Bottom of the ballot

How Fremont youth are too far removed from local politics

Staff Writer

“Brat” Harris and Bryce Hall’s endorsement for Trump are all over social media. He’s got “concepts of a plan,” and she needs you to know, “you exist in the context.” This national election, as every other which has preceded it, is covered extensively, and those first few names on the ballot are familiar. But as your eyes wander down just enough, you recognize those names just as the ones on the lawn sign you passed this morning. The importance of voting locally is undercut by a culture of ignorance of what goes on politically, here in Fremont.

Unlike national elections where the sheer magnitude of content is propelled by constant coverage from multiple sources and distributed en masse through social media, local elections demand more active attention from the average resident. That being said, just actively researching gives you a chance to understand and voice concerns that directly impact you. As students, it means being able to have a voice even as non-voters; think of all that student-led clubs or nonprofits accomplish through organizing community events, getting in touch with district representatives, or independent surveying.

Young voters and youth in general deserve to lead political discussions as people who are affected by them. Our voices are valuable, and politicians crave that input to better revise policies for particular voting demographics; in the current Fremont mayoral race, for example, leading candidates Raj Salwan and Vinnie Bacon both have student internships that reflect a desire to platform youth voices on their respective campaigns.

Student intern for Raj Salwan, Tanishka Nath (11), describes the impact being politically active has had on her. She said, “When I help with and lead other students, I feel like I can educate a lot of people on what [Salwan] stands for, our policies, and how we can change Fremont for the better. We help the community learn more about Fremont and how they can help as well. I feel like there’s a lot of direct change we’re doing.” She describes how her actions seem to have a direct impact on getting people thinking about what they want to see reflected in the city’s politics, and she mentions, “Having that voice makes me feel more interested in the politics of the world and what’s happening.”

In other work with BASTA and with helping committee members run for Congress, Nath has immersed herself in the political sphere. Establishing her role in various campaigns and programs amplified her voice as an individual, and she secured the ability to directly work with and impact her representatives and their policies.

Similarly, Jade Ocampo (10), a student intern for Vinnie Bacon, shares how she had often felt her voice as a young person had been dismissed and how affirming it was to have been represented by the campaign. “In my area, there isn’t really a place for young people to have a voice in politics,” she said. “I tried to get internships at other places, but they didn’t really want me there because I was younger. I liked that the Vinnie Bacon campaign allowed younger people to have their voice heard by the community.”

Ocampo’s experiences on the campaign illuminate how often youth voices are suppressed or overlooked due to a lack of voting power. She asserts, “I think youth are the future of politics, and I feel that we should have a voice in it especially because Fremont is so progressive,” also alluding to how early political involvement encourages more productive civic engagement, later as voting adults.

Former city council member, Jenny Kassan shares a similar sentiment, that youth are overlooked but that the demographic has the potential to incite meaningful political discussion.

“I don’t think it’s ever too early to concern yourself with politics,” she says, “I think the more you can start to understand what’s going on, at any of the many different levels of government, the better. I think that there is this belief among politicians that they shouldn’t really worry too much about what young people think because they aren’t involved, don’t know what’s going on, or aren’t voting. If youth got engaged more, there would be this big impact because all of a sudden, politicians would have to pay attention to what youth were saying.”

Still, between the frequency of bleak news shared in the media and how frustrating the political climate can be, many youth are intimidated by it. That apprehension comes from a place of anxiety natural to anyone unsatisfied with the status quo, who either fears the implications of speaking out or feels helpless, but it’s unproductive. Youth are at the heart of the creation of new culture and communities, and in Fremont uniquely, they are so involved in other aspects of outreach and charity. Extending that involvement to discussions regarding city, state, or national politics would invoke larger conversations within the culture, and they have the potential to bring about meaningful development.

Youth engagement consistently proves a powerful, driving force in bringing about change, even if not always politically. Co-president of Fremont Youth Commission, Ashwika Jani (12) shared, “Students want to get involved and give back to their community in some way. [Fremont Youth Commission] has volunteers that work at the city library, over at Alameda County, and some organizations that start robotics programs.”

Whether through engaging in student groups or with independent activism, the youth voice is crucial to challenging and improving our current political landscape. Politics at every level affect you, and so much is happening right here, even if it goes undiscussed. What large scale social media campaigns suggest is the importance of younger demographics to the outcome of elections.

That principle becomes increasingly resonant at the local level because your politics as an individual may be represented via discussions with peers, attending city council meetings, emailing your representatives, etc. Read all the way through that ballot, and learn those names because you deserve representation; you deserve to have a voice in your community.