Our first meeting left me feeling scared, confused, and doubtful. As the youngest member of the Winooski Charter Commission and the only person of color, I knew my views differed from my colleagues. Yet, I wanted to do the right thing and change the status quo about voting rights for immigrants in order to honor their contribution to our community.
Almost immediately, my worries became a reality: A longtime community resident accused the commission of doing “wrong,” violating the State charter, and believed voting was a privilege, not a right. I know that similar judgments applied to French and Irish immigrants arriving in Vermont. Fear and ignorance about immigrants began with the founding of the Republic. I know the facts of anti-immigrant bias from my history classes and wanted to remind the commission of their ignorance of the issues and discomfort with newcomers. As a commission member, however, I realized my need to serve the community and respect everyone’s opinions. With a deep breath, I controlled my urge to speak negatively.
My need to become a leader to help others emerged when I was a refugee in Tanzania after the Congo Civil War displaced my family. Even as a child, I thought leadership presented a way out of difficulty as many camp leaders showed me. Simple charity greatly influenced my ambition to represent the voice of the unheard.
As a member of the Winooski City Charter Commission, I and other residents advised the Winooski City Council on a change that would enable all Winooski residents, including non-citizens, to participate in municipal elections.
New Americans like myself—those holding green cards, work visas, permanent residents—act just like other citizens. We pay taxes, own property, run businesses, and send children to our school system. But we lack representation. New Americans, including my mother, contribute to the economy. They create a diverse environment in our one-square-mile city. As a result, the Winooski community is home to people with different talents, perspectives, and cultures- a mini-United Nations in northwestern Vermont.
This country’s democracy was created on the notion that taxation without representation is evil, but we seem to be continuing the practice to our own community members. Our republic was created on the notion that a more representative government is one that’s by the people, of the people, for the people. But what’s a representative government that excludes particular members of its community even with all that they do for it? I believe in democracy. I believe in a more representative government that values and respects the contribution of all its citizens. Due to that, on the conversation of voting rights, All Resident voting is an issue that needs to be adapted by every city in this country.
