Students of De Anza College have stepped up their game to help inform a new generation of young adults on the importance of voting for the Nov. 6 election.
Solomon Tong, Christian Club president is one of the students working with campaigns around the campus to raise awareness about our political atmosphere.
“America will always be happy is what many young adults feel,” said Tong. “They take our current happiness for granted. However, every election matters because it will impact future leaders. It’s important to be involved.”
Tong said he keeps up with all the information by reading and researching about upcoming propositions and elections.
Every week in the Multicultural Center De Anza students are coming together to debate and discuss the presidential debates. Department chair of African American Studies Julie Lewis hosts these debates. “It’s important to keep active and ask questions when you’re confused.,” she said. “Nothing will come by ignoring problems. Come to the debate, let someone know, and we will be more than happy to answer all your questions.”
In the past, language barriers prevented many foreign students from deciphering mounds of complicated new propositions every election. My Vote Our Future, a campaign based at De Anza, tacked this problem head on by creating an eight-language advertising campaign that targets immigrant and ESL speakers, reaching 2 million residents of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.
“With November elections, we expect better results and much higher turnout than the June primary since the stakes are much higher,” said Hoi Poon, campaign director for My Vote Our Future. “Many propositions on November ballots will have tremendous impact on education funding and resources for our community.”
“We are fortunate that we live in a democratic society where we can exercise our rights and vote for candidates who share our values. Many elected officials are won by less than 100 votes, so every vote matters! Be informed and speak this November.”
Vice president of Christian Club, Auyeung Chin Hung said, “It’s now the computer age. I have language barrier problems so understanding many props can be difficult. However, I research through various Chinese news websites and get my information that way.”
Youth Voices United for Change involves many club volunteers such as the Women’s Empowerment, Latino Empowerment at De Anza to act as leaders educating the underserved high school student population on how students can become involved in government to take action
The group has been paving the road for young students towards civic engagement for seven years. Each year, volunteer mentors coach an estimate of 300 high school students from ten different high schools each year.
To get involved in Youth Voices, drop by a planning meeting Friday at 12:30 p.m., East Cottage Resource Room.
(Yrady Olmeta/LA VOZ WEEKLY)
