It has been two weeks since the historic Nov. 4 election and young people across the country are asking, “Now what?” We made a decisive impact in this election with 18 to 29-year-olds making up 18 percent of the electorate, surpassing the number of voters who were 65 years or older for the first time in 20 years.
Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without demand, it never has and it never will.” We must not relent in this momentous occasion in order to recognize that there is a difference between politicians’ agendas and the real-life change we all need. Politicians have never single-handedly reformed America; it has always been the people who will organize for change.
It is time to redefine the American Dream. For our generation, our American Dream is not a picket fence with 2.5 children. Our American Dream is to see our communities prosper. Our dream is deeply rooted in the idea that people have basic human rights such as education, affordable health care, livable wages and home ownership. Our values keep us committed to the communities we live in, to working hard and being dealt a fair chance for our efforts, to trust and honor democracy and hope for realizing the American Dream.
In this election cycle, youth organizations like the United States Student Association came together to build strong diverse coalitions on hundreds of college campuses in order to foster student voting blocs and long-term political engagement.
One of our generations’ greatest concerns is around the access and affordability of higher education. Students are graduating with an average of $19,000 of student loan debt ““ not including the insurmountable amount of credit card debt many face.
This past administration has attempted to put the burden of higher education on the student. If a higher education is necessary for success in this country, then why is it so inaccessible? Unfortunately, college has become a mechanism for debt instead of opportunity.
However, the youth voting bloc has the chance to leverage power after this election. Changing a broken education system must happen on the national, state and local levels and it is not going to come from one person. Our power comes from the mass mobilizations of people across the country who are excited about politics and the prospect of succeeding in this global society.
USSA is going to continue to keep people involved on the campus and local level about affordable and accessible education. Our partners in youth organizing will continue to educate and teach students.
Obama is now the president-elect, but the problems we face have yet to be solved. If our American Dream is about creating opportunities for people to live a better life where they can receive a good education, a quality job and affordable health care, then now is the time to change. Change has come to America because of the millennial generation, and we are ready to fight for what we need to pursue a more perfect union.
Carmen Berkley is the president of the United States Student Association. Gregory Cendana is the vice president of the USSA and a graduate of UCLA. Bill Shiebler is the national field director of the USSA. For more information on USSA, visit www.usstudents.org.
Follow the Daily Bruin on twitter for breaking news alerts.