiring against the right to vote, it is clear that voting is a powerful tool for creating an inclusive democracy that honors the dignity of everyone.
As a first-generation immigrant, raised in a family with very little experience in voting, I gained a deeper appreciation of civics through helping my parents prepare for their naturalization exams. As my journey in becoming an advocate continued, I often helped translate election materials, reminded my parents to vote, and worked with other immigrant community organizations to advocate for ballots and educational materials for multilingual voters. Throughout the years and over various election cycles, I became more aware of how policy outcomes are a reflection of the level of participation of our communities; we can only achieve fair and just housing, environmental, immigration and economic policies when people who are most impacted by these systems have a meaningful voice in the decision-making process.
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As State Policy Manager at Alliance San Diego, I get to lead our fight in statewide coalitions to expand the electorate, which currently does not reflect the true diversity of our state. The average California voter still tends to be older, White, more educated and more likely to own a home. An average that leaves out most of the community members who are struggling and hoping for a change. The true demographic future of America is already here in California. With your help, we are informing and mobilizing historically marginalized voters to elect a governing body that is representative and responsive to all voters.
Alliance San Diego works to move people along a continuum of engagement. From undocumented community member to active citizen, people engage with our organization along various points of this spectrum. There are many institutionalized barriers in play that restrict Black, Indigenous and other People Of Color (BIPOC) as well as low-income, immigrant, and marginalized community members from participating in the civic duty and human right of voting. We are dedicated to dismantling those barriers while providing the resources and tools necessary to claim dignity.
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Samuel Tsoi State Policy Manager, Alliance San Diego |
