March 24, 2015:
Dear Chinese American Friends of the Greater Houston Area:
The annual local elections will be here on May 9 this year. We are calling for all eligible U.S. citizens of Chinese descent to come out and cast your vote in the upcoming election.
The local elections happen once every year. Compared to the mid-term or the general elections, the local elections are much smaller in scale. However, local elections are of equal importance due to the fact they are intended for elections of local officials and the results will impact our lives on a daily basis. For example, the re-election of ISD Board of Trustees and its results affect the direction or the path where the ISD leads in the next year. We simply do not have any reason not to pay attention to what is happening in the school district where our children attend school every day.
Another key benefit of coming out and vote is to demonstrate the significance of Chinese-American votes in the American society. Although Chinese Americans still constitute a small percentage of the overall US population at a national level, we are a sizable presence in the demographics of the Greater Houston area. Sadly, not all Chinese American in Houston vote. As a matter of fact, only a small portion of Chinese Americans eligible to vote exercise this basic right as a citizen. If we do not let our voices be heard on our choices of local officials with our own casted votes, we run the risk of letting our concerns ignored and our best interests mis-represented. This is why we, at the Houston Chinese Alliance (HCA), would like to call for action for every eligible Chinese American to come out and cast your vote in the 2015 local elections.
Today we are happy to observe two promising Chinese American women Kathy Li and JJ Clemence declaring their intention to run for the second and sixth position in the Fort Bend County ISD Board of Trustees. This is a giant step towards getting involved in local politics and towards elevating the image of Chinese Americans through enhancing our influences in the modern society of the U.S. today. Houston Chinese Alliance (HCA) is a non-political and non-profit organization. We want to abide by law and do not intend to promote or endorse any candidate for any public offices. However, we would like to reiterate to all vote-eligible Chinese Americans to cherish the ballot in your hands and cast your solemn vote for the candidate you trust and support. By doing so, we let our voice be heard.
We would like to remind you the following key dates: early voting is from April 27 through May 5 with May 9 the actual voting day for the local elections. All voting members will need to register 30 days before the 9th of May in order to vote. We highly recommend that those who are eligible but have not registered do so before the 9th of April. For details on how to register, please visit the official website of Fort Bend County at: http://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/index.aspx?page=343. Or, visit the official Harris County election website with Chinese translations at: http://www.harrisvotes.com/Chinese/Default.aspx
Houston Chinese Alliance (HCA)