November 8, 2016. Only two weeks after I flew to the United States. Stunned by moving to a new country, my mother, younger sister and I followed my father to our voting location. I watched my father bubble in “Donald J. Trump and Michael Pence.” But that wasn’t my focus. I was jumping around with my sister, fighting for that “I Voted” sticker at the exit and extremely happy to have experienced what an American election looked like. I had never seen something like this before.
October 29, 2018. Again, I followed my father to the polls, this time for the Maryland and Montgomery County midterm elections. I posed in front of the camera with all the banners and signs behind me at the Circuit Court. It was fun to experience it, without knowing a single grain about American politics. I didn’t know what or who my father voted for, but I posted my pictures on Instagram as if I discovered a new territory.
November 3, 2020. This time, I went with my mother to vote in the presidential election. She received her citizenship not so long ago, and we were both delighted for this day to come. She finally had voting rights in America! I served as her translator, telling her what each line meant on the ballot in Chinese. I saw the same familiar stroke from four years ago — she bubbled in “Donald J. Trump and Michael Pence.”
Once again, I felt proud of myself for translating an official ballot for her and supporting her decisions. I didn’t forget to get a sticker on the way out. I knew my parents were following the election polls and results, hoping their votes made a difference. I also watched the live reports on those news websites, looking at the Electoral College’s votes and hoping whoever my parents supported could win. I did not know anything about what the results entailed. When President Joe Biden was announced as the winner, I was disappointed, just like my parents were.
October 22, 2024. In my dorm, I received a text from my father. It was a short TikTok video about “trying to not raise liberals.” I didn’t respond. Right after, he reminded me to vote, encouraging me to use my rights as I turned 18 this year. My parents, wearing bright smiles and “I Voted” stickers, posted a photo in the family group chat, and I knew exactly who they voted for. Yes, being away at college made it harder for me to vote at my home polling location, but I went through the hassle of mailing in my ballot. I guess, this year, it’s going to be 2:1 in my family.
Politics always felt distant, like an endless noise I wasn’t supposed to question. I had always treated politics as something I chose not to participate in or educate myself in. To me, it represented polarity, difference, argument, conflict — nothing of a good connotation. I was afraid of judgment and discussions, of even knowing the policies for my own good. As an American citizen myself, I didn’t quite feel American. I was simply intrigued by my parents’ actions and their opinions naturally became mine, until I was able to educate myself on the current events, laws, and policies.
I’d say I was shocked when I learned for the first time that I could lose control over my own body. While I was coming to terms with that knowledge, I couldn’t understand why my parents never talked about how these things might impact me or people like me. For them, other issues took precedence. But for me, these rights felt fundamental. It was uncomfortable to feel at odds with the values I had grown up with, yet I couldn’t shake this inner conviction that I needed to speak up for myself.
College opened my eyes in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Being exposed to new people and ideas gave me permission to think for myself in a way I hadn’t allowed before. The more I learned, the more I felt a responsibility — not just to myself, but to my generation — to advocate for the kind of world we want to live in. This wasn’t just about family differences; it was about realizing I had a voice, one that I’d never really used.
This year, as I submitted my first ballot, I felt a mixture of pride and anxiety — pride in finally acting on my own convictions, and anxiety about how this new independence might shift my relationship with my family. I still respect them, and they’ve always done what they believed was best for our family. But as I’ve come to realize, my experiences are not the same as theirs, and I need to approach the world from my own perspective. And while I may still be learning, the truth is, these issues will affect my generation’s future more than any other. I owe it to myself, and to those who will come after me, to act in ways that align with my beliefs.
This election was my first real step in acknowledging and standing up for my values. I want to be part of the society I live in, not just as a bystander but as a participant. I know that I will look back on this choice, this vote, without regret — knowing I chose what I believe is right.
Linda Huang is a freshman from Rockville, MD majoring in Biomedical Engineering.
