November 4th, 2008
As I was working as an election judge, there were 2 very distinct things that happened that summed up this whole experience for me.

My father became a US Citizen many years ago. My mother, however, celebrated naturalization 6 months ago. My sister voted for her first presidential election. I walked in my polling place at Piper Middle School in Berwyn, and god I can't tell you how proud I felt. Some people are apathetic and don't care, some people die for this kind of chance. But being able to vote with my parents and my younger sister was one of the proudest moments of my life.

When I returned back to my polling place, there was an hour left to go and a woman was sitting waiting for her turn to use the touch-screen machine. The wait is long so we offered seats for people. Her daughter was standing, leaning on her mother's leg. Her uniform, clean and sharp, and her eyes completely contrasting her tired mother's eyes. The mother obviously came right after work. Another election judge asked the little girl what grade she was in. A first grader, the little girl's mother started telling us about how her school teaches on curriculum, including Spanish. I asked the little girl, "Do you know any Spanish songs?"
Proudly, she starts singing the colors in Spanish to the tune of Frère Jacques. "Rojo, red, rojo, red, azul, blue, azul, blue..." I could not help it and I started tearing up. No one noticed until the mother realized I wasn't saying anything and looked at me a little surprised. It was an awkward silence, but the good kind. I was speechless. "That's wonderful."

That little girl summed up the day for me. She was a black girl, with the opportunity of a good education, learning a language that many citizens today would be angered about. But there she was, in all her innocence, the embodiment of a different future. A much better one we live in now, and a true success from where this country was 50 years ago.


Later I went home, tired but very awake. I sat in front of my tv and, no shame in saying, I cried. It didn't hit me when they said who won, but it did when I saw people in Grant Park cheering and hugging, people in NY dancing and throwing their hands up, people all over our country (and all over the world) rejoicing. It was the absolute most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I don't think something like that will ever happen and come close to that perfect moment of happiness we all shared.


In my opinion, this wasn't that Obama won. But all of us who had hope, who supported someone who's platform was so different from what we've heard before. Someone who truly had the "audacity" to inspire people and run on hope. It was all of us who won, not one man. But beside that, he represents the defeat of the mentality that a minority cannot beat the white man. There no longer is that excuse. It can happen. As a minority, I strongly feel that sense of triumph. No I'm not black, but I can tell you, minorities, whether they say it or not, have this sense in the back of their mind that not only do you have to prove to your people that you belong to them, you have to prove yourself to white people too. And to see a black family make their way to the White House feels likes minorities finally will be included in the American picture.

We have a president who is intelligent, level-headed, understanding AND black. I hope you all feel as proud as I do. There will be many things he'll have to tackle and be burdened with. I don't expect him to do all he promised, but if he gets to even 2 of his promises, we'll be so much better off than where we are now.

Even though Jesse Jackson can be a prick sometimes, he said the most appropriate thing the other day. It reflects how I feel.
"It is a good day to be alive today."