TEDNYC
Sayu Bhojwani: Immigrant voices make democracy stronger
Filmed:
Readability: 4.1
981,672 views
In politics, representation matters -- and that's why we should elect leaders who reflect their country's diversity and embrace its multicultural tapestry, says Sayu Bhojwani. Through her own story of becoming an American citizen, the immigration scholar reveals how her love and dedication to her country turned into a driving force for political change. "We have fought to be here," she says, calling immigrant voices to action. "It's our country, too."
Sayu Bhojwani - Immigration scholar
Sayu Bhojwani recruits and supports first and second generation Americans to run for public office. Full bio
Sayu Bhojwani recruits and supports first and second generation Americans to run for public office. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Good evening.
0
840
1200
00:14
My journey to this stage
1
2600
1976
00:16
began when I came to America
2
4600
1616
00:18
at the age of 17.
3
6240
1840
00:21
You see, I'm one
of the 84 million Americans
of the 84 million Americans
4
9240
3416
00:24
who are immigrants
5
12680
1296
00:26
or children of immigrants.
6
14000
2416
00:28
Each of us has a dream when we come here,
7
16440
3816
00:32
a dream that usually has to be rewritten
8
20280
3016
00:35
and always has to be repurposed.
9
23320
2320
00:38
I was one of the lucky ones.
10
26560
1896
00:40
My revised dream
led me to the work I do today:
led me to the work I do today:
11
28480
3816
00:44
training immigrants
to run for public office
to run for public office
12
32320
2936
00:47
and leading a movement
for inclusive democracy.
for inclusive democracy.
13
35280
3160
00:51
But I don't want you to think
it was a cakewalk,
it was a cakewalk,
14
39080
2376
00:53
that America opened its arms wide
and welcomed me.
and welcomed me.
15
41480
3280
00:57
It's still not doing that.
16
45360
1480
01:00
And I've learned
a few lessons along the way
a few lessons along the way
17
48120
2136
01:02
that I wanted to share with you,
18
50280
1616
01:03
because I think that together
19
51920
1976
01:05
we can make American democracy
20
53920
2696
01:08
better and stronger.
21
56640
1640
01:11
I was born in India,
22
59400
1576
01:13
the world's largest democracy,
23
61000
2976
01:16
and when I was four,
24
64000
1256
01:17
my family moved to Belize,
25
65280
1816
01:19
the world's smallest democracy perhaps.
26
67120
2440
01:23
And at the age of 17,
27
71400
1736
01:25
I moved to the United States,
28
73160
1856
01:27
the world's greatest democracy.
29
75040
2560
01:30
I came because I wanted
to study English literature.
to study English literature.
30
78480
2880
01:34
You see, as a child,
I buried my nose in books,
I buried my nose in books,
31
82040
2896
01:36
and I thought, why not make a living
doing that as an adult?
doing that as an adult?
32
84960
3656
01:40
But after I graduated from college
33
88640
2456
01:43
and got a graduate degree,
34
91120
2136
01:45
I found myself moving
from one less ideal job to another.
from one less ideal job to another.
35
93280
4520
01:51
Maybe it was the optimism
that I had about America
that I had about America
36
99680
3336
01:55
that made me take a while to understand
37
103040
2896
01:57
that things were not going to change.
38
105960
2256
02:00
The door that I thought was open
39
108240
2896
02:03
was actually just slightly ajar --
40
111160
2896
02:06
this door of America
41
114080
1936
02:08
that would open wide
if you had the right name,
if you had the right name,
42
116040
3096
02:11
the right skin color,
43
119160
1616
02:12
the right networks,
44
120800
1856
02:14
but could just slam in your face
45
122680
2736
02:17
if you had the wrong religion,
46
125440
2096
02:19
the wrong immigration status,
47
127560
1840
02:22
the wrong skin color.
48
130199
1721
02:25
And I just couldn't accept that.
49
133840
2616
02:28
So I started a career
as a social entrepreneur,
as a social entrepreneur,
50
136480
2920
02:32
starting an organization
for young people like myself --
for young people like myself --
51
140240
3256
02:35
I was young at the time
that I started it --
that I started it --
52
143520
2120
02:38
who traced their heritage
to the Indian subcontinent.
to the Indian subcontinent.
53
146560
3280
02:42
In that work, I became and advocate
for South Asians and other immigrants.
for South Asians and other immigrants.
54
150480
4360
02:47
I lobbied members of Congress
on policy issues.
on policy issues.
55
155440
3160
02:51
I volunteered on election day
to do exit polling.
to do exit polling.
56
159480
3440
02:56
But I couldn't vote,
and I couldn't run for office.
and I couldn't run for office.
