Change Continues With Us: Why Civic Literacy is Important

Originally seen in NPR

It wasn't until Sophomore year AP Government that I allowed myself to engage in discussions about politics. 

In our South Asian household, my parents hardly ever brought it to the table. They arrived in America with very little political knowledge, and while they went on to vote in every presidential election, the initial lack of knowledge (and in turn, confidence in their ability to speak on it adequately) persisted. With our economically disadvantaged status, I can’t say that my parents were focused on trying to gain this knowledge either. Their focus was on making a living to insert some sort of stability here in America, so being invested in politics was brushed aside and trivialized.

In the few instances that I encountered discussions about politics, mainly in the form of half jokes between boys in my middle school, I never felt comfortable joining in. For starters, their preteen immaturity shined through in most of their discussions. I watched them make numerous old fashioned arguments about roles of us as women, and how feminism is “stupid” which served as an immediate deterrent. 

But they also exhibited behaviors that steer full grown adults from politics. The loudness and aggression that accompanied their opinions instilled a fear in me that if I did join their discussions, I would be insulted for my own opinions. When they did make logical arguments, based on their reading of articles and posts about current events, or historical concepts, what little knowledge I had was put into perspective. “Politics” appeared complex and challenging to understand. My parents' lack of interest in the news and what was happening in our country had carried onto me, but the nature of their discussions pushed me even further away. 

My government class was my first taste of real civic education. Learning about our core democratic values, and being cognizant of how they (and other foundations in history) present themselves as continuities today stimulated my need to learn more and how to be directly involved. 

Discussions about forms of protests like the Declaration of Sentiments, empowered me. The Declaration of Sentiments, in particular, was written in 1848 and highlighted the hypocrisies in our founding documents, and advocated for the rights of women. As a young female immigrant who treasures her status as a citizen of America, the authors’ advocacy for themselves in an epoch of male domination put my position in this country into perspective. Privilege or not, my influence is tangible. 

Possibly most valuable was the way that, going back to the beginning, the course allowed me to crawl out of the misconceptions that I began with. Ideological beliefs and the implications of intergenerational perspectives were discerned. The stereotypes, that politics was all about agitation and aggressive arguing, no longer silenced me. Civic education dissolved my fear of understanding politics and using my voice. It felt as if a blurred haze suddenly became visibly transparent.

To truly take it a step further and crawl out of my comfort zone, I decided to apply to YVote at the end of my sophomore year and discover how to make a difference in my community, despite not being able to vote yet.

In just a year, my perspective changed entirely by being engaged civically. I learned how to be a part of change in more ways beyond voting, and that you can never be too young to be involved in politics. I share all this to emphasize that civic literacy has a significant impact on us as young people. It gives us a chance to be heard, to learn more about our identities, and how our roots influence us to be the next generation of change makers. 

I could never forget when my AP Gov teacher emailed me upon my acceptance in YVote stating, “You’re doing amazing work and are living to be the true meaning of what it means to be a young American.” 

Ananna Das is a high school senior in New York City. She relishes in the world of psychology and literature.