{"id":9911,"date":"2021-12-18T04:31:06","date_gmt":"2021-12-18T14:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/?p=9911"},"modified":"2021-12-18T04:34:32","modified_gmt":"2021-12-18T14:34:32","slug":"just-in-time-for-christmas-the-right-to-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/2021\/12\/18\/just-in-time-for-christmas-the-right-to-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Just In Time For Christmas \u2013 The Right to Vote?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Emil Guillermo<\/em>

It\u2019s Christmas time. Is there anyone out there pining for the right to vote?

It is a democracy, after all. Even though Santa wears red.

If you are pining away the chance to vote for another Filipino American governor, then here\u2019s a stocking stuffer.

Despite all the Republicans’ best efforts to dismantle the Voting Rights Act, the one thing they haven\u2019t been able to erase is Section 203, the part that gives you the right to election information in language at the polling places. And this year, because of the new Census, Maui County qualifies for election materials and help in Filipino.

This is in addition to the requirement that Honolulu County includes Chinese (plus Taiwanese) and Filipino.

It\u2019s just a stocking stuffer though.

What if you are a permanent resident in America? A \u201cgreen card\u201d holder. It\u2019s in quotes because if you have one, you know it\u2019s more like bureaucratic blue. It is the \u201cdocument\u201d that means you\u2019re here for real. You\u2019re not illegal. You can work. You can pay taxes into the system.

But can you vote? Are you kidding me, pare<\/em>? \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>You\u2019d expect more from the country that was fueled by the phrase \u201cno taxation without representation.\u201d

<\/em><\/strong>That\u2019s the irony. If you are a green card holder, you\u2019re legal. But you can\u2019t vote. You\u2019re not a citizen.<\/em>

<\/em><\/strong>That\u2019s why what happened recently in New York is so significant.

Lady Liberty is smiling broadly on New York City. Her torch, which had seemed a bit dim if not totally burned out in recent years, was forever shining as always.

The New York City Council has given the gift of the vote for Christmas to all noncitizens there.

You heard that right.

The pro-democracy movement has finally come to America, and it\u2019s about time.

<\/em><\/strong>We have seen America changing before our eyes in the other direction. Regressing. Getting smaller. Limiting opportunity. It was an America hell-bent on taking away rights from its people, from abortion rights to the fundamental right to vote.

But now things are going the people\u2019s way. While some states like Texas and Georgia are trying to restrict voting rights, New York City is expanding rights and, allowing more of the people it governs to cast a ballot in local elections.

<\/em><\/strong>The measure extends the right to vote to all legal permanent residents (green card holders) and persons with a right to work in the U.S.It\u2019s not undocumented folks. It\u2019s not what racist people call \u201cillegals.\u201d It\u2019s legal immigrants with just green cards.

You can vote in NY city elections.

Vote. Not boat. You can be heard. You can be counted when it matters. You don\u2019t have to be a citizen.

<\/em><\/strong>Jealous in Hawaii? You should be if you\u2019re a green card holder who has been sitting on the sidelines. Or hesitant about becoming a full U.S. citizen.

<\/em><\/strong>The New York law needs to be duplicated where you are.

Look what it does in New York. It means every Filipino American with a green card in New York City, plus the nearly 120,000 immigrants of Chinese descent there, once formerly left out, voiceless and ignored in our democracy, now have a vote.

It means all those Asian American folks in Flushing have a new weapon after public works officials there did little to prevent the storm waters in September from flooding basement apartments and killing residents.

That weapon to hold the government accountable is called the vote.

You have more power today than yesterday.

You can now throw the elected bums out of office if they failed to do their jobs.

That\u2019s democracy.

<\/em><\/strong>Other places like San Francisco have allowed noncitizens to vote in school board elections. But New York City is letting you vote in all the local matters.

You still can\u2019t vote in federal or state elections. Not yet. But you can vote on the most important issues in your daily life.

<\/em><\/strong>If, as the saying goes, \u201call politics is local,\u201d then focus on the grassroots, the sidewalks where you stand now. You now have a voice in all that affects you right where you live.

<\/em><\/strong>But why stop there? This pro-democracy movement can spread all over the nation\u2014including Hawaii– if people understand the Constitution.

Note: It doesn\u2019t say, \u201cWe the Citizens.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>The phrase is \u201cWe the People.\u201d

<\/em><\/strong>The bill is DeBlasio proof. It can\u2019t be vetoed. No doubt, Republicans who feel threatened will try to place obstacles. But the movement has begun.