57
164000
3800
03:01
So in 2000, when it was announced
58
169000
2816
03:03
that the citizenship application fee
was going to more than double
was going to more than double
59
171840
3816
03:07
from 95 dollars to 225 dollars,
60
175680
3696
03:11
I decided it was time to apply
before I could no longer afford it.
before I could no longer afford it.
61
179400
4160
03:16
I filled out a long application,
62
184680
1856
03:18
answering questions about
my current and my past affiliations.
my current and my past affiliations.
63
186560
4320
03:23
And once the application was submitted,
64
191880
2696
03:26
there were fingerprints to be taken,
65
194600
2256
03:28
a test to study for,
66
196880
2176
03:31
endless hours of waiting in line.
67
199080
2600
03:34
You might call it extreme vetting.
68
202600
2000
03:38
And then in December of 2000,
69
206080
2936
03:41
I joined hundreds of other immigrants
70
209040
2976
03:44
in a hall in Brooklyn
71
212040
2136
03:46
where we pledged our loyalty
72
214200
2336
03:48
to a country that we had
long considered home.
long considered home.
73
216560
3656
03:52
My journey from international student
to American citizen took 16 years,
to American citizen took 16 years,
74
220240
4616
03:56
a short timeline when you compare it
to other immigrant stories.
to other immigrant stories.
75
224880
4320
04:01
And soon after I had taken
that formal step
that formal step
76
229880
3296
04:05
to becoming an American,
77
233200
1936
04:07
the attacks of September 11, 2001,
78
235160
2856
04:10
changed the immigration landscape
for decades to come.
for decades to come.
79
238040
4160
04:15
My city, New York City,
80
243880
1936
04:17
was reeling and healing,
81
245840
2376
04:20
and in the midst of it,
82
248240
1376
04:21
we were in an election cycle.
83
249640
1800
04:24
Two things happened
84
252640
1256
04:25
as we coped with loss and recovery
in New York City.
in New York City.
85
253920
3680
04:30
Voters elected Michael Bloomberg
mayor of New York City.
mayor of New York City.
86
258560
3840
04:35
We also adopted by ballot referendum
87
263520
4256
04:39
the Office of Immigrant Affairs
for the City of New York.
for the City of New York.
88
267800
3000
04:43
Five months after that election,
89
271520
1840
04:46
the newly elected mayor
90
274360
1560
04:48
appointed me the first Commissioner
of Immigrant Affairs
of Immigrant Affairs
91
276680
4216
04:52
for this newly established office.
92
280920
2280
04:56
I want you to come back to that time.
93
284480
1840
04:59
I was a young immigrant woman from Belize.
94
287200
2600
05:02
I had basically floundered
in various jobs in America
in various jobs in America
95
290480
3816
05:06
before I started
a community-based organization
a community-based organization
96
294320
3536
05:09
in a church basement in Queens.
97
297880
2200
05:13
The attacks of September 11
sent shock waves through my community.
sent shock waves through my community.
98
301720
3640
05:18
People who were members of my family,
young people I had worked with,
young people I had worked with,
99
306320
4976
05:23
were experiencing harassment
100
311320
1816
05:25
at schools, at workplaces
and in airports.
and in airports.
101
313160
3400
05:29
And now I was going
to represent their concerns
to represent their concerns
102
317320
2880
05:33
in government.
103
321000
1200
05:35
No job felt more perfect for me.
104
323560
2920
05:39
And here are two things I learned
when I became Commissioner.
when I became Commissioner.
105
327640
2960
05:43
First, well-meaning New Yorkers
106
331920
3136
05:47
who were in city government
holding government positions
holding government positions
107
335080
3136
05:50
had no idea how scared immigrants were
108
338240
3480
05:54
of law enforcement.
109
342720
1200
05:56
Most of us don't really know
the difference, do we,
the difference, do we,
110
344640
2416
05:59
between a sheriff
and local police and the FBI.
and local police and the FBI.
111
347080
3360
06:03
And most of us,
when we see someone in uniform
when we see someone in uniform
112
351400
2496
06:05
going through our neighborhoods
113
353920
1896
06:07
feel curiosity, if not concern.
114
355840
3400
06:12
So if you're an undocumented parent,
115
360120
2896
06:15
every day when you say
goodbye to your child,
goodbye to your child,
116
363040
3016
06:18
send them off to school and go to work,
117
366080
2736
06:20
you don't know what the chances are
118
368840
1976
06:22
that you're going to see them
at the end of the day.
at the end of the day.
