Voter engagement and civic participation is one of the only ways to improve our local communities and obviously the rest of the country. Having representation at a level where policy directly affects a community in their own backyard was something I explained regularly when talking to voters. It was as though hearing it from someone in the working class, just like they were seemed to have had a greater impact and ultimately increased the chances of them voting (after several courtesy calls and reminders). I think my story definitely resonated with folks. I shared my experiences as a student, an older sister and a daughter of immigrant parents who worked hard and continue to do so for the ''American Dream'' but for lack of a better word got screwed over by big banks. Communities and dialogue are slowly changing this for the better followed by action, of course.
Beyond voting, people should be able to have a say/influence in local policy and it should be written so that people understand it.
Communities and people inspire me!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Non Profit or Local Government?
Going into the MPA program I knew that I would be given the tools needed to learn how to manage and lead and learn how to implement or create policy. I always struggled though with how I would best serve our communities. I have always had a profound respect and admiration for several non profit organizations that serve a very specific group of people for a specific purpose. During my time in the program I volunteered for the IRC (International Rescue Committee) helping refugees with job placements, I also worked for St. Vincent de Paul which is one of the largest, if not the largest non profit organizations in the world! This organization also provides the opportunities not only to serve but to help so many low income families.
I've also always had a passion for government and the ability to engage people through voting and empowering communities to use their voice whether it be to shape policy and go to forums or through giving ideas. While working with CASE I was able to do both. As a nonprofit that passionately and diligently works to have working families, workers whether they work in hotels cleaning 35 rooms a day when they're only supposed to be cleaning 12 I was able to see that this fight against the working class could be won. Not only active representation but through the elections. Combined with other groups known as Team Awesome, the Latino vote also consists of SEVERAL working class majorities in all fields increased 500%. 2012 is going to be big election year and I'm so happy that I was a part of that process.
CASE offered the perfect opportunity to explore non profit services with a combination with local government to ensure that working people are indeed represented.
CASE offered the perfect opportunity to explore non profit services with a combination with local government to ensure that working people are indeed represented.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Leading
I can give speeches... I think. I enjoy public speaking and consider myself to be a social person. However, when I am in a group in charge of leading discussions or brain storm sessions, I freeze. I can't just think on the spot and I almost feel like it is a sort of phobia. I will never speak up in class, never ask questions because of some type of insecurity that I have.
During the internship I was encouraged to start taking more of a leadership role in our daily meetings. I immiedately, turned down the opportunity but was tirelessly encouraged by my supervisor to take that risk and face my fear. While I still refuse to speak up in class I found that with time, preparation and some guidance I was able to lead discussions. The discussions we had were not your typical "dinner talk how was your day? or what are you doing tonight?" it was figuring out how to win and did youdo your best if not, why?
They were intense but sometimes I feel that because I was challenged I was able to positively challenge others and it became an incredible growing experience for us all.
During the internship I was encouraged to start taking more of a leadership role in our daily meetings. I immiedately, turned down the opportunity but was tirelessly encouraged by my supervisor to take that risk and face my fear. While I still refuse to speak up in class I found that with time, preparation and some guidance I was able to lead discussions. The discussions we had were not your typical "dinner talk how was your day? or what are you doing tonight?" it was figuring out how to win and did youdo your best if not, why?
They were intense but sometimes I feel that because I was challenged I was able to positively challenge others and it became an incredible growing experience for us all.
Civic Engagement
And so the magic begins! In the heart of an Arizona summer, the LAST thing you want to do is walk and walk and walk in 118 degrees of blistering heat. However, given what we were trying to accomplish and for each of us in the group it was quite different, yet similiar in so many ways became to be so worth it. We wanted a voice, for ourselves, our family and for our community. We were specifically talking to voters in low voting precincts, West Phoenix to be precise. While it has been said time and time again that Latinos don't vote were were determined to defy that stereotype.
