Reflections on Volunteering for the Obama Campaign

By H.K. Suh
Virginia Korean Americans for Change

“Change” has indeed come to America . This was possible through Barack Obama’s message, appeal and skill, but he was also aided by countless volunteers around the country at the grassroots level who put his call into action that made the historic event possible.

When my wife and I saw the Obama Campaign open a field office in Centreville, we dropped by, and saw all the volunteers flowing in – young and old, White and People of Color – that we felt we needed to do more also, especially in the Centreville area where many Koreans live.

We made phone calls and knocked on doors. We bought Korean food for the volunteers. We opened our doors and even provided temporary housing to the campaign staff who worked long hours. Our son in college, home for the summer, volunteered also, looking forward to his first vote in a presidential election.

With fellow Korean-Americans, we formed the Virginia Korean Americans for Obama, and brought together 1st and 2nd generation Koreans in intensified efforts at voter registration, policy education (including a Korea policy forum), community and media outreach, and recruitment of new volunteers.

We sponsored precinct party in our house for viewing the Democratic National Convention and presidential debate. Strangers – White, African-American, and Korean-American families – gathered in common admiration and excitement for Obama’s historic candidacy. Obama inspires people and brings different group of people together – how else could these strangers come together for a TV viewing?

We waited three hours in long line to see Obama speak in a rally in Leesburg. In that line, we did not see anyone complain, rather we saw faces of hope, unity, and promise of changing America , perhaps a “post-racial” America . In young faces, we did not see cynicism of the political process or burdened by the past, rather we saw in them optimism and excitement of what can be done and achieved in America, as exemplified by Obama’s presidential candidacy.

This optimism and excitement were shared in the election night gathering in Tysons Corner, where Whites, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics all embraced each other, many in tears, to celebrate the historic moment of Obama’s victory.

Koreans in the U.S. need to share this optimism and get more involved in the political process and community volunteerism in the U.S. Koreans in the U.S. are seen by rest of the Americans as keeping things to themselves, limiting themselves within Korean-American communities. We need to be mindful that the face and dynamic of the U.S. society is changing, that in forty years, the People of Color will become the majority in this country. We need to participate in the political process, make our voices heard, and share in charting the future of this country. We should encourage our children to run for public service and community involvement. With Obama’s pioneering feat, it is not impossible to strive for a Hispanic-American, or an Asian-American, or a Korean-American President of the United States.

A Korean version of this article can be found here.