Civic Engagement Starts before US Citizenship
Becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident is a significant milestone for many New Americans--one that can take decades and thousands of dollars to accomplish. Yet, despite literally having a document that establishes their right to be in the country, many put off civic engagement until they achieve the epitome of US integration--United States Citizenship.
However, as US tax paying residents, property owners, and parents with children in schools, voting is not the only way to make our voices heard.
Here are four ways in which non-US citizens can begin to build good civic engagements habits before they get US Citizenship:
Getting to know your State and US Representatives
Our representatives take an oath to defend and execute the laws of our land that govern all residents--not just US Citizens. Take the time to find your state representatives and federal representatives so that you can learn about their political platforms. Fortunately, there are websites that will do the hard work for you and find all of your representatives like this one here. All you need to do is put in your physical address and you will get a list with links to their web pages. My list came up with 42 representatives, but I did notice that there were some offices not included such as those on the Houston Independent School District school board which are also elected offices.
The important thing is to start doing your research early so that you are not showing up to cast your ballot during your first election as a US Citizen with insufficient knowledge about the offices up for election. Trust me, a ballot with 30 or more races up for election will be overwhelming for anyone, not just a first-time voter.
Engaging with your Representatives
Once you know who your representatives are, sign-up for emails and newsletters from the offices most important to you. This way you can keep up-to-date with the issues they are working on and be on the look-out for opportunities to hear from them or even speak to them about those issues you want them to work on as a constituent. Even during the pandemic, elected officials are having virtual town halls and telephone events that make it easy for you to participate.
Registering Others to Vote
While it is true that most elections across the nation require that you be a US Citizen to register and vote, there are some very limited elections where a non-US Citizen can participate. These instances should be researched thoroughly and you should consult with an immigartion attorney before even registering to vote because even accidentally registering when you are not eligible can potentially bar you from Citizenship later.
However, there is nothing stopping you from encouraging others to register and turn out to vote. There are many campaigns conducted by non-partisan organizations that you can join to help during registration drives or other events. You can also volunteer with your favorite elected officials to try to turn out the vote for them and they should send you those opportunities if you sign-up for their newsletters.
Donating to a PAC or a Campaign
In this day in age, it is not enough to vote. Campaigns need money to get the votes they need in order to win elections. As green card holders that are admitted for permanent residence (also known as Lawful Permanent Residence status), regulations allow you to contribute financially as an exception to the rule barring all other foreign nationals from making contributions.
That exception does not exist for any other type of lawful status. Therefore if you are unsure about your eligibility to donate to a PAC or a campaign, check with an immigration attorney first to verify your status as a green card holder.
It is our mission as the Latino Texas PAC to increase representation at all levels of government for the Latino community and to hold all elected officials accountable to the same, regardless of political party affiliation. Many of the candidates that we have supported are first-time candidates that need additional support to hire campaign staff, print and send mailers, and organize campaign events just to name a few of their financial needs.
As donors, you could continue to support the work that we are doing as we identify those promising Latinos and Latinos willing to run for office so that we can offer them what they need to launch or maintain their campaigns. If our mission also aligns with your values, we ask that you support our work by following us on social media, signing up to volunteer, and donating to help us expand our mission.