Kelly Wong’s Seat at the Table

Guest blogger: Michaela Rose, Masters in Migration Studies student, University of San Francisco:

Making history as the first non-citizen to serve on an elections commission in the United States, Kelly Wong, an immigrant originally from Hong Kong, China, was unanimously appointed into her new position as an elections commissioner in San Francisco this past February. She will now oversee voter registrations, vote-by-mail ballots, voting locations and election observations for the city. This groundbreaking appointment comes after California voters approved a measure to eliminate the citizenship requirement to sit on San Francisco boards back in 2020. Her new position has made a strong statement for both immigrant rights activists, immigrants, and our democratic process as a whole throughout this country. How will her appointment better represent the immigrant community living in San Francisco county? And do immigrants such as Wong deserve a seat at the table when it comes to our democratic processes in this country?

Despite condemnation and, quite frankly, borderline xenophobic rhetoric from right-wing senators such as Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in his interview about the appointment on Fox News, this selection opens the door for increasing representation and influence of immigrant voices in this country. Wong’s background in working in migrant rights groups, including her work with Chinese for Affirmative Action, displays her track record of pushing the government for rightful resources and representation of those people who call America their home, yet did not have the luck of being born within our country’s walls. In a city heavily made of immigrants themselves, it seems about time the local government takes steps to center immigrant voices throughout our democratic process, as the decisions being made by both the city of San Francisco and California as a whole, heavily impact their everyday lives just as much as any US citizen.

Many critics of this appointment have argued that a non-citizen should not be put in a role that gives them any overview of how our elections process works. Especially a non-citizen from Wong’s country of origin, China, as it is a large economic challenger to the United States. However, this argument cannot be upheld without addressing the xenophobic undertones it uses to push a more anti-immigrant viewpoint to US citizens. Having someone like Wong in a position like this will not corrupt the integrity of our political process as many are suggesting. In contrast, her track record in immigrant advocacy and devotion to bringing more voter participation and representation among immigrants living in our city will allow more people living here to actively participate in our democratic process, giving them more say in their own lives and interlacing them more strongly into the community as a whole. Wouldn’t this create an even more fair and democratic way of life? Many people on the political right tend to critique immigrants in ways that attack their disconnectivity to the ‘American way of life,’ portraying immigrants as free-loaders who come to the United States only to take from those who are already citizens and not integrate into the communities that exist here. However, this appointment would do nothing but help the integration of immigrants into the democratic system, allowing them a voice and advocacy, and uplifting normally marginalized groups of individuals.

When speaking with KQED after her confirmation, Wong emphasized her commitment to bridging the gap between the U.S. political process and immigrants, stating “I am deeply committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of immigration status, has a seat at the table in shaping the future of our city” (Dahlstrom-Eckman, 2024). This type of mentality, advocacy, and leadership is needed in roles such as this, as representation truly does matter in governmental positions of power. Her commitment to making voting and political engagement more accessible to people of immigrant backgrounds through voter outreach and education is admirable and necessary. Our community as a whole would benefit greatly from working with and encouraging immigrant communities to make their voices heard within spaces like school board meetings and city councils. Immigrants deserve to have their opinions valued and considered in spaces like this, as they are just as San Franciscan as someone who was born here.

Reference: Dahlstrom-Eckman, 2024. “San Francisco Appoints First Noncitizen to Serve on Elections Commission” Found online at: https://www.kqed.org/news/11976026/san-francisco-appoints-first-non-citizen-to-serve-on-elections-commission

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