My parents wanted to raise their family in a place that offered more opportunities than their home country and the United States is supposed to be the land of opportunity.
My parents wanted their children to be educated, to not have to struggle financially, and to be happy. These are all things that their home country couldn't offer, so they left.
They arrived here without a dime to their names. They were away from their families, with no one to help or guide them. They had to figure out how to build a life on their own.
So they worked.
They continue to work to contribute to the world that their children live in. They do their taxes. They own a house. Hard work is still one of the things they value most.
My parents are legal residents of the United States. They have lived here the majority of their lives, longer than they did in their native country. Yet, they are still not allowed to vote. Every election year, they've watched as others have made decisions that affect them and their children, worried and powerless to do anything about it.
Being two months too young to vote, I missed the last presidential election. I have kept up with local politics since then, but this presidential election seems particularly important.
This year, the way of life and ideals that not only my parents, but also many others and I, hold valuable, are threatened.
This year, I will be voting for those who can't.
I will be voting for my parents, who have sacrificed their lives for mine.
I will be voting for my aunts and uncles and elders, who have worked hard and encouraged me to do the same.
I will be voting for the parents of my friends, who have been taken from their homes without warning, without a good reason, other than not being born here.
I will be voting for my peers, who were raised here and are just as American as I, but who have had to work even harder to get a higher education.
I will be voting for those who are still too young to vote because they deserve to live in a society that treats them fairly and I'd like for them to have even more opportunities than I do.
I will be voting for those who don't even know that this election affects them just as much as it does my parents.
This year, many of my parents' friends have asked me if I will vote. I have always responded with a proud "yes."
My response is a proud "yes" because I get to exercise my right as an American citizen. It is a right that my parents fought to give me. It is a right that countless other parents have fought to give their children. It is a right that many people are still fighting for.
The right to vote is a right that many people are denied.
I know that the smiles I receive also carry pride, the pride that maybe all of the hard work and sacrifices that my elders have made haven't been in vain. I also know that I've at least tried to contribute to the future of those who come after me.
