>> Jaemi: Hi.
I'm Jaemi Hagen.
My pronouns are he, him, his and they, them, theirs. I live in Duluth, Minnesota.
I'm interested in working with a variety of special groups. The queer, transgender, and LGBTQ + community.
The deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind communities, the cued speech community.
I grew up using cued speech and I'd really like to connect with other cuers out there.
Also, people who live in rural areas.
And adoptees.
I was adopted from Vietnam.
And I'd really like to connect with other adoptees as well.
It's important to vote because we have the power to
choose our leaders at the city,
state, and national levels.
By voting, we have the power to choose our
top leaders, again, at the city and the state and
nationwide.
Get out and vote!
You have the power to choose your leaders.
>> Kim: Hello.
My name is Kim Wassenaar.
I'm a Black Deaf woman.
My pronouns are she and her.
I'm involved with the
St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates as a community activist.
My focus and passion is within the Black Deaf community.
There is so much lack of education about voting
rights and privileges.
Back in my day, people used to
say that Deaf people couldn't vote or were not
allowed to vote.
Imagine that.
Times have changed.
We can vote.
It's important to include education,
to make sure the community knows where to
go, knows what the voting stances are,
has the information.
This is something very near and dear to my heart.
I need people to see and
make sure that
their needs about accessibility is met.
If we don't know what our voting rights are and if we
don't vote, we'll be lost.
So go out and vote.
Thank you.
>> Rania: Hello.
My name is Rania Johnson.
My pronouns are she and her.
My motivation is working as a language advocate
with the Asian Deaf community because
we understand each other through shared heritage and culture.
I can also work with other ethnic groups, like immigrants or
refugees, and I can understand their culture and language
barriers because I am a Korean adoptee.
I recognize these language and culture
barriers and the need for communication and
the feeling of safe space.
Voting is important.
Our rights, our needs need to be
recognized within the law and the legislature.
Such as interpreting services, medical services,
support, education, community, making
sure our life is advanced as much as
possible.
Recognize that voting is important.
If you do not exercise your right to vote and
there's a person, a candidate, that does not
believe in the same things we do, there's a
potential that they may win
and our rights could be gone.
There's a candidate that does believe in our rights and
our needs, we need to go out and vote because then
there's a possibility that they will win and our
rights will stay.
Voting is so important.
Go out and do it!
>> Emory Kevin: Hello.
I'm Emory Kevin Dively.
I'm deaf.
My pronouns are he, him, his.
I'm extremely passionate
about my involvement in
my deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and CODA community.
I love helping empower them
about voting,
lobbying, even the census.
Because they are worth
the attention.
I vote because my vote makes a difference.
Even my one single vote has power.
Because my vote reflects my feelings
and my beliefs, not just
for me but for my community
of St. Paul, my state of Minnesota, and
my country, the United States.
I am proud to be a registered voter.
I hope you other deaf, deafblind deaf, deafblind and
hard-of-hearing people can be one too.
Let's get out and vote!