In the Election Stories project, SAADA asked the South Asian American community how their lives and feelings about America had changed since the 2016 election.
We also asked what issues were motivating them to vote in the 2020 election, what they wanted to remember from the 2020 election cycle,
and what they were most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond. We now invite you to go through the "Choose a question" dropdown bar below and read the responses we received.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
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What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I hope we can have an end to this pandemic and make policy changes that actually prioritizes the poor and common people.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I have lost faith in the American project as being self-correcting and capable of protecting and advancing humane laws. I now see that America is as vulnerable as India to corruption, authoritarianism, and the scapegoating of minorities.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I fear for my son and his partner, who live in Colorado. I live in Canada now and I'm guilty about feeling grateful for that! The pandemic has only compounded my worry for the future.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The surreal nature of the so-called debates. The absurdity of having a man in office who is clearly incapable of rising to the job, falling into it, or even accidentally doing the right thing on any given day. The delight I felt when Kamala Harris used the Tamil word "Chitti" on National TV. The dismay when I realized how very elite and Tam-Brahm that video with Mindy Kaling felt.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Hopeful? No, I'm desperate. For the long upward journey from out of this hellhole. Rejoining the Paris Accord. Salvaging the Iran Nuclear deal. Restoring relations with allies. Putting the brakes on carbon emissions, restoring limits on polluting industry. Getting cronyism and corruption out of the executive branch. I fear we may not recover for decades.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Everything feels less stable. I'm less optimistic about the future of the country, and the rest of the world in general. It feels like a lot of the progress that was made has been undone.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I've noticed significant shifts in cultural and family dynamics mainly due to politics. This presidency has been far more divisive than unifying and has shed a light on the dangers of unfettered individualism that is part of what founded this country and its privileges.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
It would depend on the state of the country and the world 100 years from now. But this presidency was a step backwards and the two-party system should've been eradicated a long time ago.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Honestly it's hard to be optimistic in light of what is happening, regardless of who wins. But I guess I'm hopeful about the lessons and meaning we will find once COVID is (hopefully) past us.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I think that the full dissemblance of the "American Dream" has really come to fruition for me in the past four years. In some ways, it was necessary -- since the 2016 election more systematic issues have been brought forth but the reaction to these issues has been, to say the least, subpar. As an immigrant it feels a little blasphemous to critique the idealisms of America, but it really begets the question of whether or not America can be upheld to the same standards it was once held to.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
In some ways, I have felt personally let down by a lot of my peers, friends, and family. I think in a time where we should really be evaluating our own privileges and how we have each in some way contributed to some of the atrocities in America, that there was a lot of willful ignorance. Also, there is something to be said about the onslaught of worries that the last four years have brought on. I worry about the possible overturning of court cases like Obergefell v. Hodge which effects my right to get married, I worry about overturning Roe v. Wade which effects my right to my reproductive rights, health, and privacy, and I worry about police brutality and climate change all of which are concerns that as a woman in her mid twenties makes me wonder if things like family planning are obtuse and a selfish cause when considering the America we live in today.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
Maybe a little off topic but voting is still difficult in 2020! Things like voter registration, false ballot boxes, and the suppression of mail in ballots have made this not just a contentious election but also a difficult one. I hope 100 years from now that doing something as seemingly basic as voting because a much more accessible process.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I am hopeful that more people will feel impassioned to work towards a more inclusive America.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
The threshold that we stood on in 2016 felt like a launching pad- I didn't realize it was a plank. The last four years have been both the richest of my life, as I became a parent to an incredible kid, and the saddest as I witnessed the dismantling of so many of the structures that sought to build up social and environmental responsibility to provide equitable futures Americans from all walks of life. It is crucial that we look at the long processes that transform the American system. The power of the Trump administration is actually the product of expanding executive power over the last few administrations, and this reminds me that the American democracy functions best when we stay attentive to it. We cannot sit back and expect it to keep working all by itself. If we want the American democracy to protect us and our interests, we have to stay constantly engaged! It's hard work, but more necessary than ever!
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
As I lay in bed nursing my newborn daughter that night in November 2016, I saw the news about Trump's victory. It seemed so impossible, and led my mind down uncharted pathways. I looked over at my partner of almost twenty years, sleeping beside me, and I wished for him that his slumber would never end. That he would never wake to the horror we were surely facing with a Trump presidency. I looked back to 2004, and remembered my disgust at waking up to a second George W. Bush victory. This was worse. I felt paralyzed. I didn't get out of bed the next day. I reached for a gift some one had given us when our daughter was born, "Letters to my Baby" and I wrote to her about the world I wanted to give to her. I focused on the strength of her community, her village. The effort to write, to imagine a world in which she would find love and encouragement as a girl, as a woman, as a leader and independent thinker, made it possible for me to get out of bed again. We, the adults who love her, would have to create that world for her. I knew that if I could keep my sights local, limited, that I could do it. But as time has worn on, and I've narrowed my focus, I have also been reckoning with what it means to self-isolate, to empower and nurture local community, to deal with the challenges of the now, the immediate. Isn't this the same strategy that those who argue against global interconnection advocate? My self-protection is also exclusionary, narrow-minded. I needed it in 2016, nurturing that tiny, delicate baby. As she grows into a head-strong, independent girl, equally obsessed with camping and Elsa, I am reminded that I can, we can, and we MUST also be both. We must nurture our local communities, cultivate strength in our cities and schools AND be good global citizens: supporting the struggles of others, working to reduce our carbon footprints, and constantly resisting the efforts of those who would argue that singularity is strength. Our strength comes from connection, from locking arms and struggling together. For me, that is now clearer than ever.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
We get excited about the presidential election, but the down-ballot races are perhaps even more important for our futures. It is there that we choose our FUTURE candidates, address the issues facing our cities, and ensure that justice can be served in our courts.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
I always vote. No matter what. In primaries, mid-terms, local elections. The sustenance of the American democracy is the issue that motivates me to vote. (and also, Black Lives Matter, Climate Change, Immigration Justice, Housing Justice, Income Inequality, Women's Health and Autonomy... it's a long list!)
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I am usually an optimist, and it stuns me how hard I am finding it to answer this question. I am hopeful that my daughter will get to live in a world with a brown woman as our Vice President (and maybe someday our President!). I am hopeful that we will soon be able to travel again to visit our family in Pakistan. What gives me hope? The active coalitions I see being developed amongst communities of color and others concerned with equity in the American democracy. I pledge to keep learning.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
It's like we are in some strange twilight zone. I shake my head and say, this can't be real and then feel really sad that it is!
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have spent it very worried. I have started truly not liking some people that I did before. Obsessed about the news even though it makes me depressed. Overall a feeling of anger and frustration and a call to action!
