Welcome to another roundup of student comments on our writing prompts. This week, we asked teenagers if they believed that everyone has a responsibility to vote, how they answer the question “Where are you from?” and about the challenges of missing family and friends separated by distance.
Thank you to all those who joined the conversation, including teenagers from Wilmington, N.C.; New York, N.Y.; and Bryant High School in Arkansas.
Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.
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Does Everyone Have a Responsibility to Vote?
Inspired by this election week’s report, “Americans Surge to Polls: ‘I’m Going to Vote Like My Life Depends on It,’” we asked teenagers: “Is it OK not to vote, or is voting a civic duty?”
While most agreed that voters have a responsibility to vote, a number of students highlighted the importance of being an informed voter and making every vote count. Others noted the distinction between a right and an obligation and shared their thoughts on why some people might choose not to vote.
Every Voter’s Civic Duty
Unfortunately, I am unable to vote in this year’s presidential election. Despite this, I strongly feel that all eligible voters have a civic duty to vote in all elections, most importantly the presidential election. Regardless of whether an individual does not feel a particular affinity for either of the two candidates, or if they detest both of them, they are still accountable for generating change. I believe that when you are voting, you not just voting for a candidate. You are speaking up for those who can’t. You are voting for future generations. You are honoring those who have fought for the right to vote. You are voting for Congress to pass policy that you believe in. With all of those factors in mind, I think it is nonsensical for one to not vote and possibly even selfish. I can understand to an extent why one may not want to vote in an election, however, I find it untenable that some individuals do not vote because they do not care about the outcome of an election. If one does not care about the result of an election, it most likely does not affect them, indicating their privilege.
— Janie Blatchford, Glenbard West High School
Though, I am not old enough to vote yet, in the next election I can and will vote as it is my civic duty as an American. No matter the election from Presidential to Municipal, I will vote because it can and will affect me. Whether the president is trying to get a bill passed or the mayor is trying to fix some parts of the city, my vote lays in the candidate that I feel mirrors my principles. My belief as to why 40 percent of eligible voters don’t vote is due to the fact that they have never taken time to reflect on how their life would be without the ability to vote, because they have always had that right. One of the reasons this country is so amazing to live in is because we have so many rights, like voting for who you want, criticizing who you want, and saying who you want to run.
— Tanner Johnson, Lubbock Cooper High School
I am not yet old enough to vote, but I will as soon as I am able. To do anything else would be to ignore my civic obligation and responsibility to be involved in the continued democracy of the country. Voting is one of the most important civic duties there is; without it, America would cease to be a democracy.
I’m not old enough to vote however, once I am eligible, I will vote in all elections. Voting gives citizens the opportunity to make their voices heard. Many choose not to vote but are disappointed with the outcome. This seems unreasonable since they didn’t do their duty as a citizen. Lots of Americans didn’t vote in the 2016 election yet were unhappy when Donald Trump won. Again, this is unreasonable since they helped him by not voting for Hillary Clinton. If you look at the numbers, a mere 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 Election, which was only 51.8% of all eligible voters. This year, an astonishing amount of Americans have already voted. 95 million have cast their ballot in early voting which accounts for 70% of all the votes cast in 2016. I think this is because lots of things are happening that are making people more determined to vote such as the pandemic, racial injustice, and the economy. People on both sides of the spectrum are more passionate about these issues than they were four years ago.
The Importance of Being Informed
I did it. Yesterday, for the first time, I voted … I got out there and made use of a civic right I have. If you’re eligible, you should too … However, before you vote, I think it’s important to do your research. If you’re going there to vote just to vote, is there a point? You should vote for the change you want and it is your responsibility to do research and find what the change is. We have Americans who risk their lives on the battlefields to ensure we have this right to vote. That we have a right to stay united as a democracy. If you’re eligible, you should make use of and partake in this profound opportunity a lot of people in other countries may not get to have.
— Jake McCarthy, Norwood High School
I personally believe that it is very important to vote. Even though I am not yet old enough to vote, I am still educated on what the possible outcome could be of this election. There are so many people in jeopardy of losing their human rights. For example, with the new information about Amy Coney Barrett, women and LGBTQIA+ community members are in danger … If the result of the election allows her to follow through on these plans, there are hundreds of thousands of people who will lose so much. When you vote, you need to think about how the president will affect both this country and the people who live here. You need to think about who’s at risk in this election and vote to help them.
