Xuen Tey Week #8 - Politics
So, America.
We’ve been writing about America for two-ish months now, and this is pretty much the end of our discussion about this topic—so I’m going to go for it and discuss the one aspect of America I hate talking about.
That’s right, you know and love it—American politics.
I personally do not participate in political talk or practice politics of any kind, which is part of why I am so reluctant to discuss the subject—the other reasons being the fact that I am underage, and most importantly, because I am an immigrant.
I’ve discussed how my status as an immigrant has changed my viewpoint and given me some rather unique ideas before, and this is one of these interesting views. My status as an immigrant and not a citizen of the U.S. mean I cannot vote legally, regardless of my age. Unless I choose to become naturalized and officially be recognized as a U.S. citizen (which, let’s be honest, would not end well for me in light of our current issues), I can never vote in the U.S. Not for presidents, not for representatives, not for mayors, not for bills. I could choose to become a naturalized citizen later in life, but honestly, I’ve never ever considered applying for citizenship, and I especially don’t want to try doing it in this political climate.
Anyways, due to this fact, I tend not to focus on politics as even if there are issues arising, there is nothing I could feasibly do about it, and that even if I tried to intervene in other ways, it is quite a risk to take. That combined with the fact that from what I’ve seen of the current political situation in America, I tend to not keep track of politics and to not speak about the subject—especially since I don’t know much about the topic and fear spreading misinformation.
This doesn’t mean that I avoid the subject however, as my sister has a strange fixation on politics, and let’s be honest, it’s real hard to live in America and not hear people discussing politics (Also my sister talks about it so much I couldn’t escape it if I wanted) Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate politics, nor do I discourage others from talking about politics—it’s really important to stay informed—but I personally prefer to avoid this topic.
I completely understand where you’re coming from, Xuen—the reluctance to engage openly in political discourse is becoming more widespread among immigrants and citizens alike. Among my social circles, this reluctance often seems to stem from fear rather than distaste. Many students I know enthusiastically align with the Democratic Party, with some being rooted in policies that are further left. Meanwhile, their parents may lean to more conservative policies, with many supporting the Trump administration and the Republican Party in general. This dichotomy between leftist youth and conservative, right-wing older generations is further influenced by its power dynamics. Young people, especially minors, still depend on their parents for a variety of things; they receive food, shelter, protection, financial assistance, and emotional support. When politics infiltrates daily life and estranges these close relationships, young people become increasingly in danger of giving up these privileges. Many fear retaliation and punishment from right-wing parents if they express opposing political viewpoints, and vice versa with leftist parents and their right-wing children. To make things worse, the Trump administration has introduced a new monitoring tactic: many visa applicants to the United States will have their social media accounts screened, possibly determining acceptance for entry into the country. Although this is a specific scenario, the precedent it sets is concerning; future administrations, both leftist and right-wing, may weaponize social media surveillance to track the political beliefs of the American population—and may use that information to prosecute certain people. This makes people not only uncomfortable, but downright apprehensive at the prospect of having opportunities (such as jobs, education, and social services) due to their political beliefs. It’s far off from where we are now as a country, but the threat still looms, and it’s successfully preventing millions of American citizens from participating in government. Thank you for bringing this issue to light, Xuen.
ReplyDeleteXuen, I really appreciated reading this blog and it left me with new insight—new insight that I don't think any of the other cohort members, including me, could have brought. I want to acknowledge and praise the fact you stepped out of your comfort zone with this blog. Talking about politics has been a pretty central theme of these posts, and I'm happy you gave yourself the chance to express how you feel. I for one, have refrained from writing about politics, but for reasons different. I think your perspective on politics is really interesting and diverse; it almost makes me grateful for having the chance to vote on all the examples you listed like "presidents," "mayors," or "bills." I also find it worth talking about that your sister is extremely involved in politics while you are a stark contrast. Circling back to what I said earlier, I love the fact you chose a topic you hadn't spoken about yet. I kind of feel this way about racism. Yesterday, I watched a movie called "Just Mercy" (it wont let me italicize), and it was about a Harvard lawyer going into Alabama and advocating for death row inmates. The movie genuinely triggered me, and quite frankly made me close my computer out of disgust, only to reopen it because I needed to know what's going to happen next. Either way, it invited me to feel the urge to write about it, and so I did, in the secrets of my Notes app. Overall, I loved your blog and all the new ideas and thoughts it taught and allowed me to reflect and create. Have a great Winter Break, Xuen.
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