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
It is YOUR future. It is the future of tour children. The choices you make will affect YOU. It's not some far away government somewhere. It's hot something bad happening in some far away third world country that you can justify. It's happening here and to you. Pay attention and VOTE.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
So many to list! Basic human rights. Immigration rights. Human decency. Respect for the position and history. Right for a woman to chose. No one needs to own an assault rifle. We trust science. We can trust the vaccine when it is ready. The list goes on and on.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Sanity does come back. We are able to battle the pandemic all together as humanity in a scientific manner. America is again a beacon for the world. Human rights and women's rights are respected. The government is not a satirical horror show.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
This country feels more racist, more uneducated than ever before. The poor curriculum of schools has finally unveiled its impact.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I feel anxious and compelled to plan my retirement to be in another country. I worry about how to help care for my parent.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The attack on science and health officials being ignored.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Covid response, economy, Supreme Court nominations and women's rights
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
The erasure of trump's bad actions
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
For the first time, I fear that democracy could be subverted. I worry about the division in this country and the questioning of truth, science and fact. I wonder how this time in history will impact my children.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have seen a division in friends that I have known for a lifetime. Everyday life has become political in areas that are clearly not political. Here is a general of distrust in this country of government and of fellow citizens.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
I want to be part of a kinder , gentler nation. I feel removing Trump is the only way to achieve that. Racial injustice. Lies in the government.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
A return to compassion, kindness and the value of human dignity and human rights.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
My feelings have changed drastically. Leading up to the 2016 election, I'm not sure that I explicitly thought of myself as American. Though the election of Trump revealed deep divisions in our country, I was also astonished to see the level of support and community for people who are birthright citizens, like myself. I vowed to fight harder for this country and have become more of an activist than I ever imagined. During the pandemic, however, I've started to feel like I'm not willing to give my life to this country. So many countries have done a great job dealing with the virus, but Americans are dying. I'm not willing to be one of them.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I feel like I've woken up and become radicalized. Growing up in the Obama era made me complacent, made me feel like the government was looking out for me. I know that the biggest check on the government is the people. The last four years have been a major civics lesson, and I'm paying attention like my life depends on it, because it does.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The Democratic primary was really tough but it seemed to do what elections should do - push the general conversation, push candidates to come out with specific and bold plans. Biden has been forced to come out with a strong climate plan and address issues that he wouldn't have if there hadn't been such a strong primary slate of candidates. There's some hope in that.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Trump's bigotry and racism. Knowing that another 4 years of Trump means death and suffering in this country.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Everyone is so galvanized and engaged. We've lived through four incredibly horrible years, and it seems like so many people are fighting to make sure we don't continue to live this way.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I've been disappointed at the state of discourse. Due to the financial incentives driving print and digital media, as well as social media, companies are incented to provide individuals information they want, instead of information they need. This leads to very, very polarized camps of individuals who are increasingly isolated, harboring an "us versus them" mentality. I believe the current administration, despite criticizing the media, fuels these outcomes further, again by forging narratives of winners and losers and loyalists and enemies. People appear less willing to listen and more willing to be combative.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I've found small ways of supporting causes and creating dialogue because the stakes appear to be much higher than they ever were. It's been useful to find a voice that stands up for personal values, especially as a minority. I'm not sure I would've been as vocal, or as involved in my various communities, if the 2016 election had gone in a different direction.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
Being cognizant of whether everyone in your various communities has a voice and feels comfortable using that voice is critical. As a woman and a minority, perhaps it was the culture in which I was raised or the way I've been treated, but I have been reluctant to "take up space" in ways I've noticed others belonging to a "dominant" culture don't hesitate to. To the extent that changes in the future, it would be interesting for people later on to know that despite having a number of general advantages (or feeling like you do on paper), it is still possible for people to feel as though they are silenced, or imposing by speaking or taking up space.
I'd also like people 100 years from now to appreciate what a nation of polarized individuals, refusing to engage with different views or respectfully listen to each other looked like, and where that brought us. I hope they'll truly learn from it and value honest and respectful conversation, and that they will seek out experiences to interact with people across the boundaries they draw, or are drawn for them.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
An emerging consensus of protecting the environment, choosing to be kind, and seeing communities grow. I heard on a podcast that only 19% of millennials responded they would trust their neighbors (compared to 65% of baby boomers). I think the 2016 election changed that, for better or worse. People are much more willing to gather, brainstorm and help create lasting change. I think that'll continue through 2021 and beyond.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I think America has become much more racially polarized and also polarized in terms of class. We are a more intolerant country in which people feel comfortable voicing their prejudices in terms of race and ethnicity.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I work at a black institution and for the most part have felt protected by the fact that the work I do and the place I work in, does good work on behalf of black and brown people. However, I also live in the south, in a red state, where over these four years I have seen fractures between communities and the police, communities of wealth and poverty and also fissures in the relationships between black and brown people.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I want to remember the lack of civility of our current administration. Oh to live in such times. I want to remember the sense of urgency and the tension that is palpable as people await the elections. I want to remember that the conversations I'm having with friends, colleagues, strangers are all full of anger and anxiety.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Covid, reproductive justice, taxes, healthcare, civility, racial healing, having leadership that I am not ashamed of.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Good leadership, or better leadership than what we have had these past four years, especially in terms of the pandemic.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
My feelings about America have not changed. However, it is disheartening to see so many people being so easily led into racism and intolerance.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have not had many personal encounters which were negative. However, I have noticed a general tendency among people either to be defiant about their views or to be over-solicitous to assure me that as a POC, I am 'welcome' in America. Both of these attitudes are galling, at best.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I hope that we do not have a bitterly personal election like 2020 for a very long time. As a historian, the last time such an election was recorded was when Andrew Jackson was elected. I fervently hope that the demands of civil discourse once again dominate public discussion.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Change, change, change!!
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I am so hopeful about the younger generation- they are more politically and socially aware than any other generation in memory.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Its challenging to sum up how I feel about the USA since the 2016 election, because my feelings shift from day to day. In some strange way, I feel validated. So much of my experience was hidden or unseen before 2016 and now that xenophobia, racism and misogyny have taken center stage, there's more open conversation about these issues and the importance of being engaged in politics and in dialogue with the full history of this country. I feel hopeful for the future and for what we can all bring to fruition. At the same time, I feel tired and distressed. The general news media have been disappointing in their continued focus on ratings and clicks while there seems to be a very real lack of critical thinking and understanding of science amongst Americans, which is concerning. Precedents have been and continue to be set, which could set us down a backwards path.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have been more vocal about my point of view and also make more of an effort to engage in conversation with others on all the above. I'm fortunate that my work, health and personal circumstances remain stable since 2016.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
Remember that we are still not "post-racial" and that voting rights are still compromised.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
For more representation in every area of public life, including government, arts and business. And hopefully for a broader and more inclusive and just understanding of community, contribution and prosperity.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Since the 2016 election, I believe don't believe in the power of America anymore. I think that the illusion that America is a progressive and generally forward-thinking nation broken. The 2016 election brought out the ugly and racist tendencies of people that had been rightfully suppressed and I don't think I can go back to believing that everyone is good and desires equality and justice anymore.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have become more indifferent to politics since the 2016 election. It has been so chaotic and hectic dealing with the ideas of this administration that I have stopped putting effort into actively knowing what is going on.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I want people to know that fighting for justice and your own right to exist is a constant active fight, regardless of how comfortable you may feel.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I am most hopeful about the fact that, some day, we will have leadership that will be able to lead that will somewhat be representative of who I am instead of a rich, white male. *fingers crossed*
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I worked in Missouri progressive politics at the time, and saw Trump's election and the massive red wave as the pinnacle of the GOP's 30 year strategy. Gerrymandered state districts and term limits give an illusion of a broken system, proactively disenfranchising voters from the idea of a democracy. Trump's administration has brought to light the myth of American exceptionalism. It has exposed both the myth driving South Asians to the country and the myth Indian Hindu Americans continue to believe to align themselves with whiteness. My feelings about an unjust nation state and its citizens have hardened, but not fundamentally changed; this is a country and culture built off violence, oppression, and ego.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I'm incredibly lucky and privileged that I've been left relatively unscathed by this administration. I'm constantly stressed out by the administration's policy/rule changes, and am especially stressed about immigration and healthcare. My husband is not a citizen and the green card process is becoming more and more difficult. I am worried about affordable, accessible healthcare for my parents and any future children I may have. I am worried about increasing segregation in all utilities - education, housing, internet, insurance - and how that will continue destroying at risk communities and families. This stress isn't new. I've seen the rhetoric, policy, and impact while working in Jefferson City. I knew the entire system was broken before Trump. I welcome everyone who has recognized that fact now.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
1. Voting for your perceived pocket won't save you. Voting for our collective pocket will.
2. Working 10x harder than the GOP to maybe eke out a win is by design. Question the entire process and dedicate yourself to changing one part of it.
3. The election cycle is the byproduct of all of the other opportunity to affect political change. Political education and engagement is just as important as professional development.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
I registered to vote as soon as I turned 17.5 years old. It is just something my family and I do. I use each election (municipal, primary, general) as an opportunity to assess how much or little I understand about my community's issues and figure out a way to talk about them with more people who may not have the bandwidth to do deep dive research.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
There is a remarkable conversation around rebuilding a society that works for everyone, and I have hope that grassroots conversations and work will move the needle. I'm seeing established and new pro-Black policy groups in Columbia, MO and Dearborn, MI. I see young Asian Americans in Michigan and Missouri educating themselves on their histories and developing the confidence to take local action.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
The last 4 years have been worse than a nightmare . At least you wake up after a nightmare, but under this presidency it's been a daily dose of drama, the steady relentless chipping away of our American ideals, values , our laws, the endless lies, flagrant disregard for nature, the environment, climate , science and now with this Pandemic killing thousands and this administration is actually ignoring this ! How much worse will it become if he wins another term?
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I've lived through this, in disbelief and shock and anxiety .
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I'll remember how our youth has been charged up, are voting in droves and that they and others have become more active, and less complacent.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Too many issues, mainly to say get lost to Trump and to restore decency, honesty and morality to all our institutions in this country .
