YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

s as we move towards the elections, the feeling of excitement and hope flows within the Arab American community here in Orange County. People gathering for get-togethers, Friday prayer, or a casual coffee, are all talking about politics. It seems that folks are unclear on the different stands each candidate takes and what they stand for. This is why everyone needs to do their homework, get to know their candidates, and decide based on where they stand, not how they sound or what the latest political commercial tries to sell you.

Here in Orange County, we’ve been stressing the importance of making an educated vote this November, All through Ramadan. I was at the mosque getting Arab Americans registered to vote. Doing, this enabled me to hit three birds with one stone. Breaking my fast, engaging myself with the community and getting them more politically aware of the elections.

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Last Thursday I had the opportunity to be a guest speaker at NAAP (network of Arab American Professionals) Mixer. The room was filled with excitement and the crowd was pumped. I gave a speech on why Arabs need to come together and vote and talked about the “YALLA VOTE ” Campaign and the National Declaration that we are circulating. I was really happy with the feedback that I got . Even though I was really sick that day ( I came down with strep throat), I was able to give my speech and networked with Arab professionals in the community. Many people came up to me and wanted to involve their children as volunteers. I said “Give me their number and I’ll take it from there.”

After the NAAP dinner, many of us moved next door to, of course, the shisha bar, and finished the night there. If you haven’t picked up on this already I love going to shisha bars and collecting signatures. I have a good time, talk politics, smoke shisha and pass on the Yalla Vote message, which fufills my duty as a YALLA VOTE Field organizer. So until my next adventure, I’ll keep you posted.

As the often practiced quote goes, “Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons,” I can say this loudly after yesterday’s Voter Registration drive. It was my first event for the Yalla Vote Campaign and it certainly did not go as expected. Instead of people flocking to me, I found myself leaving the plaza where I had been stationed and seeking out people dining in restaurants, in salons getting their hair done, approaching people shopping and strolling, and talking to them about voting. I learned many things about logistics and what not to do next time.

Overall, I am really happy that I took this challenge, this early on, learning from it and am determined to succeed tremendously next time. I already found my next location for my voter registration drive! Now I need to get to work. Life is filled with ups and downs. You learn from your mistakes and move on. But I did the best with what I had, and worked the customers that were there. Got them all registered to vote and signing to support our Declaration. The volunteers left with me at 10 pm, all asking me to plan the next one ASAP. So with that… look for the next Yalla Vote opportunity on July 12th!. Until the next adventure comes around….

Salam ………..

On June 21st, Outlandish made their appearance after crowds anxiously awaited all week for them. The show was even more anticipated because initially it was supposed to be at the Anaheim Forum , but problems came up and they scrambled to get it at an ampitheatre in a park. Needless to say, the show was great, outdoors with the nice breeze of the Anaheim winds. Outlandish performed and the crowd was pumped with energy.

Of course, I showed up to the concert with the “Yalla Vote” gear ready to take over the place. Even though I didn’t end up getting a table, or any materials to pass out, I was equipped with the National Petition and hit the crowds. I sometimes sneaked behind tables and had customers sign my petition, and I even recruited a volunteer to get signatures while I watched the show. Overall, I must say that as a field organizer the concert was a complete success! I conversed with people, got volunteers and introduced the youth to the campaign!

So five days into starting my job as a field organizer… Am I exhausted ? Yes. Sore throat from talking so much ? Yes! Need some serious hibernation ? YES!… Yet I find myself waking up at 7:30 every morning with some great idea or someone that I should contact. It’s been a while since I have loved the job I do: I love being a field organizer. This last week was extremely exhuasting, getting up early and coming home late at night just to sleep. Brookhurst has become my home, while my home back in the valley has turned into a “hotel”. The Arab American community in Anaheim is extremely interested and want to help. I guess word spreads fast in our community(surprising?) , for example I had two girls come up to me at hooka bars asking “Are you the Yalla Vote Girl and where can I sign up to volunteer? Whats this all about?” One of the nice things in this community is it is pretty organized , with many resources, and you truly feel like you’re back home . There are several blocks filled with Arab stores, restaurants, Halal grocery stores, Islamic Fashion, Mosques and anything else you can think of. For me, I was taken aback… I live in the Valley, where there are hardly any Arabic stores and if there are any, there hidden in some back alley.

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