From the Outside Looking in: International Students Comment on The 2020 Election

Read Time:5 Minute, 16 Second

By Grace Eberts

The 2020 presidential election was a monumental one for many reasons. However, perhaps one of the most important outcomes, and hopefully a long-lasting effect, is the focus on voter mobilization and a record high voter turnout. Every American, especially young adults, has felt the push to get out and vote this year. With widespread mobilization, President-elect Joe Biden has pushed a strong message of being a “president for all.” It is undeniable that this election has touched nearly everyone, all over the world.

This election feels so personal, especially to American voters, that it is easy to forget that there is a world outside the United States where everyone has been watching this election unfold from afar. Or have they? What does the election look like from the outside looking in? I interviewed three different GW students with three different levels of involvement in this election to find out.

First, GW student Nachelle Jackson has a unique perspective being a U.S. voter (originally from Indiana) but living through this election in Germany. Nachelle told me about her eagerness to vote in this election after not being old enough in 2016. As a first time voter, she was prioritizing criminal justice reform, climate change, and student debt relief when she cast her ballot. I asked Nachelle how her perspective has shifted in Germany and she said that “I find myself saying American and not including myself because I know that my own mindset has changed since moving away from America.” Seeing behavior from many Americans from afar has made Nachelle realize that there are some things she is “not proud to see the American public participate in.” Nevertheless, she is grateful for a new perspective. Nachelle says that “I think it has allowed me to appreciate multiculturalism even more than I thought possible already being biracial, and I think I’m just going to continue to value the parts of American culture I appreciate the most, none of which are politics.” I loved hearing this from Nachelle because I think this speaks to a feeling that a lot of Americans have even as we continue to get sucked into nasty political conflict. Perhaps the most eye opening part of Nachelle’s insight is the perspective that she has found in Germany that this past election was “America’s last chance.” She said that, “a lot of nations have found they are able to continue international relations and commerce despite Trump through the last four years, but I think they believe that if the American people choose him again then it is their bed to lie in.” Nachelle’s perspective makes it clear that the partisan war happening in America has caught attention all around the world and maybe even induced some pity from citizens of other countries.

Second, Jesus Cruz is a United States citizen but does not have the right to vote from Gurabo, Puerto Rico. Jesus describes that he is not allowed to vote in U.S. elections because of the nature of Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory, not a state. Even without the right to vote, important issues like systemic racism and the COVID-19 pandemic were high on Jesus’ list of concerns during this election cycle. Like many voters, Jesus says that he hopes the next president will “have an actual plan that will keep the economy and Americans alive.” Jesus also hopes that the next president will have plans to restructure systems of discrimination and injustice in the United States. Unfortunately, Jesus clearly has the drive to fix major issues in America but is not given the voice to express it. I asked Jesus about this and he said, it is “unfortunate, disappointing, and even unfair since I will be directly affected either being in D.C. and/or in Puerto Rico.” Finally, I asked Jesus to summarize his observations of American behavior this past year and I was surprised to hear that Puetro Rico is also going through a political revolution. Jesus stated: “In Puerto Rico, we are going through a revolutionary event in which as Puerto Ricans we have unified to stop the bipartisanship. The majority of the people believe that the two main political parties that have been in charge in the last 70 years have taken Puerto Rico into being a broken, divided, conservative island. Unlike the United States, we decided to get together and make a change. So yes, it is a very different behavior.”

Finally, I spoke to Bruna Janikian from São Paulo, Brazil. Bruna was not able to vote in the 2020 election, as she is not a United States citizen. For Bruna, the economy was at the top of her list during this election. Bruna feels the flux of the economy because it affects the currency conversion for paying her tuition at GW. Today, each Reais in Brazil is equal to 19 cents in American dollars. Uncertainty with the economy affects the global currency exchange rates, therefore putting tuition costs in constant flux. One thing that has been evident to Bruna in this election cycle is that “everyone’s been fighting for a cause, and that’s the way it should be.” Similar to the feeling that Jesus describes, Bruna says that “It is very upsetting to live in a community where you don’t have the right to vote because you see things happening but can’t feel like I’ve done my part.” Especially on a campus like GW’s, whether or not you are a U.S. voter, it is undeniable that students feel the collective responsibility to seek and inspire change and as an American school, voting is certainly one of the biggest ways to get your voice heard in the White House.

I am grateful to Nachelle, Jesus, and Bruna for sharing these unique perspectives about the 2020 election. Each interview carries its own induvidual lessons. As I mentioned earlier, voter mobilization was huge during this election. However, hearing what it is like for Bruna and Jesus to not have the ability to vote reminds me of the importance of our voices in the government. Every student at GW cares about these important issues and it is up to those who can vote to express them.