[Opinion] Immigrants’ Right to Vote

“No taxation without representation.” This age-old plea of England in the 13th century or during the American Revolution is heard in the United States these days. In the country, where only citizens enjoy full rights, permanent residents or legal immigrants are calling for the right to vote at least in local elections. They demand the right to vote for the mayor, members of the school board, and the City Council. Five out of 13 Washington City Council members announced their support for it. In San Francisco, voters will decide in November whether to pass a bill that allows noncitizens – including illegal immigrants – to vote in school board elections.

Advocates argue that permanent residents, just like citizens, pay taxes and fight for America as soldiers overseas. They say it’s a matter of the foundation of democracy. Oppositions say the proposed bill would undermine the value of American citizenship, and the right to vote is one of the things that differentiate American citizenship and simple residency. They also raise security concerns in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. They argue that offering noncitizens rights to vote will allow even Osama bin Laden to vote.

The United States, a nation of immigrants, has a long history of allowing noncitizens to vote. Twenty-two states allowed noncitizens to vote – even when blacks and women were barred from the ballot box – in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Such rights began to be restricted with the influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe, due to concerns about their radicalism. By 1928, voting at every level had been restricted to United States citizens. Since then, the rights to vote in municipal elections were restored only in some states like Chicago. And immigrants are working hard to restore their rights in this presidential election year.

Tamrat Medhin, a civic activist from Ethiopia who lives in Washington, calls for “democracy for all.” Medhin is sure that it will happen this year or at least next year. Washington’s mayor, Anthony Williams, has expressed his support for extending voting rights to permanent residents when the bill is passed in the City Council. In Washington, where Congress has the right to override city laws, Democrats have mixed opinions while most Republicans are against it. It has not been long since Korean-American citizens began to have great interests in their rights to vote. This is one of the reasons that there are only a few Korean-Americans in the U.S. federal and local political communities.

Hong Kwon-Heui, New York Correspondent konihong@donga.com