Why Every Vote Counts
Voting is one of the most important civic duties you have as an American citizen. It means the difference between life and death for some people. It determines whether their rights get taken away. Many Americans have argued that voting is not important because in the end their vote doesn’t matter. However not voting really just shows the privilege that some people have especially during times like now. People’s basic human rights are on the line and it is extremely important that everyone who can vote does.
— Ashlynn Rodriguez, Lubbock-Cooper High School
The United States of America is a nation in which every adult can have a voice. Each vote is the voice of someone that wants to influence the future of this country, and that is a power that should not be taken lightly. Just one vote does not sound earth-shatteringly influential, but that is not a reason to not participate in the polls. If that train of thought were to be followed by everyone, then no one would vote at all …
— Austin Fletcher, Lubbock-Cooper High School
Right vs. Responsibility: A Matter of Personal Choice
I am 17 so I am not old enough to vote yet, if I were, I would vote for the 3rd party or not vote at all. If I pay attention next election and think someone should be president, I would vote. In America you have the right to vote, so you don’t have to do it, which I think is a good thing because they don’t have to blindly vote for someone.
I think voting is extremely important, and one of the better parts of America is the idea of individual liberty. As a result, I do think that voting should be considered a civic duty, but no penalization should happen if someone chooses not to vote. However, the trade-off for not voting is bearing the consequences of the subsequent presidency without any complaints. People that choose not to vote are unintentionally saying that they don’t care for either candidate and view both as two sides of the same coin; that’s a respectable opinion, but again they must bear the consequences of not fulfilling their civil obligation.
Politics are extremely confusing these days. There is way too much to learn and not enough credible sources … Many people have their own lives to figure out and have no time for the misinformation of others. When people have to put hours into attempting to understand Politician’s goals, it becomes less of a civic obligation as a burden …
— Liam Winegar, Hoggard High School
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How Do You Respond When People Ask, ‘Where Are You From?’
In a recent Times essay “The Complexity in ‘Where Are You From?’” Vanessa Hua wrote about why it can be so difficult to answer such an ostensibly simple question. So we asked students to tell us: How do you respond when people ask, “Where are you from?”
Some students told us how they were from one place physically and another spiritually; others said their answer changed depending on who asked the question; and still others said they recognized the importance of their heritage while leaving room for forging a new identity.
The Question of Home Having No Easy Answer
By the time I was 12 I had moved 17 times so when people asked me “Where are you from” I never knew how to answer. Still to this day it’s a question that I don’t have a prepared answer for, which makes me contemplate if I have yet to figure out what mine is … When I thought of home I never connected that to the house/location I currently lived in. Part of this is due to not having enough personal connections to the area … Another reason why defining “home” for everyone is challenging is because you are expected to give one answer and one answer only. People just want a simple answer and oftentimes there isn’t one, especially when you haven’t lived in the same house your whole life.
I usually become flustered when someone asks me where I’m from. I live in the United States, and my parents, grandparents, and almost all of my great grandparents were also born in the U.S. However, it doesn’t feel right for me to say I’m American. Maybe it’s because I’m not a Native American, or because I am not particularly proud to live in the U.S. considering current circumstances. So what do I tell people? I am Jewish, but that is not a place or an ethnicity. My ancestors immigrated to the U.S. from Russia, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and other Eastern European countries. I can’t really say I’m Russian or German, though, because it’s my great great grandparents who came from those countries; I was not born in Europe nor were my parents.
— Daviel Schulman, New Rochelle High School
Multiple Answers to Questions with Multiple Meanings
Lisbon, Portugal. That is my usual answer when people ask me where I am from. Though, it is not quite simple as it might seem. Since I currently live in Brazil, and it has been my home for many years now, my answer is usually followed by other people’s questions or requests. Many straightly ask me why I am living here … Nevertheless, no one ever said I could not have two homes. And because of that, both countries are my home. Portugal has been my home since forever. I was born and grew up there as a kid, now being my go-to vacation spot. Half of my life is still there, and I believe that the memories held there are far too strong to let go, along with my family living there. Brazil is also my home.
