HIP Post-2020 Election Reflections

Fresno Outreach Specialists

Integrity Matters. Character Matters. Decency Matters.

Constant attacks on our immigrant communities, uncertainty about the future, suffering in the wake of incompetence or unfiltered hate--these last four years have been exhausting, for everyone. This past week showed that when communities of color come together, when we put in the work to enfranchise our communities, when we count every vote--we can build a democracy where integrity, character and decency matters. We are not naive, we know that a single election does not instantly solve all the problems in our community--but we also know that monumental and historic elections can ignite hope about a brighter future. HIP is thankful for the leadership of Black, Indigenous, Latino and AAPI women who played pivotal roles in mobilizing their communities and leading with purpose and passion. We’re also proud of the young people who stepped up in a historic way--voting in record numbers and establishing a culture of civic participation for an entire generation. 

Building a California for All.

Meanwhile, we know there’s still so much work to do in building a state that is equitable for all Californians and prioritizes the needs of those who have been left behind. 

By overwhelmingly rejecting Proposition 20 and supporting Proposition 17, Californians made it clear that public resources need to be prioritized towards supporting communities instead of putting more folks in prison. Our communities are safer when we prioritize prevention and rehabilitation. Our communities are safer when we invest in young people.

On Proposition 15, HIP Fresno Organizer Matthew Vang encapsulates what many of us are feeling: “How are y’all voting no on Prop 15 but yes on the school measure bonds?!?! Like we wouldn’t need bonds if we had Prop 15 😭”

All across the state, communities voted to pass local bond measures that would increase their OWN property taxes in order to generate resources for their local schools. In contrast, Californians will narrowly vote down a statewide ballot measure that would have added billions of resources to our schools and communities by closing a tax loophole that allows multi-billion dollar corporations to avoid paying their fair share of property taxes. It should come as no surprise that corporations spent millions of dollars opposing Proposition 15, spreading misinformation and paying powerful special interest groups to speak out against the measure. 

Despite millions of dollars stacked against them, our young people, volunteers, and outreach specialists did an outstanding job in mobilizing residents in Fresno and Sacramento. They spent countless hours on the phone, engaged thousands of first time voters, helped contact 35,000 AAPI voters throughout the Central Valley, and were part of a multi-racial, multi-generational coalition that drove the largest AAPI voter turnout in the history of California. 

Unfortunately, not passing Prop 15 will have dire consequences for our community particularly as the State and our local governments struggle with budget shortfalls in the wake of COVID19. In budget crises in the past, safety net programs like In-Home Supportive Services and Medi-Cal are among the first to receive massive cuts. Thus, it’ll be as critical as ever for our communities to stay engaged and to hold our elected officials accountable for the choices they make especially in this pandemic.

Which leads us to the question: what’s next?

Elections are obviously important and they have significant consequences (see Supreme Court) but we also know that (1) voting alone won’t solve all our problems and (2) what we do during non-election years matters just as much as what happens during election years. As HIP, we’re going to take a moment—reflect on the things that went well and the things we need to improve on. 

We will continue to build with our allies in the Central Valley, across the state and nationally to ensure immigrant communities have a seat at the table when decisions are made about us. We recognize that our community does not and cannot exist in a vacuum—that in order to overcome the wealthy and corporate special interests, we’ll need all hands on deck. 

In reflecting on the 2020 election cycle, we know that there are still large portions of our community that remain disconnected and are not civically and politically engaged. We understand that talking about politics is never easy and can lead to uncomfortable situations but if we don’t initiate these critical conversations, we will lose out on the opportunity to transform our communities and dream together of a future where our loved ones can thrive. We have to find creative and thoughtful ways to fight disinformation and fake news in our community—working hard to establish our generation as trusted messengers so we can guide our community forward. 

Finally, this election showed that our generation has the skills, expertise and capacity to lead our community forward. It also revealed that progress for our community will not come easily-- nor will it come without significant resistance. Thus, HIP will continue to cultivate, train and create brave spaces for young people to lead and grow. The generations of brave men, women, and gender nonconforming folxs who came before us and sacrificed for us, have created an opportunity for our generation to reach heights our ancestors could only dream of. To realize that potential, HIP will be at the forefront, doubling down on community organizing because our time is now and our shared future depends on it. 

Thank you again to everyone for your love and support for HIP. We look forward to dreaming and building with you all! #PeoplePower