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Kalvin Saelee, 17, Merced
I don’t think just because he is black that his overall success or failure should have a huge effect on Americans of color.
Anyway, if Obama loses I think the effect it will have on young people of color is that they probably wouldn’t care too much about politics anymore.
If Obama wins then Americans of color will maybe be more engaged in politics.
Mark Skinner, 17, Merced
If Obama loses, I feel that young people would question whether there will ever be another president of color, or if this was just a one-time thing.
Obama winning would inspire many youth of color. I feel that young people would take this victory as their victory, as a chance to rise up to the challenges instead of following stereotypes that all minorities drop out school and end up with no jobs and very little income.
Jesus Alma, 18, Long Beach
Even if he loses, Obama will leave with a victory [because] his story is an example that we can follow.
If Obama is victorious, then we people of color will expect change. I think that is the message that will be sent out because he made it possible for immigrant students that came to this country before the age of 16 to have a two-year work permit that will allow them to help their families with home expenses. That was a very good change for this country. I think that we can expect more change for the better of this country if Obama wins.
Patrick Moreno, 24, Long Beach
People in this country are being fooled by the media surrounding the election. The polarity of this election has prevented the issues from being addressed. If Obama is defeated, it will be because the oligarchy in this country doesn’t trust him, not because Mitt Romney is a better candidate.
To me, an Obama victory is also a scary idea. Obama has been deceptive about his policies. If he makes it back into office, I believe the compromises he will make (and be forced to make by Congress and other lobbyists) may render him a figurehead in this country. I believe more rich white men will use the image of Obama as a way of maintaining the trust of people of color while they imprison us and continue to cut our education.
I believe white people in this country are terrified of becoming the minority.
Diana Cardenas, 22, Long Beach
[Obama’s election in 2008] should not be romanticized or idolized and we should not expect more from a man of color than a white one in the White House, especially when he is up against an uncooperative legislative body.
Whether Obama loses or wins, young people should not be content with the lack of in-depth analysis of issues… When did we hear anything about poverty or, say, about global warming during the campaign season from either candidate? According to the mainstream media, the same one that refuses to raise these and other issues, the race is tight. But when all they support and talk about is the two-party system, this becomes numbing and disillusioning. Young people should not conform to this.
Justine Calma, 24, Long Beach
An Obama defeat would be a scary prospect for young people of color, especially those from working class or low-income backgrounds. Romney has already been caught showing disdain for 47 percent of the country he believes is “dependent on the government”… This all points to a [Romney-Ryan] administration that is completely out of touch with working class communities of color, a president who believes that if you’re poor then it must be your own fault, a president who doesn’t hold his government accountable for conditions that perpetuate poverty.
An Obama victory, however, should not send the message that we now live in a color-blind society or that people of color as a whole have broken the glass ceiling. Yes, it’s important to have people of color in positions of power, and yes, children should look at Obama and think, “I can be like him one day.” It’s also important to recognize that while people of color are 30 percent of the population in the United States, we account for 60 percent of those imprisoned. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in three black men can expect to go to prison in their lifetime. So while young people of color can hope to be the president, they are still going to have to overcome a hell of a lot of structural racism and inequality before they get there.
