Election Day is around the corner. And I’m thrilled to join the #LatinasVotan campaign with Momsrising.org.
On Nov 8th I will be voting for the future of my family, my community & my country! #LatinasVotan Click To Tweet
Diversity is our strength and the beauty of our nation; that is at stake during this election. Please make sure to register and encourage your friends and family to do the same! Go to moms.ly/LatinasVotan for info.
I grew up in a household where politics were never discussed. I remember being in the 2nd or 3rd grade and asking my mother who she voted for. As a kid, I begged to go with her, because I wanted to see what it was like.
But my mother never took me and she never told me who she voted for. “It’s none of your business,” she said. And my father didn’t vote because he believed that his vote wouldn’t make a difference.
I never cared much for politics as I got older. Like my dad, I believed my one little vote didn’t make a difference.
But Joseph is extremely political. Over the last twelve years, he’s taught me to pay attention and to care.
Voting is a priority. It is my right, privilege and responsibility. My vote does make a difference.
The first time we brought Norrin into the election booth with us was for the presidential election in 2008. It wasn’t something we planned. We just didn’t have a babysitter and didn’t want to vote separately.
Norrin had been diagnosed with autism a few months earlier and was too young to understand. But standing on that line, I realized I was giving him the opportunity I never had as a child. Since then, whenever we vote, Norrin is with us.
Standing on that line was empowering. As a Latina, as a working woman and as an autism mom – I realized how much my vote matters.
I vote for my son. It’s just another way to protect him and his future.
It’s been eight years since we stepped into the voting booth with Norrin. He still Norrin doesn’t understand voting. But we bring him into the booth with us when we vote. We show him the buttons and we talk about who we vote for. With my hand over his, we cast our vote together.
We use Election Day as a teachable moment. I want Norrin to be a part of our voting process.
I want my son to grow up knowing that voting is not only his right, but his responsibility.
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