San Francisco’s Elections Commission appointed a woman who isn’t legally allowed to vote in the United States.

Kelly Wong, an immigrant rights advocate from Hong Kong, became the first non-U.S. citizen appointed to the seven-member civilian commission.

According to Bay Area public radio station KQED, the body oversees and creates policy for the city’s Department of Elections.

“San Francisco voters removed the citizenship requirement for those seeking office on city boards, commissions and advisory bodies in 2020,” Fox News reports.

Per Fox News:

Wong, an immigrant rights advocate who came to the U.S. from Hong Kong in 2019 to pursue a graduate degree, was sworn in at a ceremony in San Francisco City Hall.

Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin conducted the ceremony while “dozens of people gathered to commemorate the occasion,” the outlet reported.

Wong was unanimously voted in the by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. She spoke to KQED about overcoming the doubt she had to achieve the position.

“There are always voices inside my head. Like, ‘You can’t do it. You’re not competent. You’re an immigrant. This is not your country.’ That’s not true. If I can do it, you can do it,” she told the outlet.

Peskin had high praise for Wong, especially her ability to engage and enfranchise people and help non-citizens become citizens.

“I’m very impressed by her commitment to enfranchising people who rarely vote, to educating people about the voting process, and to bring in noncitizens and get them the tools they need as they become citizens,” he said.

KQED reports:

Drawing on her lived experience, Wong said she wants to increase engagement among the city’s immigrant and non-English speaking communities. Anyone who has delved into San Francisco’s ballot knows it can be just as confusing for native English speakers to decipher the myriad propositions, their arguments, and the city’s ranked-choice voting system.

“Even though I’m fluent in English, I still encounter challenges in navigating a new system, let alone participating in political conversation and activities,” Wong said in an interview with KQED before Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony.

One of Wong’s priorities is to ensure that voter materials are translated in a way that people can understand – she pointed out, for example, that there isn’t an equivalent term for the word “reparations” in Cantonese or Mandarin.

“I’ve seen how language and cultural barriers prevent immigrants with limited English proficiency from fully exercising their right to vote,” Wong said. “Is there a way to do voter outreach that is not just about translation but can touch on political education while maintaining neutrality and impartiality in elections?”

Since 2022, Wong has done this kind of work as an immigrant rights advocate at Chinese for Affirmative Action, a civil rights group in San Francisco that focuses on the city’s Chinese community. Since commissioners are unpaid, Wong will continue her work as an advocate, helping people like Christina Ouyang, who immigrated here from China 13 years ago.

 

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