T/E学区董事会华裔候选人Deana Wang专访:希望我能鼓励华人参政

关于种族、宗教及个人身份的破坏性叙事现如今常常成为焦点。在这样的情况下,地方选举为Deana Wang这样的勇敢的公民提供了机会,让他们在美国的民主投票竞选活动中扮演他们应当扮演的角色。

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随着11月2日选举日的临近,许多地方都在为本地和区域选举新州长、州代表、城镇官员和学区董事会成员做准备。在全国各地,地方选举已经变成了愈发激烈的政治战场,推动着国家和社区层面的议程。在这个超两极分化的时代,地方选举已经成为一个高风险的引爆点,折射出更宽泛的争议性话题。

As election day approaches on November 2nd, many localities are preparing for local and regional races to vote in new governors, state representatives, township officials, and school board members. Across the country, local elections have turned into contentious political battlegrounds to advance the agendas of national leadership as much as those of community members. In an era of hyper polarization, local elections have become high stakes flashpoints that reflect broader controversies.

在费城西北部切斯特郡(Chester County)的Tredyffrin/Easttown (T/E)学区,一些社区成员正走出他们的舒适区,进入当地政界。其中包括第一次参加政治竞选的Deana Wang王峰,她正在竞选校董事会成员。

In the Tredyffrin/Easttown (T/E) School District, just Northwest of Philadelphia in Chester County, some community members are stepping out of their comfort zones to enter local politics. This includes Deana Wang, a first-time political candidate who is running for school board.

Deana Wang是来自中国的第一代移民,于青年时期移居美国。2009年,她和丈夫Eric以及两个孩子Aaron和Shania在该地区最好的学区之一的T/E学区定居下来。作为一名长期服务于社区事务的成员,王女士决定将她对社区的奉献转为参加当地学校董事会选举。

Deana Wang is a first-generation immigrant from China who moved to the United States in young adulthood. She settled in the T/E School district in 2009 with her husband Eric and two children, Aaron and Shania, to benefit from one of the best school districts in the region. As a long-time and engaged member of the community, Wang decided to transform her dedication to service into running in the local school board election.

在5月18日举行的初选中,以共和党候选人身份参选的王女士在第2区(Region 2)以87%的得票率击败了候选人Robert Singh,获得了压倒性的胜利。由于T/E学区允许跨党派投票,她在民主党的选票上也赢得了21%的选票。现在,她正在争取选票,以获得第二区在董事会中的唯一席位。

During the May 18 Primary Election, Wang, who is running as a GOP candidate, won the Republican vote in a landslide in Region 2 with an 87% vote over candidate Robert Singh. She was also on the Democratic ballot as T/E allows for cross-party filing. On the Democratic ballot, Wang won 21% of the Democratic vote. Now she is on the ballot for the single Region 2 seat for the Board of Education.

正如许多第一代移民,王女士渴望实现“美国梦”,并在很早以前就决定参与社区活动,探索可以服务社区与提升领导能力的机会。二十年前,当王女士还在读研究生的时候,她便已经作为学生领袖为亚裔社区服务。最近,她在当地的一所中文学校担任家长委员会主席,同时也是T/E学区华裔家长协会的联合创始人。作为一个常常出席教育委员会会议以及自家孩子学校活动的家长,王女士知道自己可以接受挑战,在社区中发挥更大的作用,成为一个既可以代表亚裔美国居民又可以代表T/E学区居民的领袖角色。“这就是美国梦的美丽之处:接受教育与努力工作。所以我想把这样的价值带给整个T/E社区,让整个社区都能受到它的影响。”王女士对社区服务的贡献在某种程度上是受到了她的儿子Aaron的启发;Aaron现在正在以西点军校学院的身份服务于国家。“这或许是流淌在我们血液里的理想,去成为社区服务者。”王女士说道。