119
370840
2576
06:25
Because a raid at your workplace,
120
373440
2320
06:28
a chance encounter with local police
121
376560
2576
06:31
could change the course
of your life forever.
of your life forever.
122
379160
2680
06:35
The second thing I learned
is that when people like me,
is that when people like me,
123
383480
2736
06:38
who understood that fear,
124
386240
1560
06:41
who had learned a new language,
who had navigated new systems,
who had navigated new systems,
125
389000
3816
06:44
when people like us
were sitting at the table,
were sitting at the table,
126
392840
3336
06:48
we advocated for our communities' needs
in a way that no one else could or would.
in a way that no one else could or would.
127
396200
5120
06:54
I understood what that feeling
of fear was like.
of fear was like.
128
402200
3240
06:58
People in my family were experiencing it.
129
406040
2336
07:00
Young people I had worked with
were being harassed,
were being harassed,
130
408400
2416
07:02
not just by classmates,
131
410840
1976
07:04
but also by their teachers.
132
412840
1760
07:07
My husband, then boyfriend,
133
415520
1816
07:09
thought twice before he put
a backpack on or grew a beard
a backpack on or grew a beard
134
417360
4216
07:13
because he traveled so much.
135
421600
1640
07:18
What I learned in 2001
was that my vote mattered
was that my vote mattered
136
426560
3696
07:22
but that my voice
and vantage point also mattered.
and vantage point also mattered.
137
430280
3280
07:26
And it's these three things --
138
434680
1656
07:28
immigrants' votes,
voices and vantage points --
voices and vantage points --
139
436360
3136
07:31
that I think can help
make our democracy stronger.
make our democracy stronger.
140
439520
2960
07:36
We actually have the power
141
444040
2016
07:38
to change the outcome of elections,
142
446080
2976
07:41
to introduce new issues
into the policy debate
into the policy debate
143
449080
4136
07:45
and to change the face
of the pale, male, stale leadership
of the pale, male, stale leadership
144
453240
4896
07:50
that we have in our country today.
145
458160
1800
07:53
So how do we do that?
146
461880
1296
07:55
Well, let's talk first about votes.
147
463200
2576
07:57
It will come as no surprise to you
148
465800
1656
07:59
that the majority of voters
in America are white.
in America are white.
149
467480
2760
08:03
But it might surprise you to know
150
471160
1776
08:04
that one in three voters
are black, Latino or Asian.
are black, Latino or Asian.
151
472960
4040
08:09
But here's the thing:
152
477840
1536
08:11
it doesn't just matter who can vote,
it matters who does vote.
it matters who does vote.
153
479400
4280
08:16
So in 2012, half of the Latino
and Asian-American voters
and Asian-American voters
154
484440
4416
08:20
did not vote.
155
488880
1240
08:24
And these votes matter
not just in presidential elections.
not just in presidential elections.
156
492400
3296
08:27
They matter in local and state elections.
157
495720
2080
08:30
In 2015, Lan Diep,
158
498600
2856
08:33
the eldest son of political
refugees from Vietnam,
refugees from Vietnam,
159
501480
3320
08:37
ran for a seat
in the San Jose City Council.
in the San Jose City Council.
160
505760
2560
08:41
He lost that election by 13 votes.
161
509480
3160
08:45
This year, he dusted off
those campaign shoes
those campaign shoes
162
513880
2976
08:48
and went back to run for that seat,
163
516880
2840
08:52
and this time he won, by 12 votes.
164
520760
3720
08:58
Every one of our votes matters.
165
526120
2800
09:02
And when people like Lan
are sitting at the policy table,
are sitting at the policy table,
166
530640
3176
09:05
they can make a difference.
167
533840
1336
09:07
We need those voices.
168
535200
1776
09:09
We need those voices
169
537000
1256
09:10
in part because American leadership
170
538280
4096
09:14
does not look like America's residents.
171
542400
2840
09:18
There are over 500,000
local and state offices in America.
local and state offices in America.
172
546040
3840
09:22
Fewer than 2 percent of those offices
are held by Asian-Americans or Latinos,
are held by Asian-Americans or Latinos,
173
550960
5176
09:28
the two largest immigrant groups
in our country.
in our country.
174
556160
2760
09:32
In the city of Yakima, Washington,
175
560600
2336
09:34
where 49 percent
of the population is Latino,
of the population is Latino,
176
562960
3616
09:38
there has never been a Latino
on the city council until this year.
on the city council until this year.
177
566600
4560
09:43
Three newly elected Latinas
joined the Yakima City Council in 2016.
joined the Yakima City Council in 2016.
178
571880
5616
09:49
One of them is Carmen Méndez.
