The deadline is coming up to register to vote, and I want to urge everyone, especially those who identify as Chinese Americans in the State of Pennsylvania, to register now and then vote in November.
I’m tired of being a part of a community that silently accepts injustice. I’m tired of being taken advantage of in a society where I call home. I live here as a contributing member of my community. I deserve to be treated equally and regarded by the government and its officials with the same amount of respect and attention as any other people in the community.
I am a medical student. I was appalled when I saw that a bacterium that looks like illegible squiggles is still being described as “Chinese-character appearing” to this day. I can’t help but wonder, have no Chinese American medical students ever decided to speak up on this issue before me? Are we just going to let people butcher our beautiful language and use it to describe squiggles? The silence instills a flame in me.
With the tension between the U.S. and China, we Chinese Americans are left at the brunt of this conflict through no fault of our own. I keep having this nagging feeling that I am being viewed as an outsider just because a country associated with my heritage is currently having issues with the country that I call home. Why are elderly individuals walking on the street in New York City being beaten half to death by a hater? How can someone have the audacity to call a virus the China Virus? Why are we being treated this way?
There is virtue to harmony. That’s what I learned growing up. But harmony can take a backseat when disharmony threatens my community. We need to stand up. We need to speak up. We need to vote.
When we vote, we signal to the government that our community deserves attention. We let elected officials know that we are no longer remaining silent as scapegoats of a pandemic or international relations.
This year, for the first time ever, the Chinese language has been added to one of three languages available for voter registration and voting ballots in the State of Pennsylvania. This right to equitable voting has not come easy. Many community workers and volunteers have tirelessly advocated for it over the past few years. Thanks to them, people – the independently-living 80-year-old women who reads limited English, the 40-year-old restaurant cook who has provided food for his community, worked and lived in his restaurant community without the opportunity to learn English, and the stay-at-home mom who works overtime to take care of her family, sacrificing her individuality and opportunity to learn English in the community – now have a voice.
I urge all Chinese Americans in the State of Pennsylvania to set aside our differences and help and encourage each other to vote. The last thing we want is for the government to see low Chinese American voter turnout in Pennsylvania and remove this right to equitable voting from future elections. For some reason, the PA Government isn’t advertising the availability of Chinese at voting booths. For some reason, it was up to one individual government worker to use her own time and money to rally, design, print, and distribute information related to this cause. To me, this is oppression. To me, this is not okay. To me, the word needs to be spread. I will not stay silent. I will not be oppressed. My community will not be oppressed.
I identify as Chinese American, and I am proud of it. Let’s stop being quiet.
************************Instructions below********************************
Do you have parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., who can use Chinese forms to vote? Please consider helping them out:
-Voter registration can be done online (https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx) or by mail (https://www.vote.pa.gov/Resources/Documents/Voter_Registration_Application_TraditionalChinese.pdf).
-For English readers who are helping out a Chinese-reading voter, you can toggle between the Chinese and English versions on the upper right hand side of the webpage.
-Registration must be RECEIVED by 10/24/2022 at 5PM.
-Voting can be done in person or by mail on 11/8/2022.
-Please note that registering to vote and voting are two separate processes. Your voice only counts after you have successfully voted.
-Please make sure that the name and date of birth are as written on government IDs and that the address is correct. The address would affect your voting district.
-The form has to be filled out in English, because there have not been Chinese-reading individuals assigned to registration and ballot processing positions. The community relies on bilingual people to help interpret for those with language barriers. If you have this capability, please consider signing up to be a poll worker. It is a paid position in the State of PA. If you do not live in PA and live nearby and are bilingual, you can still sign up to interpret. https://www.vote.pa.gov/Resources/Pages/Be-a-Poll-Worker.aspx
Share the following, which is written by another community member, Dr. Steven Zhu, with any PA residents who use Chinese to motivate them to vote:
“今年是第一年中文上投票机的三种语言之一，这是华人的权益，我们不希望由于华人投票不足量，明年被淘汰出局，所以希望大家都能同心协力，将华人选票上升至关键少数，这样华人就能分享更多政府资源与服务，更多的主流政商都会更关注华人社区，华人利益，未来十年是华人将面对极具挑战的十年，我们希望用你们的选票来发声，自救，再救人！谢谢大家的支持！”
投票包括两部分：（1）注册投票，（2）投票
（1）注册投票可以透过邮寄表格或者网络登记
邮寄表格（必须在10月24日前寄到）：https://www.vote.pa.gov/Resources/Documents/Voter_Registration_Application_TraditionalChinese.pdf
网络登记：https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx
（2）投票 （把收到的邮寄选票寄去或者11月8日当天亲自到投票站投票）
-表格必须用英文填
-名字，生日年月日必须是身份证上的
-地址必须是对的。你如果选择亲自到投票站投票，你要到指定的，你的区域的投票站去投。
Lastly, if anyone is interested in volunteering for or having a paid position in helping out the Philadelphian Chinese American community this election season, please submit your information here: https://forms.gle/4wX9AdSxBfSdcbsh7. Feel free to share this post or reach out with any questions.
By Vicky Lam 林慧熙
Drexel University College of Medicine Medical Student