Like many first-generation immigrants, Wang aspired to the “American dream” and long ago decided to engage in her community and explore service and leadership opportunities. Wang has experience serving the Asian and Asian American communities in the US going back 20 years to her graduate school days as a student leader. More recently, she held roles as the Parent Teacher Organization Chair at a local Chinese school and co-founder of the Chinese American Parent Association at T/E School District. As a regular attendee at school board meetings and her children’s school events, Wang knew she could take on the challenge of having a bigger role in the community, and a role that would represent both Asian American residents and T/E residents as a whole. “That is what is beautiful about the American Dream: to be educated and to work hard. So I wanted to bring that value and provide that influence to the entire T/E community.” Her dedication to service is partly inspired by her son, Aaron, who is currently serving our nation as a West Point University cadet. “This is probably running in our veins to be community servers,” Wang says.

虽然王女士是登记在册的共和党候选人,但她并不认为教育是具有政治性质的。作为一个23岁便来到美国读研究生的移民,王女士没有“强烈的政治立场”,因为她毕业后就来美留学,在国内没有参与政治的机会。来到美国之后,王女士意识到治理与管理需要团队的努力与合作,尤其是在涉及儿童教育的时候。

Although a registered Republican candidate, Wang doesn’t see education as political. As an immigrant who moved to the US at 23 for grad school, Wang does not have “strong political sides to take on” as she came from China, where there were no opportunities to engage in politics at all. Coming to the United States, Wang realized governing was something that was a team effort, especially when it comes to children’s education.

那些在美国政治战场上长大的人,已经看到教育和地方事务被提升到新的分裂战线。最近,在当地教育中最突出的问题之一就是关于学校是否应该教授“批判种族理论”(CRT)。关于这个问题的讨论,一个根本分歧是批判种族理论到底是什么?学校是否真的在教授它?

Those who were raised in the political battlegrounds of the United States have seen education and local matters elevated to new fronts of division. One of the most prominent issues in local education lately has been the discourse over whether Critical Race Theory (CRT) should be taught in schools. One fundamental disagreement over the issue is what exactly CRT is and whether it is truly being taught in schools.

批判种族理论是由德里克•贝尔(Derrick Bell)和理查德•德尔加多(Richard Delgado)等法律学者在20世纪70年代创立的一种学术理论,它把种族视为一种社会结构,种族压迫障碍导致了各种各样的公平障碍。与大多数民主党领导人和选民不同的是,右翼官员和个人认为批判种族理论背后有险恶的动机,并声称它已不恰当地从学术界渗透到小学课堂。这个问题已经在全国各地的地方和州一级浮出水面。在我们地区,它已经导致了激烈的辩论,包括在离T/E学区不远的凤凰城(Phoenixville)等城镇的董事会上,引发了激烈的争吵。

An academic theory founded in the 1970s by legal scholars such as Derrick Bell and Richard Delgado, CRT analyzed race as a social construct, and that racially oppressive barriers have led to various obstacles to equity. While in contrast to most Democratic leaders and voters, right-leaning officials and individuals ascribe sinister motives behind CRT and allege that CRT has inappropriately expanded beyond academic circles into grade school curriculums. The issue has surfaced in local and state levels across the country. In our region, it has led to acrimonious debate, including screaming matches at board meetings in towns like Phoenixville, not far from T/E.

在宾州,批判种族理论不在公立学校的课程范围内,但个别地区可将有关主题作为课程的一部分。虽然T/E学区还没有在学校实施批判种族理论的教学,但他们有一个名为“太平洋教育集团”(Pacific Education Group)的第三方供应商,为教职工提供多元化、公平和包容(DEI)课程。为了最终将研讨会扩展到学生,该学区于2018年聘用了DEI项目,其目标是“与教育组织建立持续的伙伴关系,改变信仰和行为,这样所有种族的人都能达到他们最高水平成就,过着他们最有自主权和最有力量的生活”(tesd.net)。这个项目受到最多的诟病是,它的教学内容很模糊,让家长们好奇到底教授了什么。以及关于DEI项目的各个方面是否是基于批判种族理论的疑问。

In Pennsylvania, CRT as originally defined is not included in the public school curriculum. Individual districts can implement aspects or related topics as part of curriculum development. While the T/E district has not implemented CRT into its schools, they do have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program taught to teachers and staff through a third-party vendor called Pacific Education Group. With the plan to eventually extend the workshops to students, the DEI program was hired in 2018 by the district with the goal to “engage in sustained partnerships with educational organizations to transform beliefs, behaviors, and results so people of all races can achieve at their highest levels and live their most empowered and powerful lives” (tesd.net). The common complaint with the program is that the teachings of it are vague in description, leaving parents to wonder what is going on behind school walls. And there are questions as to whether aspects of DEI training are grounded in CRT.

