YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

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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This week I have had the opportunity to meet many people who seem to be really excited about what AAI and Yalla Vote are doing. I spent a few hours on Monday going around to a few Arab American businesses in the area asking them to keep copies of the National Petition in their stores and ask their customers to sign it. With the exception of one, all of the stores were glad to do it. (So if you live in the area and have not signed the Petition…just stop by your local Arabic store or restaurant to sign it)

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I’m writing today about two fantastic groups of people to which my Yalla Vote travels have led me. First, I was lucky enough to attend NAAP’s Summer BBQ kickoff hafli in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. NAAP is an incredible organization that brings together Arab American professionals for networking, socializing, and of course, fun. It was approximately 200 degrees the day of the BBQ, but everyone came out in full force, with enough charcoal for both the grills and the numerous argilehs. I was able to get a whole slew of signatures, recruit some volunteers, and engage in some solid political discussion. I remember in particular talking to one man who was very impressed with the Yalla Vote campaign, and echoed the sentiment that the only way for the Arab American community to gain representation from our elected officials is to get out and vote!

One couple I was talking to was made up of a wife who was a citizen, and her husband who had his green card. I approached the wife about the petition, and she was slightly hesitant to sign, but immediately her husband spoke up and said that she had to vote because it is the most important right that citizens of this country possess. In fact, he was envious of her ability to participate in the voting process whereas he could

not. It’s good to know that even the members of the Arab American community who are not eligible to vote understand the seriousness of our project, and are eager to get involved. I’m trying to get my hands on some pictures of the event, but here’s beautiful Prospect Park to but the NAAP event in context for you.

The second event I want to tell you about, was a meeting of Fort Hamilton High School’s Muslim Students.

I attended their end of year meeting, and was blown away by the enthusiasm for Yalla Vote that these kids had. Firstly, they are extremely organized, serious about helping their community, and serious about their faith. All good things. Ironically, I was around on a day when they were doing some self-examination about ways they could remain productive during the summer months. Heh. Little did they know that I had PLENTY of volunteer work to keep them thoroughly occupied. We had pizza, laughed at how bad my Arabic is, and I recruited some wonderful volunteers from the Bay Ridge community. Yet another indicator that there is a large, active, intelligent group of Arab Americans waiting to be tapped in New York. I can feel momentum starting to build. Every connection that I make, contact I add to my growing database, volunteer I recruit, and signature I get is taking our community one step closer to realizing its own hidden strength, and cooperating in a way heretofore unheard of. Game time, baby.

I have a big weekend ahead, dj’ing parties as my non-AAI alias, and then back to Yalla Vote on Sunday for the big New York Outlandish concert at the New Balance Track Center. In fact, I think I have a volunteer or two to join me. Does it get any better? I submit that it does not. If you’re there, find me for T-shirts and buttons and scintillating conversation. You may even end up on the blog with your smiling face next to mine. Til’ then…

-Matt

*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. Without further ado, we bring you Matt, our Field Organizer in New York:

Well, I’ve heard that any time you start a new job, the first few days are the hardest, but I have a feeling the most challenging tasks are yet to come. That being said, the first few have been no joke. I’ve been spending this week just trying to get my bearings and set up a solid game plan. I’ve gotten my calendar all set up, brainstormed some great event ideas, and spent the last couple days scouring the streets for grocery stores, shisha lounges, and arab-owned businesses. I’ve also just begun to build my spreadsheet of contacts. I had a mixup today where I was supposed to meet with Rami Nuseir, who heads the Mideast Leadership Network, but essentially dropped the ball and spent the morning trying to get recruits instead.
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