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
We will rise up once again and become a good leader for the country and for the world.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I've realized that in a lot of ways, America is just a 3rd world country in luxury clothes. From the blatant racism we've seen, to the lack of the current administration's ability to do literally anything good, America is in a crisis, more so now than ever, in my opinion.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I've gotten much less hopeful in the leaders and government, and I think it just shows that we need to take things into our own hands if we want to create real change, since those in power are not doing it for us.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I hope we remember that the amount of hate and blatant racism, sexism, homophobia, etc., is all because we let a joke of a candidate win the presidency of this nation, and that this four years has been a clear example of what happens when a clown is in power.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
That we get new leaders, better leaders, who can finally restore some peace and actual justice to this nation.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I feel that the level of racism and xenophobia towards South Asians has increased since 2016. Furthermore, the level of corruption within the Executive Branch which, in my opinion, has increased since 2016 has shown that America may be a nation in decline. As such, my opinion on America has soured considerably since 2016.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have pursued jobs outside of the United States due to fears that the country may not be hospitable towards non-Caucasians. I have also experienced an uptick in racist statements directed towards me.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The biggest takeaway is that political and/or government systems need to be truly robust to ensure that all citizens within a democracy are appropriately enfranchised. Our system of government (in the US), is not sufficiently robust. This is the key takeaway from this time period.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
A democratic majority Senate and Biden-Harris win.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Being born and growing up in the US, I never doubted if it was the country I'd live my life in. That has slowly changed after 2016. On a consistent basis I question whether this will be a safe country for people who look like me to live in. Trump empowers White Supremacy to live "out loud" and those kinds of folks live everywhere, even when you don't expect it.
On the flip side, I see an America that is ready for radical change and a generation (including myself) who wants to fight for what we believe this country can be. I won't settle for the old politics that left BIPOC and working-class people to suffer the worst consequences of our system.
I guess I'll have to figure out which impulse wins out. I believe it'll be the latter. This is my country and I don't intend to leave it.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I think I've been radicalized in a way. I come from an upper-middle class family and grew up believing the meritocracy was real and that personal responsibility was all that mattered. I believed this probably up until 2013 and since then I've been seeing more and more that the systems our country is built on is not resilient enough to empower people to live their American Dream.
The last four years have only confirmed and sped up this change in my view of the US. We don't have any major force in politics that fights to make the country better for BIPOC and working-class people. We're leaving millions of our fellow Americans (immigrants included) without access to healthcare, education, and the tools to live a good life. I'm more determined than ever to change these systems.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I want people to remember how Republicans and their militias responded to the ordinary flux of our representative democracy. Without ideas to fight on, they resolved to steal the election by attacking voting rights and trying to intimidate voters. They are morally and intellectually bankrupt and are trying to force their will upon us. And we aren't letting them.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Healthcare. My family faced a situation where we were days away from having to choose between life-saving healthcare for my mother and everything else we had. Luckily, at the last moment, we received a "scholarship" from the pharmaceutical company that made her treatment.
Most Americans are not this lucky. They end up going bankrupt, in debt, or ration their medications to their detriment. I believe that in the future, we'll look back on our healthcare situation in a similar way to other human rights abuses we learn about in history books. We need universal healthcare.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I don't know. I hope we can finally put the old-guard of politics to rest and start cultivating leaders of the future who want to tackle the challenges of the 21st century, not simply re-litigate the challenges of our past.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I used to naively think America was the best country in the world but that's because I was comfortably sitting in dad's house. It wasn't until this year reality really hit when my dad lost this job and we lost our health care. It was a very trying time for my family and it really started to dawn on me on how many millions of Americans might have it worse than us. I guess my feelings about America really changed from thinking it was an absolute system that requires "no change" to something that gravely needs restructuring because it's crushing those at the very bottom. Our family thankfully got our insurance on but there are so many others that are struggling who have even worse health problems than we do that.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
The last four years have definitely been a growth period for me. I struggled at times with my own anxiety/insecurities that really held me back from being a better person. I used to let my shyness get the best of me to the point where I would not even engage in a conversation. Then one day I was like ok f***, this I'm going to be unbashfully myself and if they don't like it, then I didn't lose anything. And guess what? Literally no one had a problem with it. The last four years really made me focus on my mental health and how important it is to take care of. I was taught to deal with issues by "praying on it" but that
doesn't always help me. It wasn't until I started researching and talking about my issues that I started to get better.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
How social media has completely changed the way we do everything. Its impact on business and even the presidential election is pretty crazy. I feel like reality is slowly becoming a Black Mirror episode.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I hope this pandemic gets better. I hope we eventually come close to life pre-quarantine. I miss being able to go to public without wearing a mask.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Since 2016 tolerance levels have gone down in America and divisive nature has increased as a result of the current white house administration. Racism, inequality and prejudice has become mainstream and acceptable. A health disaster as the global pandemic has become a bipartisan issue.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I'm more fearful of traveling outside of the city - suburbs and small towns have shown increase in hate-crimes against BIPOC so I avoid road trips to small towns. I've experienced more racial slurs in the last four years in Seattle, which is known for its liberal views. Lack of leadership from the top has created a health and economic disaster with the global pandemic.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
This election isn't just about two parties, the election is about morality. Biden isn't a saint or going to make sweeping changes but as a leader he will always decent and kind, not filled with hatred and divisive rhetoric. A vote for Trump is a vote for lies, deceit, misogyny, and racism. Regardless of who ends up in the white house, we are potentially at the early stages of a civil war.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Racial equity, immigration reform, law reform, health care, climate justice
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I'm not hopeful, the future is bleak.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I feel uncomfortable with the flag. I've briefly considered leaving.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
Hate crimes, intersectional issue, how South Asians vote
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Social Justice, more blue in government (not police officers)
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Since the 2016 election specifically, I have become increasingly disappointed in the American population for people's bigotry and immorality. I have also been learning more since 2016 about America's past and present racism and colonialism, and I am increasingly attentive to racist and colonialist discourse in politics and news. I immigrated to America at a young age, and I have never been patriotic towards America (e.g. refused to say or stand for the Pledge of Allegiance since elementary school), but it is only in recent years that I have become informed about its failings.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I was a U.S. green card holder at the time of the 2016 election, and I fully intended to stay a permanent resident and not a citizen for my whole life. After the 2016 election, I began to fear for my immigration status for the first time in my life. I started the citizenship process soon after the election and am a U.S. citizen now. I am still sometimes worried about my citizenship status, especially since I know that naturalized South Asian American citizens have had their citizenship revoked in U.S. history, and I sometimes remind my natural-born American husband where my immigration papers are if I was ever questioned or detained.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The 2020 election cycle is the most involved I have been in an election cycle. I plan to vote for Biden, but I would want to remember how many more progressive candidates were running during the primaries. I was more excited about Julián Castro than I have ever been about an elected official before, and I voted for Elizabeth Warren in the primary. I would want it remembered that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris do not fully represent the more progressive desires among voters.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
I have worked to become more involved in local and national politics since becoming a citizen in response to the policies of the Trump administration. I can't pick a small subset of issues that motivate me to vote, but I want to be part of pushing for progressive change in my region and in this country. I carefully research all the people on my ballot so I can make an informed choice. Becoming a citizen so recently makes me take my right to vote very seriously. I also worry about voter suppression because my race is listed as "Multiple" on my voter registration card (since I am biracial), and I have already twice had delays in processing my voting information/requests (as compared to my husband whose race is listed as "White"), so I am extra vigilant about preparing to be able to vote.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I really am hopeful that Biden will be elected as president during the 2020 election. I know that his election wouldn't be a cure-all to so many issues that we continue to face in this country, but it would be a step in the right direction. It frightens me to think that we could have another four years of Trump. But I know that the grassroots organizers in my community wouldn't stop working, and in that worst case scenario I would only hope that there would be a correspondingly huge swell of progressive activism on the ground.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