在宾夕法尼亚州,《阳光法案》(Sunshine Act)规定,任何公共机构,包括学校董事会,都必须举行公开会议,做到信息透明并与社区共享。并且,“公众有权利出席机构的所有会议,并见证机构的审议、政策制定和决策”。根据学区的规定,家长可以直接与学生的老师或校长联系了解课程。然而,当包括Deana Wang在内的T/E学区公众询问DEI项目内容时,学校董事会通过电子邮件告知这些信息无法分享,因为他们已经与太平洋教育集团签署了保密协议。由于学校向教师或学生讲授的内容缺乏透明度,居民缴纳的税款是如何使用的也不清晰,使得T/E学区的家长们感到愤怒,纷纷询问这一项目的教学框架。

In Pennsylvania, the Sunshine Act states that any public agency, including school boards, must have public meetings where information is transparent and shared with the communities, and it is to be the “right of the public to be present at all meetings of agencies and to witness the deliberation, policy formulation and decision making of agencies” (Pennsylvania Sunshine Act). According to the district, parents can find out about the curriculum by contacting the students’ teacher or school principal directly. However, when the public of the T/E district, including Deana Wang, inquired about what was taught in the DEI program, Wang said the school board conveyed to her via email that they could not share the information since they had signed a nondisclosure agreement with Pacific Education Group. Angered by perceived lack of transparency over what was being taught to teachers and/or students in schools and how residents’ tax dollars are spent, parents of the T/E district are left inquiring about the pedagogical framework of this program.

此类缺乏透明性的情况是让王女士决定参选校董事会的最重要的原因之一。作为一个在教育方面十分优秀的学区,王女士及其他家长开始认为这种沉默是不可接受的,尤其是在现在这样前所未有的时期——人们需要面对全球大流行、政治话语纷争,并且对线上与混合型教学也不熟悉。校区和家庭之间沟通的缺乏表现在各方各面,其中之一就是财政不透明。在过去的17年里,T/E学区财产税不断增加,但该学区对额外资金的去向却没有给出任何解释。

This lack of transparency is a leading factor that led Wang to enter the election for school board. With T/E as a top district in education, Wang and other parents saw the silence as unacceptable, especially during the tumultuous climate of a global pandemic, fractious political discourse, and the unfamiliarity of virtual and hybrid learning. The lack of communication between the school district and families manifested in many ways, one in the form of fiscal opaqueness. For the past 17 years, the T/E school district has seen rising property taxes, with no explanation on where the additional funds have gone.

2019年,T/E学区因为特殊教育的发票中出现了120万美元的会计错误而被调查。尽管预算中出现了百万美金的差异,并在多个教育委员会会议中被提及,但该学区的家长没有得到任何解释。他们不知道这笔钱去了哪儿,也不知道这个错误对下一学年的预算会有什么样的影响。诸如此类的严重的沟通失误或沟通不足使王女士在竞选运动中承诺“在运作中保持透明且对[T/E学区]居民负责”。

In 2019, the T/E School District was investigated for an accounting error of $1.2 million from Special Education invoices. Despite the million-dollar difference in budget, which was brought to attention in multiple school board meetings, parents of the district received no explanation as to where the money went and how the error would impact the budget for the upcoming school year. Serious miscommunications such as these inspired Wang’s promise to be “transparent in operation and accountable to [T/E] residents” in her election campaign.

