The Daily Tar Heel
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The Daily Tar Heel

O n Nov. 4, 2014, I hope North Carolinians go to the polls and vote for Kay Hagan. But not because I’m excited about her and her policy.

Hagan epitomizes the North Carolina Democratic Party’s hesitancy to take big, bold steps toward justice for all North Carolinians. Until they take these steps, Democrats are unlikely to receive support from progressive youth. It’s time for the state’s Democratic Party to stop being so meek.

As a liberal woman, I should be the first in line to intern for Kay Hagan, going door to door, registering voters and making calls on her behalf. I might be entering data late at night and perusing polls. But I can’t muster that kind of enthusiasm for Hagan.

Hagan’s record on immigration reform makes it difficult to endorse her as a candidate who fights for all North Carolinian women. Undocumented women face a very specific set of challenges because of their gender, race and immigration status.

They’re more likely to be trapped in situations of domestic abuse and less likely to seek help, medical or otherwise, according to an American Journal of Community Psychology study. This reluctance to seek help comes, in part, from fear of deportation.

According to the study, women are reluctant to seek help if they are not familiar with social services or the criminal justice system in the U.S. Many shelters for survivors of domestic violence do not offer services in languages other than English.

This doesn’t even begin to cover the sexual harassment in workplaces or racial profiling by police that undocumented women experience.

Hagan was one of only five Democrats who voted “nay” on the DREAM Act, which would extend citizenship to undocumented immigrants on the path to promising careers. Many young, undocumented North Carolinians want to attend our public universities and offer their talents to the state. Making education inaccessible is short-sighted.

Immigrants form nearly 10 percent of the state’s workforce, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 report. These are not minor numbers or populations. They are a part of this state and deserve to be treated as such.

I understand that election in this state requires that one be somewhat moderate, but if Hagan wants to appeal to North Carolina’s young people, she should recognize that immigrants are the future of our state.

After all, some of the most talented, brave and creative activists in the state are working around immigration reform. Her campaign needs their passion.

If Hagan and the rest of the N.C. Democratic Party want to be successful, they shouldn’t ignore the struggles of immigrant communities. I want to support candidates who are more than just the lesser of two evils. I know that we can do better.

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