When people ask where I’m from, I’m usually conflicted. While I currently reside in Texas, I wasn’t born nor raised here. When I moved from California, I was asked a few times where I was from. I’d simply just say, “California.” Then, they’d ask, “Oh, really? What part?” I’d think to myself, “Well, do I tell them SoCal or the actual city? But, if I do say the city, which one should I say? The one I was born in or the one I actually moved from?” Both cities feel like home to me, but what should I actually answer with? To me, it’s like choosing between my mom’s and my dad’s sides. What side do I feel like I represent the most?
— Annmarie Faleafine, Lubbock, TX
When people ask me where I am from, I can usually feel my cheeks turn hot as I spend the next few seconds pondering the response I would give to the predicament my interrogator just put me in. For me, this question represents both a complex cultural and identity conflict that I’ve been combatting my entire life. I, along with every member of my family, was born in China. However, my time there was brief, and I’ve spent a significant portion of my life in the United States. So in response to this question, do I say that I am from China, making myself the target of xenophobia and mockery regarding COVID-19 (aka the “China Flu”), or do I say that I am from the United States, being completely doomed to the awkward follow-up question of where I am ACTUALLY from? In that sense, Vanessa Hua’s “The Complexity in ‘Where Are You From?’ hits close to home. Whenever I tell others that am American, the raised eyebrows and uneasy silence come instantly, prompting me to clarify and tell them that, although my family is from China, I’ve lived in the U.S. for most of my life. A satisfied smile spreads across my interrogator’s face as they realize that, once again, Asian-Americans haven’t assimilated into American society.
Hometown Love
“Lubbock, Texas. Born and raised,” I tell my peers. Their responses are full of enthusiasm, I know. Nobody ever asks any more questions, because they know that Lubbock is a boring place. They also can’t imagine living in the same place their entire lives. Something that they’re missing, though, is that I have seen Lubbock’s city limit expand two times. My address changed when I was in Elementary School. It used to be a county road, now it is a painted street. As a little girl who’s lived outside the city her life, so far, it was super exciting to see the workers paving and painting the road in front of my house. (Considering the fact that the road beside my house was made of nothing but dirt) I’ve seen three Elementary Schools get built, including the school that I went to all 7 years of Elementary. I’ve seen the Middle School I attended get built. Lubbock has changed so much over the 16 years that I have been a resident. I love it here, but I can’t wait to live in a city where I don’t have to be full of shame when telling someone where I am from.
— Olivia Bonner, Lubbock Cooper High School
In my life, I have moved around frequently and had many different places that I called my home. Even though throughout my life my location has changed, I will always consider the place that I’m “from” to be my hometown in California, even though I’ve since spent the majority of my life in other places. Despite my limited time there, I made almost every core memory growing up in that town. There, I was shaped as a person in my young age and continue to visit every summer in remembrance of the unforgettable childhood I created there. Where you’re “from” doesn’t ever have to be where you are in the moment. I think where you are truly from is where you feel you were the most shaped as a person. For me, that place was California because there I discovered who I was going to be growing up and developed passions, friendships, and aspirations that I still hold on to to this day.
— Leah Schraff (Block 4), Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC
Identity and Place
Half Italian and half Indian, when people look at me they can rarely guess my race. People don’t recognize the Indian in me, asking me if I tan everyday, or if I am Latina. “No,” I tell them proudly, “I am half Indian” … While I might not look like what you think of when you picture someone Italian, this identity could not be a bigger part of me. I have had the opportunity to not only be a tourist and learn to make pasta in Italy, but to blow glass in my relative’s glass factory outside of Venice. Back at home I often dream of living in Italy. In the meantime, I do what I can to bring a bit of Italian life into my home, cooking my great grandmother’s gnocchi and risotto and taking Italian language lessons. As I fill out applications, it sometimes asks me to select my race and I check both Asian and White. But on some applications it asks me to just pick one, so I default to “other.” I am “other” and proud to be.
— Shaila Patel, Farmington, CT
The mysteries of my family parallel those of Hua’s father. My grandfather was an illegitimate son born somewhere around Monterrey, Mexico. He was adopted by Joseph Garcia, but his assumed last name was Contrelez. My family will probably never know our kinfolk in Mexico. While Hua is offended when she is interrogated about her ancestry, I am indifferent when I am questioned about my cultural background. The inability to answer questions about my family has never insulted me, and no one has ever been unsatisfied when I omit information about my heritage. Instead of clinging to one’s motherland, people should find something like Hua’s family necklace, something to represent a family’s legacy other than a last name. If Americans can find value in their present home, we take a step closer to eliminating ethical stereotypes in our society.
