This isn't the dinner table, so it should be fine to tell you this, right?
I am politically active. I vote. Every time. I try to inform myself of every candidate, and I do not always get it right, but I try.
You see, my life and mere existence in this country, the circumstances of my birth, the paths I chose (and those that weren’t available to me) have always been intertwined with politics. I am a child of naturalized citizens. I am a child of immigrants. Spanish was my first language, and I am grateful for the lessons of being bicultural and bilingual. I consider being bilingual and a "third culture kid" an asset. A revolution tinged with violence and political oppression is why my family came here seeking asylum. This is why I was born in the U.S., and it's also why I felt compelled to write and illustrate. I've lived a very privileged life compared to that of some of my Cuban counterparts, especially those that had to endure years of near-starvation, labor camps, censorship, and political violence.
I was lucky to be born in the U.S. in a time of plenty, and I have used my freedom of speech to write and illustrate and capture moments of joy and hope. But, I haven't often shared my anger in fear that I would be judged and rejected. But it's back and I cannot hold it in. Ever since I was a kid, I could not sit down and shut up when I thought something was unjust. I could not abide a bully, and I still cannot.
I'm speaking up because things are very far from just and I cannot abide the bullies in the White House.
Maybe the various institutions affected by the techno-bro-coup has not affected you yet, but it will if they are not interrupted. They now have access to our information after their takeover of the U.S. Treasury and Consumer Protections databases.
As much as some news outlets would have you believe our government was inefficient or "broken," and some parts were. But, the solution was not to rip it out, tear it down, burn it all, or toss it. This extreme scorched-earth tactic is straight out of the dictatorship playbook: tell the people their country is sick or broken, burn it all down (figuratively, sometimes literally), offer them a strong-man solution and then the dictator installs himself, his cronies, and all his henchmen in positions of power. Dialogue is shut down. Media is controlled and curated (book bans, anyone?). People no longer know what to believe. Dissenting opinions are ridiculed, then smothered. In regimes like the one that forced my family to leave their country, artists, LGBTQ people, and journalists were declared enemies of the state, then rounded up and jailed (if not worse). All of this to take power, sow division, isolate individuals, create chaos, and foster distrust in each other.
Do not fall for it. As tempting as it is to give into our fear, do not comply in advance especially to directives that are unethical!
The U.S. is a representative democracy. Yes, we're tired and overwhelmed, and most of us haven't felt like state representatives are actually working for the benefit of their constituents. But, I cannot stay quiet about this. Contact your representatives by phone or by email if you disagree with what is happening in our country. Protest using your talents: write, draw, paint, act, etc and plug into your local community as much as you can. Think global, act local (remember we all share this planet, and we're not an island).
-Adriana