The years that have followed 2016 have been tearing away at the American faade of equality and freedom. Behind the mask we see a machine that is operating just as it was designed: perpetuating systemic racism, genocide, and all the varied forms of intersecting oppressions needed to keep white supremacy intact. America has always been this way, but since the 2016 election I have felt increased levels of shame, fear, and detachment associated with the idea of America as my country and my home.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have felt the past four years in body through increased levels of anxiety and exhaustion. I have felt this anxiety as the daughter of a Muslim immigrant to this country. As a woman knowing her President takes pride in the sexual assault and violence he perpetuates. As an early professional carrying the burden of student debt. As a steward of community archives and working with immigrant communities who cannot rest because they are constantly fighting for belonging in this country.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
As this election cycle converges with both a global pandemic and a national movement against racial violence, the mobilization of our Asian American communities in racial solidarity with other Black, Indigenous, and other people of color is critical in this moment. As the fastest growing population in the U.S., Asian Americans have demonstrated growing enthusiasm for voter engagement, which has been the result of a long legacy of Asian American activism and interethnic organizing. 100 years from now I hope we can learn from all of the Zoom teach-ins, solidarity workshops, mutual aid support networks, phone drives, language access advocacy work, and other resources that have played a pivotal role in getting our communities of color to the polls.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
While immigrants and other communities of color seem to be perpetually under siege during this current presidency, I find hope in resiliency of Black, Brown and other immigrant communities. At this moment I can feel an increased consciousness around concepts such as Black liberation, abolition, mutual aid, and dismantling the white supremacy our country was founded on. I sense a stronger solidarity between communities of color and an investment in a critical reexamination of the histories we have been taught. We are learning how to talk to our parents and loved ones. We are not remaining silent. Despite the outcome of this election, we will need to stay vigilant and connected with one another to really build the systems we need to all feel free. I remain hopeful that we can.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Looking back, I would say pre-2016, I was living life with a proximity to whiteness of which I was unaware. I knew about racism and systemic bias, but didn't feel it's impact in my life personally and so was willfully ignorant of the ways in which the system itself was biased. My feelings toward America have changed, I think I see more clearly how we, as American citizens, have participated in a system that perpetuates inequities and that, in many ways, we refuse to correct the foundational issues. I also see how our refusal to acknowledge the ways in which this country was built on slavery has made it impossible for us to acknowledge the ways in which we have wronged the African American Community. I will also say, that I am in awe of African Americans in this country - they are true patriots in that they keep pushing all of us to live up to the ideals this country espouses despite the ways in which they have been abused and traumatized. I say this in reference to the African American community in particular, but I know it also applies to other communities of color.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I haven't been impacted personally in an economic or material sense, but I have been changed in terms of outlook and emotion, which has caused a big change in my level of interaction in my community. I have applied for positions on commissions in local government, have become more involved in the PTA at my school and, more generally, tried to be more engaged on local and national issues. I attended my first protests in the past four years. I volunteered to be a poll worker in my county. I'm making sure to model local community engagement to my kids and educate them on everything I'm learning now so that they won't be ignorant of their privileges and responsibility.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I think the mobilization of the vote has been amazing. How so many people are encouraging each other to vote and engaging friends in family in a proactive way.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I'm hopeful about the ways in which so many of us have become more aware and are trying to educate ourselves and engage in the work that needs to be done. I'm also hopeful because there are so many people doing this work that are leading us in the right direction.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I never really considered having to leave the US. I figured I'd raise my family here and grow old. Since Trump's election, I have increasingly felt like we may move outside the country to provide our daughter with the life we hope for her because those opportunities, freedoms, and safeties won't be available here. I ponder what the signs are for when to get out. The other thing I remember worrying about very soon after the election is that we'd given our daughter a very ethnic name. As a mixed-ethnicity child, I don't know exactly how she reads to others now or in the future, but her name marks her as "other." I became worried that the country might be heading in a direction where that was not safe. And I started worrying more for my husband and her safety in general, and as the far right-wing has worked to erode more and more rights for women and minorities, I have started worrying for my own safety as it has to do with access to reproductive health.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
There has been some added stress. I went to some protests early on and as a SAHM, my daughter was young enough I felt safe wearing her to some of the protests. As she got bigger that felt less safe and also the constant churn of news meant I retreated back to just focusing on our family for awhile. Although the events of the last 7 months have kind of eclipsed the 4 years. I feel pretty burnt out from the last 7 months of crises and incredibly anxious about what the election will bring.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I don't know what I'd want them to know about, but I do think that they will look back at the BLM movement, at Russian interference in US elections/politics, at the SARS-CoV2 pandemic as major events to study. I don't know if Trump will stand out as a president that everyone knows for being horrible or a particular turning point, or if he'll sort of fade into the background of not-great presidents (if he loses the upcoming election that is). I'm sure we'll be judged for what we didn't do to combat climate change. I hope that some of these things will be the turning point towards better policies for a social support system, for universal health care, for climate policies, and for equality.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
In 2016 I felt so deeply moved thinking that my daughter would see a woman elected president. (No matter Hilary Clinton's faults or her connection to Bill, since when have we ever had a perfect male president?) While we don't have that option of a female president in this election, having Kamala Harris -- a woman, South Asian, black -- as the VP during some of my daughter's formative years would be amazing. I also hope that the democrats will win a huge landslide and that the country will start moving left. I hope that right-wing hate groups and militias are dismantled and that people start to at least feel embarrassed about being bigots etc. again as we move towards hopefully eradicating those beliefs. I hope that my reproductive rights and other rights as a woman are protected. I hope that health care access is preserved and expanded. And I hope that the country can turn around it's coronavirus response and have a federally-organized, efficient vaccine rollout. It would be nice not to have my daughter come home from school and tell me that it's not good to be close to people. She would love to go on a beach vacation again some day.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
It's made me fear the common white citizen more. It's made me question every citizens political affiliation. Before the 2016 election I wouldn't look at someone and try to guess if they were democrat or republican or who they voted for and what racial implications that might have. Afterwards, I have a "guilty-until-proven-otherwise" mentality towards white males and I battle with it every day and try to remind myself to be more fair, understanding and open-minded. For people of color, especially, Indians, I also, remain suspicious of their political alliances, which I never thought would be the case.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
It has been mentally draining and politically disheartening to witness. There was an ounce of hope provided by Dave Chappelle's SNL monologue right after the election. I had hope that possibly, in someway, Trump would hear us, but alas his four years have divided us more. The battle for the next election felt like it continued and never ended. The world continued to yell over each other. People of color continue to question everything.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
There is so much that has happened and so much that is at stake:
1. Black Lives Matter Movement and each life that was lost in this timeframe.
2. The Bernie Sanders campaign
3. Abdul Syed's run for Governor in Michigan
4. RGB's death and the implications
5. Same-Sex Marriage
6. Abortion Rights
7. The wildfires (Australia to California)
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
A possible vaccine. Walking into a store without a mask. The rest we can discuss after the results of the election
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
America has always been a nation that has the highest ideals but hasn't always lived up to them, especially as it has denigrated its black citizens for centuries. I used to feel that race was individual, that people were individually racist. But now I understand the systematic nature of race and dispossession. These last 4 years have only uncovered more clearly these ongoing trends.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have witnessed my hometown become a battleground over different visions of what the future should like based on a fight around literal relics of the past. The Unite the Right rally, centered around the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, brought these debates about race, history, and representation to the fore. I channeled my growing desire for a more racially and economically equitable society through my doctoral studies around black Muslim youth in the US. I feel as though the fight for true equity is a cause that I will pursue alongside my community for the rest of my life.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I want us to remember how long we had to wait to elect President Biden and the sheer number of people (75 million+) who voted. This is the most amount of voters in the history of US elections. I want us to consider mail in ballots for future elections because it increases voter turnout (because not everyone can take a Tuesday off from work to vote).
I want us to remember that we voted during a pandemic and during a time when black lives continue to be slain. I want us to remember that we are the cusp of electing the first woman vice-president, and that this woman, Vice President Elect Kamala Harris, is a black and South Asian woman.
I want us to be beware of electing would be despots because of how hard it is to return to a democratic system afterwards. The return of power after a free and fair election is a hallmark of America's constitutional ideas. It falls on the common people to uphold the ideals of America. It is hard work to maintain a true democracy, and black voters have once again served as the conscience of the nature, reminding us to be better.
I want us to remember all the common people who showed up as volunteers, poll workers, vote counters, and as voters. I want us to remember the herculean efforts of Stacey Abrams and her team in organizing in Georgia, even after she lost her own bid for governor in 2018. I want us to remember that most of the Georgia Democratic votes came from recently-deceased John Lewis's district. I want us to remember Cindy McCain campaigning for her departed husband John McCain and making Arizona a battleground. I want us to remember the thousands of other folks I don't have names for who showed up for this election.
