THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 2: NOVEMBER
4 | POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
A2 GETS
TEENS | FROM PAGE ONE
matter what. And I don’t think it’s right to take that away.” Robert Yang, a junior at Pioneer, goes to school 13 minutes drive away from Baidel. Yang, similar to Baidel, was raised in a conversative family but lives in a hyperliberal town. While Yang has argued and understood both parties, his views sedimented at an unexpected place—a homecoming afterparty. “It was the key issue was wealth inequality that helped me connect with liberal ideals,” Yang said. “I went to homecoming all the way in Grosse Ile; it’s a small island in the Detroit River. And we had an afterparty at this massive mansion—there were garage, all on the riverside. But just a couple blocks down, you could see neighborhoods were in a completely He was always aware of the statistic - that the top 20 percent of earners make 20 times more than the bottom 20 percent of earners in Wayne County. But for
numbers were matched with real people—real faces. “It was a massive shift,” Yang said. “You can keep hearing these numbers about the amount of wealth that the top 1 percent own but you don’t get to see it in person that often. After that party, everything started to click.” Yang knew the biggest opportunity for fundamental change was the 2020 election. Yang along with Community High School junior, Noah Bernstein, founded Ann Arbor High School Democrats in early September. “We would be a hub, activism,” Yang said. “You can come to us, and we will help you get started and you’re interested in making
we would get you trained and ready to phone bank.” A2 Highschool Dems recruited over 140 volunteers— in less than a month. With each volunteer phone banking for 30 minutes a week, in total, the organization banked 280 hours a month.
This time was crucial— especially in Michigan. “Clinton lost Michigan to Trump by a famous number of two votes per precinct,” Yang said. “And, you know, every call that we make could be that one vote we need.” Besides being a pivotal factor for swing states, phone banking connects high schoolers with real people. “I was calling a single mother that had three kids,” he says. “And she was explaining how she’s afraid. her kids - she isn’t able to put food on the table to feed her kids. She was already voting blue but I stayed on the line and listened. Making these calls to voters, passionate voters—is absolutely heartwarming. A lot of people in high school are slacktivists. We are privileged enough to post something on social media and call it day.” Yang frequently uses the word slacktivists—a slang word dubbed for people who only support social causes through social media. They are a key part of his overall
“A lot of people in high school are slacktivists. We are privileged enough to post something on social media and call it a day.” Robert Yang, 11.
“You can call me whatever you want but I know who I am. And I know that I have no problem with any person—no matter their race or background.” Brendan Baidel, 11.
vision. He hopes to channel the energy these slacktivists into bigger causes. “Posting on social media can’t be our standard of activism, because there are people that are counting on us to get people to vote,” Yang said. “It’s absolutely bigger than us. It’s absolutely bigger than yourself, your ego, your college applications. People are counting on us more than ever.” Young people, including Yang, are demanding change. And they are putting in the work to secure their future. “This is the most consequential election that we’ve ever had in this country,” Yang said. “The problems in this country have been lit Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests and millions
the establishment for too long has been ignoring them. They’ve been taking money from special interests and not listening to the people. So, I think a lot of democrats are that young people have taken to make our voice heard. I think extremely proud about. And change history.”
31% of The
Emery’s Instagram followers reported working at the polls or voting on election day.* *Based on answers from 106 followers
Coronavirus. That’s because
Kamala Harris: a role model for South Asians everywhere that’s really inspiring. It is no lie that politics is a corrupt world, and there really does The truth is something need to be a change. we’re all afraid to accept. The While watching Harris truth is something which not run for president, I related many of us speak about. But to her more than I related whether it is to anyone as a federal else. This prosecutor “Harris shows us is because, or in Senate Harris, it is okay for us to like hearings, the I also have a have a voice and deep passion truth is what has always fight for our rights, for politics. driven Kamala because we also Harris. generation deserve to be I t American, here.” takes a lot of and I am also courage and a South Asian passion to do like her. When what Harris does, especially Harris had to drop out of the where she has reached in her presidential race, I was so political career, from serving upset. All of the issues she was as the junior United States advocating for really would Senator from California and eventually becoming really paved the path for future the Vice President elect of South Asian politicians. 2020. With Harris, it’s not Coming from a very only her journey, but also conservative Indian family, her motto about the truth, I can speak to the fact that
RIDHIMA KODALI OPINION EDITOR
many Indian women feel like they do not want to go into politics, just because of so much fear around what society might think of them. Most of all, becoming a politician is not considered the “ideal job” for not Indians, but also South Asians in general. We are not taught to speak up in an Indian society. When something racist occurs to South Asians particularly, we accept it as the hardship of coming to America. Harris shows us it is okay for us to have a voice and we also deserve to be here. When Joe Biden chose her for the vice-president position, I knew he did the right thing, because there is no one like Kamala Harris. She was San Asian American female district attorney, and then California’s female attorney general. In addition to that, she is a
woman of color. Women, much less, are underrepresented in the world of politics. But think about how much more underrepresented women of color are. Out of all the 45 presidents and vice-presidents of the United States, not even one is a woman, let alone, a woman of color. Kamala Harris really achieved, what some might say, “the impossible.” I have always felt there was not that much representation for women, especially South Asian women, in the world of politics. Harris really “‘represents me’” as I was really moved when she talked about how Dosa, a South Indian dish, is her favorite food. This is my favorite too! And not many South Asian Gen-Z’s or even some millennials, really “like” their culture here. It was breathtaking to see Harris
KENT NISHIMURA/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE. EDITED BY MISHAL CHARANIA
embracing both her cultures. Not hiding it. The world needs Kamala Harris. To you, she might seem like just another vice-presidential candidate, but to me, she will always be my inspiration and a part of my story.