179
577520
2696
09:52
She is a first-generation college student.
180
580240
2736
09:55
She grew up partly in Colima, Mexico,
181
583000
2816
09:57
and partly in Yakima, Washington.
182
585840
2416
10:00
She's a single mother,
a community advocate.
a community advocate.
183
588280
2440
10:03
Her voice on the Yakima City Council
184
591360
2656
10:06
is advocating on behalf
of the Latino community
of the Latino community
185
594040
2576
10:08
and of all Yakima residents.
186
596640
2256
10:10
And she's a role model for her daughter
187
598920
2576
10:13
and other Latinas.
188
601520
1280
10:16
But the third most untapped resource
in American democracy
in American democracy
189
604160
3800
10:20
is the vantage point
that immigrants bring.
that immigrants bring.
190
608680
2600
10:24
We have fought to be here.
191
612080
2160
10:26
We have come for economic
and educational opportunity.
and educational opportunity.
192
614920
3496
10:30
We have come for political
and religious freedom.
and religious freedom.
193
618440
3336
10:33
We have come in the pursuit of love.
194
621800
2160
10:37
That dedication,
195
625160
1856
10:39
that commitment to America
196
627040
1800
10:41
we also bring to public service.
197
629880
2440
10:45
People like Athena Salman,
198
633520
2136
10:47
who just last week won the primary
199
635680
4496
10:52
for a seat in the Arizona State House.
200
640200
3376
10:55
Athena's father grew up in the West Bank
201
643600
2096
10:57
and moved to Chicago,
202
645720
1216
10:58
where he met her mother.
203
646960
1456
11:00
Her mother is part Italian,
204
648440
2056
11:02
part Mexican and part German.
205
650520
2416
11:04
Together they moved to Arizona
and built a life.
and built a life.
206
652960
2640
11:08
Athena, when she gets to the statehouse,
207
656080
2856
11:10
is going to fight for things
like education funding
like education funding
208
658960
2536
11:13
that will help give
families like hers a leg up
families like hers a leg up
209
661520
3536
11:17
so they can achieve
the financial stability
the financial stability
210
665080
2016
11:19
that we all are looking for.
211
667120
1840
11:22
Immigrants' votes,
voices and vantage points
voices and vantage points
212
670920
3456
11:26
are what we all need to work
to include in American democracy.
to include in American democracy.
213
674400
3896
11:30
It's not just my work. It's also yours.
214
678320
2600
11:33
And it's not going to be easy.
215
681680
1816
11:35
We never know
216
683520
1656
11:37
what putting a new factor
into an equation will do.
into an equation will do.
217
685200
3200
11:41
And it's a little scary.
218
689440
1320
11:43
You're scared that I'm going
to take away your place at the table,
to take away your place at the table,
219
691960
3736
11:47
and I'm scared that I'm never
going to get a place at the table.
going to get a place at the table.
220
695720
3480
11:52
And we're all scared
221
700400
1216
11:53
that we're going to lose this country
that we know and love.
that we know and love.
222
701640
3080
11:58
I'm scared you're going
to take it away from me,
to take it away from me,
223
706320
2376
12:00
and you're scared
I'm going to take it away from you.
I'm going to take it away from you.
224
708720
3480
12:07
Look, it's been a rough election year,
225
715000
2576
12:09
a reminder that people
with my immigration history
with my immigration history
226
717600
4376
12:14
could be removed at the whim of a leader.
227
722000
2400
12:17
But I have fought to be in this country
228
725320
3416
12:20
and I continue to do so every day.
229
728760
2936
12:23
So my optimism never wavers,
230
731720
3096
12:26
because I know that there are
millions of immigrants just like me,
millions of immigrants just like me,
231
734840
4536
12:31
in front of me,
behind me and all around me.
behind me and all around me.
232
739400
2960
12:35
It's our country, too.
233
743000
1880
12:37
Thank you.
234
745920
1216
12:39
(Applause)
235
747160
2600
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sayu Bhojwani - Immigration scholarSayu Bhojwani recruits and supports first and second generation Americans to run for public office.
Why you should listen
Sayu Bhojwani served as New York City's first Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs and is the founder of South Asian Youth Action, a community-based organization in Queens. Since 2010, she has served as Founder and President of The New American Leaders Project, which is based in New York City.
Bhojwani's work to build a more inclusive democracy has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and in the New York Times. She has shared her personal journey in The National and contributes frequently to the The Huffington Post and Medium.
Bhojwani earned a PhD in Politics and Education from Columbia University, where her research focused on immigrant political participation. She is a Visiting Scholar at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University and lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
Sayu Bhojwani | Speaker | TED.com