If we want to be heard and represented unfortunately sometimes, those representing us sometimes look at who's voting and where and all they care about sometimes is being re-elected. The inequities were so blatant! Lack of sidewalks, broken street lights, unkempt parks. It stared at you in the face when you walked the streets of these neighborhoods. The disparities between low voting neighborhoods and the north east corner of the district that consistent voters was so obvious-( I could go on forever about that). Walking in the heat didn't even phase me. It was the conversations I had with people about why I was volunteering my time in the summer to do this. It was listening to their stories and then making connections about why I was out there and why they should vote. It was all worth it and after the elections we proved it.
It was such a powerful transformational experience for me and we did the same thing, every single day for the movement and to improve the quality of life for all people. I still get excited thinking about what we accomplished.... more to come!
If we want to be heard and represented unfortunately sometimes, those representing us sometimes look at who's voting and where and all they care about sometimes is being re-elected. The inequities were so blatant! Lack of sidewalks, broken street lights, unkempt parks. It stared at you in the face when you walked the streets of these neighborhoods. The disparities between low voting neighborhoods and the north east corner of the district that consistent voters was so obvious-( I could go on forever about that). Walking in the heat didn't even phase me. It was the conversations I had with people about why I was volunteering my time in the summer to do this. It was listening to their stories and then making connections about why I was out there and why they should vote. It was all worth it and after the elections we proved it.
It was such a powerful transformational experience for me and we did the same thing, every single day for the movement and to improve the quality of life for all people. I still get excited thinking about what we accomplished.... more to come!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
My first taste of activism and civic engagement in Arizona began the summer of 2010;right as I was about to start my first year of graduate school. My political activism became more and more a daily part of my life earlier last year in a partisan campaign then onto working with CASE for a non partisan get out the vote campaign.
Organizing grassroots political campaigns is not something most people can manage. The stress (does positive stress exists? If so, that's what I'm referring to), time and efforts required to execute tasks and reach goals can lead to a little bit of anxiety. When I say anxiety it's not because I thought I would get in trouble if a goal wasn't met but because what was at stake. Not only in Phoenix, but nationwide people are fighting for economic justice, more locally it may be policy on a contract negotiation that could help hundreds of workers. We were fighting for better representation in our communities, we're a little closer now but we have a long way to go.
I found that the key to being able to manage the stress that came with the job was having a strong support system and daily check-ins with people. I feel so blessed to live in a tight knit community of organizers, activists, allies and supporters. In the begining stages of my internship I had to really inspire people but I became more and more inspired by others working on the campaign with me which then allowed me to inspire those under my supervision. I can talk about my own experiences when talking to people but it wasn't until I learned about people and what their visions looked like that I felt more like an effective manager. Even though we had different skin tones we had so much in common as far as injustices experienced, life paths and ideas. In a sense, I felt like in order to serve others I had to find myself and find what made me feel so passionately and why and also get those answers from others.
People trust you more if they can relate to you, I think.
Organizing grassroots political campaigns is not something most people can manage. The stress (does positive stress exists? If so, that's what I'm referring to), time and efforts required to execute tasks and reach goals can lead to a little bit of anxiety. When I say anxiety it's not because I thought I would get in trouble if a goal wasn't met but because what was at stake. Not only in Phoenix, but nationwide people are fighting for economic justice, more locally it may be policy on a contract negotiation that could help hundreds of workers. We were fighting for better representation in our communities, we're a little closer now but we have a long way to go.
I found that the key to being able to manage the stress that came with the job was having a strong support system and daily check-ins with people. I feel so blessed to live in a tight knit community of organizers, activists, allies and supporters. In the begining stages of my internship I had to really inspire people but I became more and more inspired by others working on the campaign with me which then allowed me to inspire those under my supervision. I can talk about my own experiences when talking to people but it wasn't until I learned about people and what their visions looked like that I felt more like an effective manager. Even though we had different skin tones we had so much in common as far as injustices experienced, life paths and ideas. In a sense, I felt like in order to serve others I had to find myself and find what made me feel so passionately and why and also get those answers from others.
People trust you more if they can relate to you, I think.
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