Visualize Good

Visualizing Backyard Democracy

August 3, 2018 | by Jonny Goldstein

The country is politically energized in these months leading up to Autumn election season. Even local races that normally fly under the radar are getting a lot of attention. My neighborhood (Western Queens) is particularly active—we recently elected Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic primary, and we have a number of first time female candidates throwing their hats into the ring. I was happy to support the candidacy of Catalina Cruz with visual listening at an event she held in the backyard of the Elmhurst Memorial Hall with dozens of neighbors who reflected the immigrant diversity of our little piece of NYC—Burmese, Colombian, Chinese, old, young, we came out to support a former Dreamer who earned her citizenship and practiced public interest law to make a better New York. Politics is the interface between the community and the government, and I’m happy to be able to support people I think will be effective advocates, like Catalina Cruz.