— Aaron Garcia, Bryant High School, Arkansas
My family and I are from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is known for being one of the two uncolonized countries and the origin of coffee. My family takes pride in that and tend to talk about it freely when someone asks. If someone asks where I’m from, I used to be happy and say Ethiopia but people can’t seem to get their mind around that there is a country named that. They joke around and say, Utopia?, Zootopia? So I stopped saying Ethiopia and started saying Arizona. It seems people accept that more. But I do take pride in my beautiful country.
Family Stories
I find it incredibly important to understand the backgrounds of my parents and grandparents who immigrated to North America from Asia. It humbles me and makes me aware of the struggles those before me endured. When I learned of the unique journeys of my grandparents, it made me even more proud to tell people about my roots.
Where I come from is extremely important to me. Many people are proud of their roots, because people are naturally proud of their ethnicity. I am proud that I am a child of immigrants with two completely different cultures. Someone’s ethnicity or where they were raised is usually able to help others understand more about their culture, mannerisms, and their ideals. When one knows where their family originated from, it allows them to identify with and appreciate that culture. My parents talk very freely about our family’s heritage. My mom and dad will often recall stories that usually begin with the phrase “In The Philippines/ In Belgium.” They have done their best to teach my siblings and I about their cultures, through things like food, ideals, celebrations, and stories.
— Claudette G, Bryant High School
Where I originally come from matters because it’s what determines the way I live and the values I have in life. I think asking people where they’re from can reveal a lot about them. For most people, their morals and way of living are heavily impacted by where they are from. It’s important to know where family comes from because it tells me about my family’s history and why we live the way we do. And for the most part, my parents do a good job of that. They always remind my siblings and me where we’re from. In terms of having items connecting me to my family, we have traditional clothing from Cameroon. The clothing symbolizes my African roots and the way we express ourselves.
— Stella Foko, Oneonta High School
I think knowing your roots lets you have a better understanding of things your family has had to endure. My grandmother grew up in Ecuador and had to immigrate here all by herself leaving her only son at the time in the care of her mother. She had to do something really scary and bold so she could give a better life to her family. Before she died I never really asked her about her life in Ecuador and that’s a huge regret of mine. As a little kid I never thought to ask about the hardships she had to go through to get here, what it was like adjusting to living in the U.S. or what it was like not seeing your child for almost a year. I’ll never get these answers from her, I’ll only ever know the story through others eyes. I’m not going to repeat this with my relatives that are alive, I want to know what childhood was like for them, all the things they’ve had to go through, everything about where they came from.
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What Does This Image Mean to You?
In response to our Picture Prompt “Long Distance Hugs,” where we asked what message this image is trying to convey, students saw the pain and hardship of missing family, friends and loved ones while social distancing, but also the technology that has allowed them to maintain a vital bond.
Love Across Distance
This image shows us two telephones embracing in a hug. I feel this is a representation of how communicating through phones and technology has allowed us to connect without being together. The smiles on their faces symbolize the satisfaction and happiness we experience when we are able to make contact with those we are distanced from. Their arms wrapped around each other may represent the mental embrace we are able to have with one another, despite our physical distance.
— Ruby Gorman, Hoggard High School, Wilmington, North Carolina
I think this image’s main focus is to reassure that even in this time of physical separation, we can still come together in other ways. The COVID-19 virus has affected our modern world in many ways — one significant way being restricting physical contact between people — that have changed the dynamic of how people interact with each other. Being able to see other people in person and up close has been the norm for a very long time, and was taken away in an instant. Now the main way we communicate with each other is behind a screen or over a call. This picture is comforting. It reassures that you can still keep relationships and stay in contact with people you care about without seeing them in person. It’s saying that COVID can’t ruin relationships, it’s up to you to adapt and persevere. In this age of technology we are more than equipped to communicate. This picture says that you can still be with your loved ones while stuck in your home and that not even COVID has the strength to pull relationships apart.
