Relection after the Election

Disbelief, sadness, escape and reflection.

Those are my reaction since Donald Trump winning the 2016 presidential election on November 8th.

When the network TVs called Florida for Donald Trump, who had already won most of the mid-western states, I turned off the TV and went to bed. It was hard to fall asleep. The victory of Hillary Clinton had been imminent right before the election day as predicted by various national polls. My own vote for Hillary was full of confidence.

The wave of sadness flushed in the next morning on Wednesday. The result was final. The social media around me were filled with raw emotions. I had to go to work.

Work was the best way to escape. Our colleagues mostly leaned towards republican as others who work in the medical device industry. I felt relieved and respected during the morning staff meeting when everyone clearly felt the gravity of loss on my face and several others. In the next few days, I finished everything on my to-do list, talked to family and friends, and played table tennis like every other week, trying to escape from the sense of loss.

Family and friends are much more important than politics.

It is time to reflect on what I saw and what I missed in this election.

My voting came from my belief in collaboration over competition. I saw that with Hillary a continuation of policies to help those in needs, to collaborate to achieve peace and to slow down climate change. In contrast, I saw Donald Trump a bully who put himself above everyone else, and who could ignore anything to advance his own agenda.

But I must have also ignored much what 60,072,551 American have voted for Donald Trump.

Americans wanted a change agent during recent elections. The choices of Bush over Gore in 2000, Obama over McCain in 2008, and now Trump over Clinton in 2016 all found someone brought fresh perspectives and agenda for change. The directions for change were not the same in each election, but the idea of we can do better was the same motivation in the past, was probably the same for 2016.

There were also 60,467,601 American have voted for Hillary Clinton. This election result could not reflect what is right or wrong. Like a lyric from one of my favorite song writers “what you say right now is just your courage at this moment”, this election reflected the current sentiment of the country.

Nobody should leave America, because this is our country.

Our beautiful democracy has protected us from chaos or wars that would have occurred in many other places after a divisive election like this one. I want to give change a chance. The republican party has an amazing chance to get something done in the next few years. It would be a big beautiful thing if politicians spend more time with their constituents than with lobbyists and donors.

I don’t think Donald Trump will be able to mess up too badly.  I believe there are more Americans will stand up to bigotry towards women and prejudice against minorities. The next election cycle is in two years.

We will look back this election in 2034 and remember the Supermoon this weekend. The moon is the closest full moon to Earth since 1948. I will go out into the dark night and enjoy the brightness of being.

My Vote as an Immigrant American

In the early days after arriving in the US, I was often asked when I would go back. Not all of the inquiries were unwelcoming, but I understood that not everyone would like to have immigrants in their country.

It was not easy to stay in America. After graduation, it is difficult for a foreign student to work in the US legally unless you can find an employer that sponsors the H-1 visa. I was very fortunate to receive the permanent residency, a green card, through the national interest waiver program because of my research work and gracious support from many colleagues. The road to citizenship took seven years after I received the green card.

I have chosen to stay because I love America. I left China after the 1989 student movement. I saw on TV how a government sent tanks to crush peaceful student protests. I realized how important that people should have voices in deciding their leaders. It was here that I cast my first vote as a citizen in the general election in 2012. My own vote, which I do not take for granted, is the most important right that I treasure as being an American.

I love American workplace. After finishing school, I found a scientist position with a medical device company. Before long, I started to work on a product that can help millions of people with sleep apnea, a chronic condition that affects sleep and causes heart problems. America has the most competitive medical device companies in the world. I am always proud to tell people here and abroad about my work because we have the most innovative products to help improve and extend lives around the world.

I love America because of its generosity. My graduate education and research were funded by government grants. I am happy to see taxes I pay and so do many others make possible these federal programs, such as the national institutes of health and national science foundation. I appreciate my local city and state governments are obsessive about keeping the roads free of pot holes after each long winter of Minnesota. 

When I cast my vote this time, I reflected on my journey as a Chinese American. I benefited from an immigration policy that allowed me to use my talent to work on medical devices that can help millions. I understand the struggle of immigrants, and their desire to improve the life of their families. I love the non-profit organization Children's HeartLink, which I volunteer my time. Its mission to improve access to congenital heart disease care helps countless families and fosters friendships in partner sites in China, India, Brazil and Vietnam. What I have learned from the experience is that it is richly rewarding from collaboration and help others. I appreciate my teachers, neighbors, and friends who showed me how to value diversity, respect the environment and treasure our independence. These are the values that I have based on to cast my vote this year. And this is why I am proud to vote for Hillary Clinton.