I want my niece to remember that people fought hard for her rights as an American of Bangladeshi Muslim origin. She will take up the torch in the next generation.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Education, Black Lives Matter, Healthcare, Immigration
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I hope we can have an end to this pandemic and make policy changes that actually prioritizes the poor and common people.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I have lost faith in the American project as being self-correcting and capable of protecting and advancing humane laws. I now see that America is as vulnerable as India to corruption, authoritarianism, and the scapegoating of minorities.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I fear for my son and his partner, who live in Colorado. I live in Canada now and I'm guilty about feeling grateful for that! The pandemic has only compounded my worry for the future.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The surreal nature of the so-called debates. The absurdity of having a man in office who is clearly incapable of rising to the job, falling into it, or even accidentally doing the right thing on any given day. The delight I felt when Kamala Harris used the Tamil word "Chitti" on National TV. The dismay when I realized how very elite and Tam-Brahm that video with Mindy Kaling felt.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Hopeful? No, I'm desperate. For the long upward journey from out of this hellhole. Rejoining the Paris Accord. Salvaging the Iran Nuclear deal. Restoring relations with allies. Putting the brakes on carbon emissions, restoring limits on polluting industry. Getting cronyism and corruption out of the executive branch. I fear we may not recover for decades.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Everything feels less stable. I'm less optimistic about the future of the country, and the rest of the world in general. It feels like a lot of the progress that was made has been undone.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I've noticed significant shifts in cultural and family dynamics mainly due to politics. This presidency has been far more divisive than unifying and has shed a light on the dangers of unfettered individualism that is part of what founded this country and its privileges.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
It would depend on the state of the country and the world 100 years from now. But this presidency was a step backwards and the two-party system should've been eradicated a long time ago.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Honestly it's hard to be optimistic in light of what is happening, regardless of who wins. But I guess I'm hopeful about the lessons and meaning we will find once COVID is (hopefully) past us.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I think that the full dissemblance of the "American Dream" has really come to fruition for me in the past four years. In some ways, it was necessary -- since the 2016 election more systematic issues have been brought forth but the reaction to these issues has been, to say the least, subpar. As an immigrant it feels a little blasphemous to critique the idealisms of America, but it really begets the question of whether or not America can be upheld to the same standards it was once held to.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
In some ways, I have felt personally let down by a lot of my peers, friends, and family. I think in a time where we should really be evaluating our own privileges and how we have each in some way contributed to some of the atrocities in America, that there was a lot of willful ignorance. Also, there is something to be said about the onslaught of worries that the last four years have brought on. I worry about the possible overturning of court cases like Obergefell v. Hodge which effects my right to get married, I worry about overturning Roe v. Wade which effects my right to my reproductive rights, health, and privacy, and I worry about police brutality and climate change all of which are concerns that as a woman in her mid twenties makes me wonder if things like family planning are obtuse and a selfish cause when considering the America we live in today.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
Maybe a little off topic but voting is still difficult in 2020! Things like voter registration, false ballot boxes, and the suppression of mail in ballots have made this not just a contentious election but also a difficult one. I hope 100 years from now that doing something as seemingly basic as voting because a much more accessible process.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I am hopeful that more people will feel impassioned to work towards a more inclusive America.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
The threshold that we stood on in 2016 felt like a launching pad- I didn't realize it was a plank. The last four years have been both the richest of my life, as I became a parent to an incredible kid, and the saddest as I witnessed the dismantling of so many of the structures that sought to build up social and environmental responsibility to provide equitable futures Americans from all walks of life. It is crucial that we look at the long processes that transform the American system. The power of the Trump administration is actually the product of expanding executive power over the last few administrations, and this reminds me that the American democracy functions best when we stay attentive to it. We cannot sit back and expect it to keep working all by itself. If we want the American democracy to protect us and our interests, we have to stay constantly engaged! It's hard work, but more necessary than ever!
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
As I lay in bed nursing my newborn daughter that night in November 2016, I saw the news about Trump's victory. It seemed so impossible, and led my mind down uncharted pathways. I looked over at my partner of almost twenty years, sleeping beside me, and I wished for him that his slumber would never end. That he would never wake to the horror we were surely facing with a Trump presidency. I looked back to 2004, and remembered my disgust at waking up to a second George W. Bush victory. This was worse. I felt paralyzed. I didn't get out of bed the next day. I reached for a gift some one had given us when our daughter was born, "Letters to my Baby" and I wrote to her about the world I wanted to give to her. I focused on the strength of her community, her village. The effort to write, to imagine a world in which she would find love and encouragement as a girl, as a woman, as a leader and independent thinker, made it possible for me to get out of bed again. We, the adults who love her, would have to create that world for her. I knew that if I could keep my sights local, limited, that I could do it. But as time has worn on, and I've narrowed my focus, I have also been reckoning with what it means to self-isolate, to empower and nurture local community, to deal with the challenges of the now, the immediate. Isn't this the same strategy that those who argue against global interconnection advocate? My self-protection is also exclusionary, narrow-minded. I needed it in 2016, nurturing that tiny, delicate baby. As she grows into a head-strong, independent girl, equally obsessed with camping and Elsa, I am reminded that I can, we can, and we MUST also be both. We must nurture our local communities, cultivate strength in our cities and schools AND be good global citizens: supporting the struggles of others, working to reduce our carbon footprints, and constantly resisting the efforts of those who would argue that singularity is strength. Our strength comes from connection, from locking arms and struggling together. For me, that is now clearer than ever.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
We get excited about the presidential election, but the down-ballot races are perhaps even more important for our futures. It is there that we choose our FUTURE candidates, address the issues facing our cities, and ensure that justice can be served in our courts.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
I always vote. No matter what. In primaries, mid-terms, local elections. The sustenance of the American democracy is the issue that motivates me to vote. (and also, Black Lives Matter, Climate Change, Immigration Justice, Housing Justice, Income Inequality, Women's Health and Autonomy... it's a long list!)
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I am usually an optimist, and it stuns me how hard I am finding it to answer this question. I am hopeful that my daughter will get to live in a world with a brown woman as our Vice President (and maybe someday our President!). I am hopeful that we will soon be able to travel again to visit our family in Pakistan. What gives me hope? The active coalitions I see being developed amongst communities of color and others concerned with equity in the American democracy. I pledge to keep learning.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
It's like we are in some strange twilight zone. I shake my head and say, this can't be real and then feel really sad that it is!
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have spent it very worried. I have started truly not liking some people that I did before. Obsessed about the news even though it makes me depressed. Overall a feeling of anger and frustration and a call to action!
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
It is YOUR future. It is the future of tour children. The choices you make will affect YOU. It's not some far away government somewhere. It's hot something bad happening in some far away third world country that you can justify. It's happening here and to you. Pay attention and VOTE.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
So many to list! Basic human rights. Immigration rights. Human decency. Respect for the position and history. Right for a woman to chose. No one needs to own an assault rifle. We trust science. We can trust the vaccine when it is ready. The list goes on and on.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Sanity does come back. We are able to battle the pandemic all together as humanity in a scientific manner. America is again a beacon for the world. Human rights and women's rights are respected. The government is not a satirical horror show.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
This country feels more racist, more uneducated than ever before. The poor curriculum of schools has finally unveiled its impact.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I feel anxious and compelled to plan my retirement to be in another country. I worry about how to help care for my parent.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The attack on science and health officials being ignored.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Covid response, economy, Supreme Court nominations and women's rights
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
The erasure of trump's bad actions
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
For the first time, I fear that democracy could be subverted. I worry about the division in this country and the questioning of truth, science and fact. I wonder how this time in history will impact my children.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have seen a division in friends that I have known for a lifetime. Everyday life has become political in areas that are clearly not political. Here is a general of distrust in this country of government and of fellow citizens.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
I want to be part of a kinder , gentler nation. I feel removing Trump is the only way to achieve that. Racial injustice. Lies in the government.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
A return to compassion, kindness and the value of human dignity and human rights.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
My feelings have changed drastically. Leading up to the 2016 election, I'm not sure that I explicitly thought of myself as American. Though the election of Trump revealed deep divisions in our country, I was also astonished to see the level of support and community for people who are birthright citizens, like myself. I vowed to fight harder for this country and have become more of an activist than I ever imagined. During the pandemic, however, I've started to feel like I'm not willing to give my life to this country. So many countries have done a great job dealing with the virus, but Americans are dying. I'm not willing to be one of them.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I feel like I've woken up and become radicalized. Growing up in the Obama era made me complacent, made me feel like the government was looking out for me. I know that the biggest check on the government is the people. The last four years have been a major civics lesson, and I'm paying attention like my life depends on it, because it does.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The Democratic primary was really tough but it seemed to do what elections should do - push the general conversation, push candidates to come out with specific and bold plans. Biden has been forced to come out with a strong climate plan and address issues that he wouldn't have if there hadn't been such a strong primary slate of candidates. There's some hope in that.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Trump's bigotry and racism. Knowing that another 4 years of Trump means death and suffering in this country.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Everyone is so galvanized and engaged. We've lived through four incredibly horrible years, and it seems like so many people are fighting to make sure we don't continue to live this way.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I've been disappointed at the state of discourse. Due to the financial incentives driving print and digital media, as well as social media, companies are incented to provide individuals information they want, instead of information they need. This leads to very, very polarized camps of individuals who are increasingly isolated, harboring an "us versus them" mentality. I believe the current administration, despite criticizing the media, fuels these outcomes further, again by forging narratives of winners and losers and loyalists and enemies. People appear less willing to listen and more willing to be combative.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I've found small ways of supporting causes and creating dialogue because the stakes appear to be much higher than they ever were. It's been useful to find a voice that stands up for personal values, especially as a minority. I'm not sure I would've been as vocal, or as involved in my various communities, if the 2016 election had gone in a different direction.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
Being cognizant of whether everyone in your various communities has a voice and feels comfortable using that voice is critical. As a woman and a minority, perhaps it was the culture in which I was raised or the way I've been treated, but I have been reluctant to "take up space" in ways I've noticed others belonging to a "dominant" culture don't hesitate to. To the extent that changes in the future, it would be interesting for people later on to know that despite having a number of general advantages (or feeling like you do on paper), it is still possible for people to feel as though they are silenced, or imposing by speaking or taking up space.
