YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

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 ………..

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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*Our Yalla Vote Field Organizers are hitting the ground running. For information about these amazing young men and women, and how to contact them, please visit the Field Organizers page here at Yalla Vote. See what Samar, our Field Organizer in California, has to say:

My trip to DC has been an educational experience wrapped up in adventure . The last two days have been extremely educational and full of excitement. I was able to see historic sights that I only dreamed of seeing in person. I am really excited and look forward to a successful Yalla Vote campaign in Anaheim. One of the highlights of this trip has to be meeting Dr. Jim Zogby, ever since I saw him give a speech in California, I have been fascinated and have looked up to him. For more than twenty years, he has fought for the rights of Arab Americans and have lead others in the struggle for equality. Overall, I am really excited, happy and enthusiastic for the upcoming months.

-Samar