How Immigrant Voters Like Me Will Shape the Midterms

Stories from the field | Nov 17, 2023 12:11 am

I came to the U.S. in 2016 as a refugee from Syria. Fleeing a bloody civil war was hard on me and my family. But also, it was not a great time to come to the United States. It was a year when we saw a rise in xenophobic rhetoric and policies. People blamed immigrants and refugees like me for things we had no part in. It was tough.

That said, things changed with my lawful permanent resident status. I started to feel more comfortable in America. At first, speaking only Arabic isolated me from being more involved in my community. But I took English classes for four years, and now I have a job working as a cashier in a supermarket. My four children go to school in the Chicago area, and I am excited for them to reach their potential here. I am proud of the stake we have built in American society.

My 54-year-old mother has been stuck in Jordan since we left Syria together. I applied for her to come to join us, but the government denied our request. It was then that I realized that by acquiring citizenship, I would have the opportunity to vote. I could influence immigration policy. So, I’ve taken the test, and I’m pleased to say that I’m now an American citizen.

I have an American passport. When I pass through Border Control, the agent says to me, “welcome home.” So, I’m going to visit my mother in Jordan next month, for the first time. And I am excited to apply for her to come and join us here in the U.S. now that I am a citizen.

My story is not unusual. In fact, it’s part of a trend. Over the last seven years, five million new U.S. citizens have naturalized. As I say, the biggest benefit of acquiring citizenship is we can all vote. And this growing electorate stands to change the power and recognition of immigrants. Together we can change the face of American democracy.

There has been a doubling of America’s immigrant electorate since the year 2000. The main factor in persuading us to vote is intentional outreach. So political parties can reach out to us and make their case. One advantage of appealing to immigrant voters is we aren’t predisposed to vote one way or the other. We’re a clean slate. We’re interested to hear what makes candidates stand out.

Voting also runs against the idea that immigrants are victims. It’s an empowering act. “New American Voters” are here to stay, and we’re here to exercise our civic duty. It’s particularly important at a time when some Governors are busing immigrants out. I’m here to say, “immigrants are the backbone of the American economy.” And I’ll make that clear when it comes to the ballot box.

This fall, I call on my fellow immigrants who are considering whether to naturalize to do so. The midterms are looming in November and millions of us can shape them. The stakes are high and it’s a good chance to use our power.