I'd also like people 100 years from now to appreciate what a nation of polarized individuals, refusing to engage with different views or respectfully listen to each other looked like, and where that brought us. I hope they'll truly learn from it and value honest and respectful conversation, and that they will seek out experiences to interact with people across the boundaries they draw, or are drawn for them.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
An emerging consensus of protecting the environment, choosing to be kind, and seeing communities grow. I heard on a podcast that only 19% of millennials responded they would trust their neighbors (compared to 65% of baby boomers). I think the 2016 election changed that, for better or worse. People are much more willing to gather, brainstorm and help create lasting change. I think that'll continue through 2021 and beyond.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I think America has become much more racially polarized and also polarized in terms of class. We are a more intolerant country in which people feel comfortable voicing their prejudices in terms of race and ethnicity.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I work at a black institution and for the most part have felt protected by the fact that the work I do and the place I work in, does good work on behalf of black and brown people. However, I also live in the south, in a red state, where over these four years I have seen fractures between communities and the police, communities of wealth and poverty and also fissures in the relationships between black and brown people.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I want to remember the lack of civility of our current administration. Oh to live in such times. I want to remember the sense of urgency and the tension that is palpable as people await the elections. I want to remember that the conversations I'm having with friends, colleagues, strangers are all full of anger and anxiety.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Covid, reproductive justice, taxes, healthcare, civility, racial healing, having leadership that I am not ashamed of.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Good leadership, or better leadership than what we have had these past four years, especially in terms of the pandemic.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
My feelings about America have not changed. However, it is disheartening to see so many people being so easily led into racism and intolerance.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have not had many personal encounters which were negative. However, I have noticed a general tendency among people either to be defiant about their views or to be over-solicitous to assure me that as a POC, I am 'welcome' in America. Both of these attitudes are galling, at best.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I hope that we do not have a bitterly personal election like 2020 for a very long time. As a historian, the last time such an election was recorded was when Andrew Jackson was elected. I fervently hope that the demands of civil discourse once again dominate public discussion.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Change, change, change!!
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I am so hopeful about the younger generation- they are more politically and socially aware than any other generation in memory.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Its challenging to sum up how I feel about the USA since the 2016 election, because my feelings shift from day to day. In some strange way, I feel validated. So much of my experience was hidden or unseen before 2016 and now that xenophobia, racism and misogyny have taken center stage, there's more open conversation about these issues and the importance of being engaged in politics and in dialogue with the full history of this country. I feel hopeful for the future and for what we can all bring to fruition. At the same time, I feel tired and distressed. The general news media have been disappointing in their continued focus on ratings and clicks while there seems to be a very real lack of critical thinking and understanding of science amongst Americans, which is concerning. Precedents have been and continue to be set, which could set us down a backwards path.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have been more vocal about my point of view and also make more of an effort to engage in conversation with others on all the above. I'm fortunate that my work, health and personal circumstances remain stable since 2016.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
Remember that we are still not "post-racial" and that voting rights are still compromised.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
For more representation in every area of public life, including government, arts and business. And hopefully for a broader and more inclusive and just understanding of community, contribution and prosperity.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Since the 2016 election, I believe don't believe in the power of America anymore. I think that the illusion that America is a progressive and generally forward-thinking nation broken. The 2016 election brought out the ugly and racist tendencies of people that had been rightfully suppressed and I don't think I can go back to believing that everyone is good and desires equality and justice anymore.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have become more indifferent to politics since the 2016 election. It has been so chaotic and hectic dealing with the ideas of this administration that I have stopped putting effort into actively knowing what is going on.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I want people to know that fighting for justice and your own right to exist is a constant active fight, regardless of how comfortable you may feel.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I am most hopeful about the fact that, some day, we will have leadership that will be able to lead that will somewhat be representative of who I am instead of a rich, white male. *fingers crossed*
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I worked in Missouri progressive politics at the time, and saw Trump's election and the massive red wave as the pinnacle of the GOP's 30 year strategy. Gerrymandered state districts and term limits give an illusion of a broken system, proactively disenfranchising voters from the idea of a democracy. Trump's administration has brought to light the myth of American exceptionalism. It has exposed both the myth driving South Asians to the country and the myth Indian Hindu Americans continue to believe to align themselves with whiteness. My feelings about an unjust nation state and its citizens have hardened, but not fundamentally changed; this is a country and culture built off violence, oppression, and ego.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I'm incredibly lucky and privileged that I've been left relatively unscathed by this administration. I'm constantly stressed out by the administration's policy/rule changes, and am especially stressed about immigration and healthcare. My husband is not a citizen and the green card process is becoming more and more difficult. I am worried about affordable, accessible healthcare for my parents and any future children I may have. I am worried about increasing segregation in all utilities - education, housing, internet, insurance - and how that will continue destroying at risk communities and families. This stress isn't new. I've seen the rhetoric, policy, and impact while working in Jefferson City. I knew the entire system was broken before Trump. I welcome everyone who has recognized that fact now.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
1. Voting for your perceived pocket won't save you. Voting for our collective pocket will.
2. Working 10x harder than the GOP to maybe eke out a win is by design. Question the entire process and dedicate yourself to changing one part of it.
3. The election cycle is the byproduct of all of the other opportunity to affect political change. Political education and engagement is just as important as professional development.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
I registered to vote as soon as I turned 17.5 years old. It is just something my family and I do. I use each election (municipal, primary, general) as an opportunity to assess how much or little I understand about my community's issues and figure out a way to talk about them with more people who may not have the bandwidth to do deep dive research.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
There is a remarkable conversation around rebuilding a society that works for everyone, and I have hope that grassroots conversations and work will move the needle. I'm seeing established and new pro-Black policy groups in Columbia, MO and Dearborn, MI. I see young Asian Americans in Michigan and Missouri educating themselves on their histories and developing the confidence to take local action.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
The last 4 years have been worse than a nightmare . At least you wake up after a nightmare, but under this presidency it's been a daily dose of drama, the steady relentless chipping away of our American ideals, values , our laws, the endless lies, flagrant disregard for nature, the environment, climate , science and now with this Pandemic killing thousands and this administration is actually ignoring this ! How much worse will it become if he wins another term?
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I've lived through this, in disbelief and shock and anxiety .
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I'll remember how our youth has been charged up, are voting in droves and that they and others have become more active, and less complacent.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Too many issues, mainly to say get lost to Trump and to restore decency, honesty and morality to all our institutions in this country .