— Andrew Clark, Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn, IL
Comfort From Afar
The blue and red phone hugging led me to think about the comforting of others during this odd period of time. The blue is, from how I see, representing the sadness and depression that many feel from being so isolated, and the red is the anger or happiness. They are comforting each other with a phone hug. We can see and/or hear each other, but we just cannot feel. Instead, we pretend like there is someone there hugging us, comforting us. While, in reality, all we feel is alone, disconnected, and we just want things to go back to normal. It is amazing we have ways to still connect, even though we cannot actually touch or be in close contact with each other. Connection is part of human nature and working to still have it is one of the best things to do during this time.
— Terra Drake, Lubbock-Cooper High School
During this pandemic, some people resort to facetime and the technology of cellphones as the only means of communicating gain that affection. The cord is a visible restrictive reminder that we can go only so far from home. The length of the phone cord represents the limited amount of movement that we have even within our own space. For some, the phone has caused further isolation and a break from normal interactions but for others, the phone has become the most vital link to the outside world. We prefer to text instead of call and now we are appreciating the importance of hearing someone’s voice and seeing someone’s voice even if it’s on a little screen.
Maybe it’s a mom and her daughter talking on the phone while she’s away at college, maybe it’s lovers trying to make it work split by various time zones, or maybe it’s even just high school buddies who’ve stayed in touch with each other over the decades. This image has a multitude of ways it can be conveyed. Right now, our world is going through a great tragedy; this pandemic has stretched families across millions of miles. Families haven’t been able to see each other for months due to restrictions as a result from the pandemic, a phone call to their loved ones is all they have right now. As of right now, my dad has COVID-19, and I haven’t been able to see him for two weeks. Calling his phone and having talks for hours is the only contact I get to have with him. This image depicts the only human contact millions of people have right now, because of this pandemic and the role it plays with people and their loved ones.
Bonds Beyond Countries
This image is saying how we can support each other without being physically present with others. I can personally relate to this image because it describes my relationship with my father and my godmother for the past few years. I moved to America six years ago, and I have seen neither my dad nor my godmother ever since. I was supposed to come back to Ukraine and was excited to finally see both of them in person rather than seeing their faces on a phone screen on a FaceTime call. But the news of the pandemic ruined my plans. I never got to go back, and now Ukraine is under a national lockdown. Although it was hard to accept that I won’t see them and have to wait additional time to finally just hug them, the technology has been very helpful. I am lucky to get to talk to them over the phone.
I believe that this image is portraying the power of a simple phone call. Just dial a number, and one can create strong bonds with the person that they are talking to. I can personally relate to this image, as many others can too, since half of my family lives in France, and phone calls are the main way I communicate with my mom’s side of the family. Normally I visit France over the summer, but I haven’t been able to go last summer because of the pandemic. Every time I picked up the phone to call my grandma, grandpa, or other family members, I felt so happy, like I was being hugged, but from far away. In a way, I was getting closer to my family, even by being far away. That just shows what a phone call can do, and as simple as it seems, it is pretty life-changing.
— Sasha Clyman, JR Masterman School, Philadelphia, PA
Reminding Loved Ones That You Care
Now, more than ever, we need to check up on our loved ones however we can. Due to the pandemic, the vast majority of Americans aren’t able to physically check up on family members, long-time friends, friendly coworkers, and all of those we care about. As a result, we must communicate with those special people via cellphones. We never know how the important people in our lives are really doing until we genuinely ask them. A “hey Grandma how are you doing?” or a “Long time, no see my friend?” can go a long way for someone. It reminds them that people still care and think about them. So when you get home today and have some time on your hands, encourage yourself to check on Grandma and Grandpa. Encourage yourself to check on your best friend from college. Encourage yourself to check on that favorite coworker. Encourage yourself to give the loved ones in your life a “long distance hug.”
Meeting Through the Phone
With covid going on
We meet through the phone
No hugging
No touching
Wishing to stay close
At least at heart
We call one another
One by one
Sharing the comfort of being together
Voices send hope and joy over and over
We share our stories
Of baking bread
Laughing at all those toilet paper
Waiting to be used
Also sharing the stories
Of the loved ones we lost
And those who are fighting the battle
The world seems to have changed
And it feels like we are alone in the dark
But listening to our voices
We remember we are together
We embrace each other with words
Bracing ourselves for what is to come
Even today we ring again
Hoping for the day
We will see each other again
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What Students Are Saying About Voting, the Complexities of Identity and Love Across Distances - The New York Times
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