CREATING A NEW HORIZON OF POSSIBILITIES
CREATING A NEW HORIZON OF POSSIBILITIES
By Estella Inda
Looking towards the horizon, I am hit by the idea of a new opportunity. A chance to let my voice be heard by voting. Using my vote to decide who will represent me and my wants and needs as a citizen of this city, county, state, and country. This same thinking of the possibilities gave the Eastside of San José its voice.
In the 1950s, many Eastside San José residents were not fully aware of the power they held. Thanks to the Community Service Organization's (CSO) nationwide effort to educate eligible voters on how to make a difference by voting, as documented by author Stephen J. Pitti in his book The Devil in Silicon Valley: Northern California, Race, and Mexican American, the number of eligible voters was over 20,000, but less than 2,000 were actually registered. Something had to be done to ensure all the community voices were heard, not just the white, wealthy ones.
“...the number of eligible voters was over 20,000, but less than 2,000 were actually registered.”
To make that happen, the CSO, under the direction of Fred Ross, believed that there should be Spanish-speaking voter registrars available for Spanish-speaking residents. This was easier said than done, but by having politicians, newspapers, and influential groups putting pressure on the county, they were able to get six Spanish-speaking registrars in place. It then became a mission not only for the CSO but for many community members to spread the word and get people registered to vote. Announcements were made on the radio, during church services, at grocery stores, theaters, and community events. People even went door to door in an effort to get the Eastside community registered. And all these combined efforts worked.
However, there were those who were against the idea of having Mexican Americans and other minorities use their electoral power to be heard and seek representation. On Election Day, a group of people showed up at the different polls on the Eastside trying to discourage and intimidate the newly registered from placing their votes. However, as a response, CSO sent out their own poll watchers to ensure that people were not harassed or stopped from placing their votes. These types of struggles were not unfamiliar to the people from the Eastside, and they accepted the challenge as they did with every form of discrimination they faced. They organized and faced the challenge head-on!
“Announcements were made on the radio, during church services, at grocery stores, theaters, and community events. People even went door to door in an effort to get the Eastside community registered.”
This eventually led to more and more Mexican Americans registering to vote and casting their ballots over the years. As Pitti explains, this helped to fulfill the CSO's goal of different political candidates recognizing the power held by the Mexican-American and Eastside communities. This ultimately led to the first Latiné candidates running for public office and, after many tries, eventually winning, creating a new and lasting horizon of possibilities for the people of San José.
Too often, I hear, “My vote doesn’t really change anything, so why vote?” But history has proven otherwise. We cannot let the work of previous generations go to waste. VOTE!!!!
“Too often, I hear, “My vote doesn’t really change anything, so why vote?” But history has proven otherwise.”