Boston Coalition Calls for Action on Bilingual Ballot Bill

6/9/08

This article drew much from an editorial of the Coalition for Asian American Voting Rights

In Boston, the Chinese and Vietnamese Community has fought for the past several years to have bilingual ballots in areas with large numbers of Chinese or Vietnamese Americans. Spearheaded by Chinese Progressive Association, thirty organizations have formed the Coalition for Asian American Voting Rights to support bilingual ballots.

Bilingual Ballots and the Prince of Darkness
Bilingual ballots are known to increase voter access and participation. In the first year that Boston’s Chinese community had fully bilingual ballots, Asian American voter turnout exceeded the general turnout rate for the first time in Boston’s history, and Chinese transliteration of candidate names has been practiced successfully for elections in various counties in California, New York County, and in Boston. Aside from encouraging voting, there is the question of fairness, elderly long-time immigrants who pass their naturalization exam utilizing their native language are U.S. citizens who should have the same right to vote as other Americans.

Secretary of State William Galvin has been the primary opposition. Moreover, he has refused numerous community requests to meet and discuss the issue, declaring that neither he nor his staff will meet to discuss anything to do with transliteration. Galvin, known in the local political scene as the “Prince of Darkness” counts on a growing anti-immigrant political climate. Immigration raids, a rise in detentions and deportations, militarization of the border, and English Only proposals are part of the backdrop that allows Galvin and the mainstream media to misrepresent the issue and poke fun at Chinese names. Galvin has refused public hearings and worked behind the scenes to warn off other officials and slow down the legislation to kill a bilingual ballots.

Next Steps
Recently, the Boston City Council unanimously passed a Home Rule Petition to extend Chinese and Vietnamese bilingual ballots. The Mayor signed the bill, sending it to the state house.
The Coalition has begun the next phase of preserving bilingual ballots. It successfully mobilized hundreds of people to lobby at city hearings. Now, because the legislation seeks to extend Chinese and Vietnamese bilingual ballots for all elections held in Boston, the proposal must be approved not only at the municipal level but also at the state level. The State House legislative process involves a long string of procedural steps. The final step, after passage in both houses, is the governor’s approval.

Boston, Massachusetts is sometimes called the cradle of U.S. democracy. No wonder other countries are rejecting our export of a tainted product.

Those interested in supporting real democracy can contact the Chinese Progressive Association.