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
We will rise up once again and become a good leader for the country and for the world.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I've realized that in a lot of ways, America is just a 3rd world country in luxury clothes. From the blatant racism we've seen, to the lack of the current administration's ability to do literally anything good, America is in a crisis, more so now than ever, in my opinion.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I've gotten much less hopeful in the leaders and government, and I think it just shows that we need to take things into our own hands if we want to create real change, since those in power are not doing it for us.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I hope we remember that the amount of hate and blatant racism, sexism, homophobia, etc., is all because we let a joke of a candidate win the presidency of this nation, and that this four years has been a clear example of what happens when a clown is in power.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
That we get new leaders, better leaders, who can finally restore some peace and actual justice to this nation.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I feel that the level of racism and xenophobia towards South Asians has increased since 2016. Furthermore, the level of corruption within the Executive Branch which, in my opinion, has increased since 2016 has shown that America may be a nation in decline. As such, my opinion on America has soured considerably since 2016.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have pursued jobs outside of the United States due to fears that the country may not be hospitable towards non-Caucasians. I have also experienced an uptick in racist statements directed towards me.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The biggest takeaway is that political and/or government systems need to be truly robust to ensure that all citizens within a democracy are appropriately enfranchised. Our system of government (in the US), is not sufficiently robust. This is the key takeaway from this time period.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
A democratic majority Senate and Biden-Harris win.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Being born and growing up in the US, I never doubted if it was the country I'd live my life in. That has slowly changed after 2016. On a consistent basis I question whether this will be a safe country for people who look like me to live in. Trump empowers White Supremacy to live "out loud" and those kinds of folks live everywhere, even when you don't expect it.
On the flip side, I see an America that is ready for radical change and a generation (including myself) who wants to fight for what we believe this country can be. I won't settle for the old politics that left BIPOC and working-class people to suffer the worst consequences of our system.
I guess I'll have to figure out which impulse wins out. I believe it'll be the latter. This is my country and I don't intend to leave it.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I think I've been radicalized in a way. I come from an upper-middle class family and grew up believing the meritocracy was real and that personal responsibility was all that mattered. I believed this probably up until 2013 and since then I've been seeing more and more that the systems our country is built on is not resilient enough to empower people to live their American Dream.
The last four years have only confirmed and sped up this change in my view of the US. We don't have any major force in politics that fights to make the country better for BIPOC and working-class people. We're leaving millions of our fellow Americans (immigrants included) without access to healthcare, education, and the tools to live a good life. I'm more determined than ever to change these systems.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I want people to remember how Republicans and their militias responded to the ordinary flux of our representative democracy. Without ideas to fight on, they resolved to steal the election by attacking voting rights and trying to intimidate voters. They are morally and intellectually bankrupt and are trying to force their will upon us. And we aren't letting them.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Healthcare. My family faced a situation where we were days away from having to choose between life-saving healthcare for my mother and everything else we had. Luckily, at the last moment, we received a "scholarship" from the pharmaceutical company that made her treatment.
Most Americans are not this lucky. They end up going bankrupt, in debt, or ration their medications to their detriment. I believe that in the future, we'll look back on our healthcare situation in a similar way to other human rights abuses we learn about in history books. We need universal healthcare.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I don't know. I hope we can finally put the old-guard of politics to rest and start cultivating leaders of the future who want to tackle the challenges of the 21st century, not simply re-litigate the challenges of our past.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I used to naively think America was the best country in the world but that's because I was comfortably sitting in dad's house. It wasn't until this year reality really hit when my dad lost this job and we lost our health care. It was a very trying time for my family and it really started to dawn on me on how many millions of Americans might have it worse than us. I guess my feelings about America really changed from thinking it was an absolute system that requires "no change" to something that gravely needs restructuring because it's crushing those at the very bottom. Our family thankfully got our insurance on but there are so many others that are struggling who have even worse health problems than we do that.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
The last four years have definitely been a growth period for me. I struggled at times with my own anxiety/insecurities that really held me back from being a better person. I used to let my shyness get the best of me to the point where I would not even engage in a conversation. Then one day I was like ok f***, this I'm going to be unbashfully myself and if they don't like it, then I didn't lose anything. And guess what? Literally no one had a problem with it. The last four years really made me focus on my mental health and how important it is to take care of. I was taught to deal with issues by "praying on it" but that
doesn't always help me. It wasn't until I started researching and talking about my issues that I started to get better.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
How social media has completely changed the way we do everything. Its impact on business and even the presidential election is pretty crazy. I feel like reality is slowly becoming a Black Mirror episode.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I hope this pandemic gets better. I hope we eventually come close to life pre-quarantine. I miss being able to go to public without wearing a mask.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Since 2016 tolerance levels have gone down in America and divisive nature has increased as a result of the current white house administration. Racism, inequality and prejudice has become mainstream and acceptable. A health disaster as the global pandemic has become a bipartisan issue.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I'm more fearful of traveling outside of the city - suburbs and small towns have shown increase in hate-crimes against BIPOC so I avoid road trips to small towns. I've experienced more racial slurs in the last four years in Seattle, which is known for its liberal views. Lack of leadership from the top has created a health and economic disaster with the global pandemic.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
This election isn't just about two parties, the election is about morality. Biden isn't a saint or going to make sweeping changes but as a leader he will always decent and kind, not filled with hatred and divisive rhetoric. A vote for Trump is a vote for lies, deceit, misogyny, and racism. Regardless of who ends up in the white house, we are potentially at the early stages of a civil war.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Racial equity, immigration reform, law reform, health care, climate justice
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I'm not hopeful, the future is bleak.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I feel uncomfortable with the flag. I've briefly considered leaving.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
Hate crimes, intersectional issue, how South Asians vote
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
Social Justice, more blue in government (not police officers)
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Since the 2016 election specifically, I have become increasingly disappointed in the American population for people's bigotry and immorality. I have also been learning more since 2016 about America's past and present racism and colonialism, and I am increasingly attentive to racist and colonialist discourse in politics and news. I immigrated to America at a young age, and I have never been patriotic towards America (e.g. refused to say or stand for the Pledge of Allegiance since elementary school), but it is only in recent years that I have become informed about its failings.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I was a U.S. green card holder at the time of the 2016 election, and I fully intended to stay a permanent resident and not a citizen for my whole life. After the 2016 election, I began to fear for my immigration status for the first time in my life. I started the citizenship process soon after the election and am a U.S. citizen now. I am still sometimes worried about my citizenship status, especially since I know that naturalized South Asian American citizens have had their citizenship revoked in U.S. history, and I sometimes remind my natural-born American husband where my immigration papers are if I was ever questioned or detained.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
The 2020 election cycle is the most involved I have been in an election cycle. I plan to vote for Biden, but I would want to remember how many more progressive candidates were running during the primaries. I was more excited about Julián Castro than I have ever been about an elected official before, and I voted for Elizabeth Warren in the primary. I would want it remembered that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris do not fully represent the more progressive desires among voters.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
I have worked to become more involved in local and national politics since becoming a citizen in response to the policies of the Trump administration. I can't pick a small subset of issues that motivate me to vote, but I want to be part of pushing for progressive change in my region and in this country. I carefully research all the people on my ballot so I can make an informed choice. Becoming a citizen so recently makes me take my right to vote very seriously. I also worry about voter suppression because my race is listed as "Multiple" on my voter registration card (since I am biracial), and I have already twice had delays in processing my voting information/requests (as compared to my husband whose race is listed as "White"), so I am extra vigilant about preparing to be able to vote.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I really am hopeful that Biden will be elected as president during the 2020 election. I know that his election wouldn't be a cure-all to so many issues that we continue to face in this country, but it would be a step in the right direction. It frightens me to think that we could have another four years of Trump. But I know that the grassroots organizers in my community wouldn't stop working, and in that worst case scenario I would only hope that there would be a correspondingly huge swell of progressive activism on the ground.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
The years that have followed 2016 have been tearing away at the American faade of equality and freedom. Behind the mask we see a machine that is operating just as it was designed: perpetuating systemic racism, genocide, and all the varied forms of intersecting oppressions needed to keep white supremacy intact. America has always been this way, but since the 2016 election I have felt increased levels of shame, fear, and detachment associated with the idea of America as my country and my home.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have felt the past four years in body through increased levels of anxiety and exhaustion. I have felt this anxiety as the daughter of a Muslim immigrant to this country. As a woman knowing her President takes pride in the sexual assault and violence he perpetuates. As an early professional carrying the burden of student debt. As a steward of community archives and working with immigrant communities who cannot rest because they are constantly fighting for belonging in this country.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
