Thoughts On The 2020 Election
A Collection From Daarna’s Board Members And Volunteers
“I am almost 40 and I never voted for a president in my life. I left Lebanon as I turned 18 and then spent the next 18 years in the US battling to get my US citizenship. In 2018, I became American. I am so ready to exercise my right to vote on November 3rd. At this point, I feel we are all burnt out from this presidential race. I am not sure how we got here or were we always here and we finally woke up? No matter which one it is, I feel this election is crucial and a monumental stone in our lifetime. It is not about Donald Trump or about Joe Biden, it is about humanity, environment and justice. Some people look at the past 4 years and see a country that became richer, an economy thriving and an army that became stronger than ever. If these are the things that matter to you then I feel that we disagree completely on the foundation of life. Money and power are not what I seek and I am sure that it is not exactly what you seek. You want freedom, stability, love, happiness, security and hope. Think to yourself, has this current administration secured this for you? Do you feel safer? Do you feel more hopeful? Are you happier? I know I am not. I hate politics because people always have to lie to get their way. What I know though is that we can’t continue under this current administration. The damage that has been done in the past 4 years needs to stop and we need to turn things around and fix it. If you are American and eligible to vote, please exercise your right and make it your duty to cast your vote. You matter.”
- Jerry Helou
“I am 22 years old. I was born in Lebanon and have lived in America since I was 9. I am currently in the process of becoming an American citizen and unfortunately my voice will not count in this election.
As an immigrant, I felt my parent’s uncertainty and fear when we left Lebanon, although it was to a much smaller degree. It made me understand that no one is happy to leave their country; they are simply forced to by their circumstances.
I think of the more than 500 children who were taken away from their parents under the Trump administration. I think of those parents who probably feel all the weight in the world on their shoulders, who believed this was a necessary step in giving their children a better life and are now nowhere near their children, praying that they’re still safe, healthy, and alive. I think again of the children, with no understanding of what they did to deserve any of this. I mean, just imagine being in those shoes.
Of the many things that concern me about the current US President, the biggest alarm is his lack of empathy and compassion. His inability to connect with the average American or with the majority of minority populations perhaps because he has not lived the life of the average American.
In my opinion, a candidate who: thinks racism is propaganda created to divide the US, as a ‘businessman’ owes millions and millions of dollars to people everywhere, tells so many lies he’s convinced himself that they’re true, has paid less federal taxes than me, could not lead the American people in the midst of a global pandemic, does not take responsibility for his mistakes and instead points his finger at others, uses anger, hate and fear to gain his power and support, degrades the work and credibility of scientists… is definitely not someone that I would EVER consider a representation of me or the country I’m soon to become a citizen of.
If you have not voted yet or are leaning towards not participating in this election - I urge you to vote, because Non-American Immigrants who, like me, have lived in this country longer than they have in their birth countries, contribute their time and money to the economy, and want to be part of the solution to fix the systematic issues in this country don’t have that right, and their voices aren’t heard and don’t count.
Please make yours count – your voice matters!”
- Elise Helou
“There was one conversation my family had over dinner that I will never forget. It was on January 27th 2017. It was a couple of weeks after Trump took office when he issued an executive order which banned visitors and refugees from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. This was the first iteration of “Muslim Ban” which he had promised throughout his 2016 campaign. That day I took my daughter to downtown Seattle to protest alongside brothers and sisters of all races and ethnicities who believed that this order was an unjust and cruel act and amplified the ongoing discrimination and unlawful profiling of Muslim immigrants and refugees in the US. My kids have been with me protesting injustice and showing solidarity with their oppressed brothers and sisters since they were infants being carried on my back. But this night was different.
At the dinner table both my daughter and son started discussing if there will be a possibility of me getting deported or not being allowed to re-enter the country if I traveled. Although I am an American citizen, they were scared and didn’t know how this ban would affect me as their Palestinian refugee mother who was born in Libya. “Mom, you can’t go anywhere….you should stay here ….you can’t travel….what if they won’t let you back in?….Are we going to move?...What if they deport all the refugees? What if they start putting people in concentration camps? It happened before, right?.....” I tried as much as I could to reassure my kids that we’ll be fine just to ease that worry I saw in their eyes. It was not an easy task. No one should have this kind of discussion with their children.
And this was just the start. For the last four years we’ve seen families separated, children locked and died in cages, parents and siblings deported, and almost no refugees brought into the United States.
For the last four years we’ve seen a government who incites violence and hostility against refugees, immigrants, muslims, and people of color. We’ve witnessed the president’s anti-Immigrant rhetoric, rooted in racism, and amplified hate and fear. This has to end!
Our voices should be heard.
VOTE!”
- Rania Qawasma
“My name is Asta, I’m 22 years old and a resident of Seattle, Washington. This election, I voted progressively in hopes of creating a more inclusive nation, preserving our democracy, and standing up for minority groups. I owe my U.S. citizenship to my grandparents, who left their home country of Norway in pursuance of a better life. Although I am not an immigrant myself, I am affected by immigration because people that I love are immigrants. My community is made better by immigrants. And the world is a happier place when everyone has a safe and welcoming home.”
- Asta Molver