<\/em><\/strong>The pro-democracy movement in America.

And of course, this all makes me think about my mom.

My mother, the non-citizen lamb<\/strong>
My mother was a non-citizen immigrant. She didn\u2019t vote at first and didn\u2019t see the reason for it. My father voted and that was like a \u201cfamily vote.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>So, my mom was shut out willingly.

She wasn\u2019t a Tiger Mom. She was a lamb. She was a nicer Imelda, with fewer shoes.

<\/em><\/strong>Never the aggressor. Always deferred. She went to church and always prayed. She led with love, and let the consequences occur. It was a stance of trust.

When she came to America and found a better situation than the one she left, she was grateful and trustful in her new country that things would be done right on her behalf.

She was a naive immigrant. She filled out forms, became a permanent resident, a \u201cgreen card\u201d holder, and lived on the trust of others.

<\/em><\/strong>And then the trust was betrayed, and my Mom woke up.

Congress was taking away benefits for seniors. She was seeing her monthly check shrink.

One morning in the 1980s, she told me she had done something secretly. She had studied to become a citizen and was finally taking her oath.

After more than 30 years in America, I asked her, why now?

Essentially, it was \u201cReaganomics,\u201d the policies under President Ronald Reagan that cut social services to the poor and elderly.

<\/em><\/strong>But my mother didn\u2019t say \u201cReaganomics.\u201d That would have been too cute.

<\/em><\/strong>My mother, never a huge news consumer, was no dummy. She would have the TV news on at times, mostly to watch me as a reporter. But when I got back to see her, the TV was always on the show \u201cMacGyver,\u201d the guy who comes up with resourceful ways to fix problems. My mom would sit in the corner of the room with her rosary beads and watch that show.

<\/em><\/strong>And it must have dawned on her that her problem of a shrinking benefits check and cutbacks in government support needed some kind of a MacGyver-like fix. But the answer was actually simpler than a TV drama.

Becoming a citizen was the answer, and for just one reason.\u201cI have to vote now,\u201d she said.

<\/em><\/strong>In video at New York City Hall, I looked at all the proud immigrants from Africa, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, all over. And I saw the spirit of my mom.

New Yorkers, including noncitizens, finally have a voice in our democracy.

And this is where it grows. They should vote everywhere. In everything.

Cutoff the detractors at the pass. It\u2019s not \u201cnoncitizen voters.\u201d They\u2019re \u201cGreen Card\u201d voters. They\u2019re contributors to America. They are card-carrying \u201cpermanent residents.\u201d

<\/em><\/strong>They should no longer be ignored. There\u2019s still work to do. But with New York\u2019s bold action, the largest municipality in the country has declared, the Pro-Democracy Movement has finally come to America.

<\/em><\/strong>And just in time for Christmas.

<\/em>NOTE:<\/strong> With this being the last column of the year, I want to wish all my dear friends in Hawaii a Merry Christmas! Please be safe, be happy, and stay healthy, as we continue to navigate difficult times. Until the next column, please access my web shows and podcasts and stay connected. Peace and Love to you all!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMIL GUILLERMO<\/strong> is a journalist and commentator. A former host of NPR\u2019s \u201cAll Things Considered,\u201d he also worked on the editorial board of the Honolulu Advertiser and was a columnist at the Star Bulletin.  See his show on <\/em>www.amok.com<\/em><\/a>, on his YouTube channel and Facebook Watch. And Twitter@emilamok.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Emil Guillermo It\u2019s Christmas time. Is there anyone out there pining for the right…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[29,20],"tags":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?fit=814%2C1167",814,1167,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=150%2C150",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?fit=209%2C300",209,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?fit=640%2C918",640,918,true],"large":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?fit=640%2C918",640,918,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?fit=814%2C1167",814,1167,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?fit=814%2C1167",814,1167,true],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=814%2C800",814,800,true],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=814%2C570",814,570,true],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=600%2C900",600,900,true],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=600%2C600",600,600,true],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=571%2C715",571,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=454%2C500",454,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?fit=814%2C1167",814,1167,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=540%2C285",540,285,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?resize=375%2C250",375,250,true]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"Candid Perspectives<\/a> Featured<\/a>","tag_info":"Featured","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/CP-Santa-Vote-color_12182021.jpg?fit=814%2C1167","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9911"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9913,"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911\/revisions\/9913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}