As this election cycle converges with both a global pandemic and a national movement against racial violence, the mobilization of our Asian American communities in racial solidarity with other Black, Indigenous, and other people of color is critical in this moment. As the fastest growing population in the U.S., Asian Americans have demonstrated growing enthusiasm for voter engagement, which has been the result of a long legacy of Asian American activism and interethnic organizing. 100 years from now I hope we can learn from all of the Zoom teach-ins, solidarity workshops, mutual aid support networks, phone drives, language access advocacy work, and other resources that have played a pivotal role in getting our communities of color to the polls.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
While immigrants and other communities of color seem to be perpetually under siege during this current presidency, I find hope in resiliency of Black, Brown and other immigrant communities. At this moment I can feel an increased consciousness around concepts such as Black liberation, abolition, mutual aid, and dismantling the white supremacy our country was founded on. I sense a stronger solidarity between communities of color and an investment in a critical reexamination of the histories we have been taught. We are learning how to talk to our parents and loved ones. We are not remaining silent. Despite the outcome of this election, we will need to stay vigilant and connected with one another to really build the systems we need to all feel free. I remain hopeful that we can.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
Looking back, I would say pre-2016, I was living life with a proximity to whiteness of which I was unaware. I knew about racism and systemic bias, but didn't feel it's impact in my life personally and so was willfully ignorant of the ways in which the system itself was biased. My feelings toward America have changed, I think I see more clearly how we, as American citizens, have participated in a system that perpetuates inequities and that, in many ways, we refuse to correct the foundational issues. I also see how our refusal to acknowledge the ways in which this country was built on slavery has made it impossible for us to acknowledge the ways in which we have wronged the African American Community. I will also say, that I am in awe of African Americans in this country - they are true patriots in that they keep pushing all of us to live up to the ideals this country espouses despite the ways in which they have been abused and traumatized. I say this in reference to the African American community in particular, but I know it also applies to other communities of color.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I haven't been impacted personally in an economic or material sense, but I have been changed in terms of outlook and emotion, which has caused a big change in my level of interaction in my community. I have applied for positions on commissions in local government, have become more involved in the PTA at my school and, more generally, tried to be more engaged on local and national issues. I attended my first protests in the past four years. I volunteered to be a poll worker in my county. I'm making sure to model local community engagement to my kids and educate them on everything I'm learning now so that they won't be ignorant of their privileges and responsibility.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I think the mobilization of the vote has been amazing. How so many people are encouraging each other to vote and engaging friends in family in a proactive way.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I'm hopeful about the ways in which so many of us have become more aware and are trying to educate ourselves and engage in the work that needs to be done. I'm also hopeful because there are so many people doing this work that are leading us in the right direction.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
I never really considered having to leave the US. I figured I'd raise my family here and grow old. Since Trump's election, I have increasingly felt like we may move outside the country to provide our daughter with the life we hope for her because those opportunities, freedoms, and safeties won't be available here. I ponder what the signs are for when to get out. The other thing I remember worrying about very soon after the election is that we'd given our daughter a very ethnic name. As a mixed-ethnicity child, I don't know exactly how she reads to others now or in the future, but her name marks her as "other." I became worried that the country might be heading in a direction where that was not safe. And I started worrying more for my husband and her safety in general, and as the far right-wing has worked to erode more and more rights for women and minorities, I have started worrying for my own safety as it has to do with access to reproductive health.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
There has been some added stress. I went to some protests early on and as a SAHM, my daughter was young enough I felt safe wearing her to some of the protests. As she got bigger that felt less safe and also the constant churn of news meant I retreated back to just focusing on our family for awhile. Although the events of the last 7 months have kind of eclipsed the 4 years. I feel pretty burnt out from the last 7 months of crises and incredibly anxious about what the election will bring.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I don't know what I'd want them to know about, but I do think that they will look back at the BLM movement, at Russian interference in US elections/politics, at the SARS-CoV2 pandemic as major events to study. I don't know if Trump will stand out as a president that everyone knows for being horrible or a particular turning point, or if he'll sort of fade into the background of not-great presidents (if he loses the upcoming election that is). I'm sure we'll be judged for what we didn't do to combat climate change. I hope that some of these things will be the turning point towards better policies for a social support system, for universal health care, for climate policies, and for equality.
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
In 2016 I felt so deeply moved thinking that my daughter would see a woman elected president. (No matter Hilary Clinton's faults or her connection to Bill, since when have we ever had a perfect male president?) While we don't have that option of a female president in this election, having Kamala Harris -- a woman, South Asian, black -- as the VP during some of my daughter's formative years would be amazing. I also hope that the democrats will win a huge landslide and that the country will start moving left. I hope that right-wing hate groups and militias are dismantled and that people start to at least feel embarrassed about being bigots etc. again as we move towards hopefully eradicating those beliefs. I hope that my reproductive rights and other rights as a woman are protected. I hope that health care access is preserved and expanded. And I hope that the country can turn around it's coronavirus response and have a federally-organized, efficient vaccine rollout. It would be nice not to have my daughter come home from school and tell me that it's not good to be close to people. She would love to go on a beach vacation again some day.
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
It's made me fear the common white citizen more. It's made me question every citizens political affiliation. Before the 2016 election I wouldn't look at someone and try to guess if they were democrat or republican or who they voted for and what racial implications that might have. Afterwards, I have a "guilty-until-proven-otherwise" mentality towards white males and I battle with it every day and try to remind myself to be more fair, understanding and open-minded. For people of color, especially, Indians, I also, remain suspicious of their political alliances, which I never thought would be the case.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
It has been mentally draining and politically disheartening to witness. There was an ounce of hope provided by Dave Chappelle's SNL monologue right after the election. I had hope that possibly, in someway, Trump would hear us, but alas his four years have divided us more. The battle for the next election felt like it continued and never ended. The world continued to yell over each other. People of color continue to question everything.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
There is so much that has happened and so much that is at stake:
1. Black Lives Matter Movement and each life that was lost in this timeframe.
2. The Bernie Sanders campaign
3. Abdul Syed's run for Governor in Michigan
4. RGB's death and the implications
5. Same-Sex Marriage
6. Abortion Rights
7. The wildfires (Australia to California)
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
A possible vaccine. Walking into a store without a mask. The rest we can discuss after the results of the election
In what ways, if any, have your feelings about America changed since the 2016 election?
America has always been a nation that has the highest ideals but hasn't always lived up to them, especially as it has denigrated its black citizens for centuries. I used to feel that race was individual, that people were individually racist. But now I understand the systematic nature of race and dispossession. These last 4 years have only uncovered more clearly these ongoing trends.
How have the last four years impacted you personally?
I have witnessed my hometown become a battleground over different visions of what the future should like based on a fight around literal relics of the past. The Unite the Right rally, centered around the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, brought these debates about race, history, and representation to the fore. I channeled my growing desire for a more racially and economically equitable society through my doctoral studies around black Muslim youth in the US. I feel as though the fight for true equity is a cause that I will pursue alongside my community for the rest of my life.
What is something about the 2020 election cycle that you want to be sure we remember in the future?
I want us to remember how long we had to wait to elect President Biden and the sheer number of people (75 million+) who voted. This is the most amount of voters in the history of US elections. I want us to consider mail in ballots for future elections because it increases voter turnout (because not everyone can take a Tuesday off from work to vote).
I want us to remember that we voted during a pandemic and during a time when black lives continue to be slain. I want us to remember that we are the cusp of electing the first woman vice-president, and that this woman, Vice President Elect Kamala Harris, is a black and South Asian woman.
I want us to be beware of electing would be despots because of how hard it is to return to a democratic system afterwards. The return of power after a free and fair election is a hallmark of America's constitutional ideas. It falls on the common people to uphold the ideals of America. It is hard work to maintain a true democracy, and black voters have once again served as the conscience of the nature, reminding us to be better.
I want us to remember all the common people who showed up as volunteers, poll workers, vote counters, and as voters. I want us to remember the herculean efforts of Stacey Abrams and her team in organizing in Georgia, even after she lost her own bid for governor in 2018. I want us to remember that most of the Georgia Democratic votes came from recently-deceased John Lewis's district. I want us to remember Cindy McCain campaigning for her departed husband John McCain and making Arizona a battleground. I want us to remember the thousands of other folks I don't have names for who showed up for this election.
I want my niece to remember that people fought hard for her rights as an American of Bangladeshi Muslim origin. She will take up the torch in the next generation.
What issues are motivating you most to vote in the 2020 election?
Education, Black Lives Matter, Healthcare, Immigration
What are you most hopeful about for 2021 and beyond?
I hope we can have an end to this pandemic and make policy changes that actually prioritizes the poor and common people.