位于费城郊区的T/E学区拥有非常多元化的学生群体。其中,亚裔学生的比例为23.3%,几乎占T/E学区学生总数的四分之一。Deana Wang觉得她有责任也有机会为这些学生和他们家庭在公民参与意识方面做一个榜样。第一代亚裔移民很少参与政治职位的竞选,而这样做对于T/E学区这样的社区来说有积极作用。如果当选,王女士希望通过教育将更多被亚裔家庭重视的方面引入到社区之中,例如,将教育放在首位、成为社区活动的积极参与者。“众所周知,为了孩子们的未来,亚洲人十分重视教育。”她的参选也有望激励更多亚裔美国家庭参与到学校及社区的活动当中。

Located on the outskirts of Philadelphia, the T/E district has a very diverse student population. At 23.3%, almost a quarter of the student population of the T/E school district is of Asian descent.  Deana Wang feels that she has a responsibility and an opportunity to be a role model for civic engagement to these students and their families. First generation immigrants of Asian descent rarely run for political office, and doing so can be a positive change for communities like T/E. If elected, Wang wants to introduce more aspects that Asian families value into the community through education, such as putting education first and becoming active engagers in community happenings. “Asian people are known to cherish education for their children’s future.” Her election would also hopefully inspire more Asian American families to involve themselves in school and community events.

当然,王女士也希望不论种族背景去代表整个社区。作为一个致力于服务社区的成员,她有这样一句竞选格言:“更团结的社区[意味着]我们可以为世界培养出更优秀的孩子。”如果T/E学区无法包容各种背景的家庭,那么它最终也不可能蓬勃发展。

Of course, Wang also aims to represent the community as a whole regardless of ethnic background. As an involved community member who is dedicated to service, she tries to lead by her campaign motto: “The better unified the community can be [means] greater children we can raise for the world.” At the end of the day, the T/E district cannot thrive if it does not include families of all backgrounds in their process.

随着人们不受约束地分享各自的意见以获取自己想要的东西,地方政治的背景已经变得残酷。在费城,犹太移民Diana Leygerman收到了大量反犹太的评论,甚至看到了一个反对她竞选校董事会的仇恨网站。那些反对她竞选的人将他们对她的政治观点的厌恶与她的身份和宗教信仰联系到一起,这对参与地方竞选的移民造成了许多伤害。

The backdrop of local politics has become ruthless, with individuals sharing their uncensored opinions to get what they want. In Philadelphia, Jewish immigrant Diana Leygerman received a plethora of anti-semetic comments and even saw a hate website against her campaign for local school board. Those who opposed her campaign were tying their dislike of her political opinions to her identity and religion, resulting in a hurtful narrative for immigrants running for local offices.

伤害性叙述与刻板印象在政治领域中不断升级,亚裔移民社区也是其受害者。王女士强调,她希望亚裔社区明白,如果他们希望改变这种刻板印象,那就应该考虑如何踏出自己的舒适圈,公开发表言论,提供真实的、能与主流印象对抗的形象,为所有孩子创造一个更受欢迎的社区。“如果社会无法看到我们真实的一面,那么我们的孩子将会成为被误判的对象。”王女士鼓励亚裔美国父母们一步步从出席更多校董事会会议做起,走出家门、离开避风港去公开发表自己的意见,并且为了孩子们在当地的学校做志愿者。

Asian immigrant communities are no exception to the hurtful narratives and stereotypes that continue to escalate in politics. Wang emphasizes her desire for the Asian community to understand that if they wish to change that stereotype, they should consider stepping out of their comfort zones to speak publicly in order to provide an authentic counter-narrative and create a more welcoming community for all children. “If society does not see us as our true character, then our children will be the ones who will be misjudged.” Wang encourages Asian American parents to take small steps by participating more in local school board meetings, leaving the comfort zones of their homes to voice their opinions publicly, and volunteering in their local schools.

至于今年地方选举的结果,美国人只能希望在11月2日这一天,他们的声音能被听到。关于种族、宗教及个人身份的破坏性叙事现如今常常成为焦点。在这样的情况下,地方选举为Deana Wang这样的勇敢的公民提供了机会,让他们在美国的民主投票竞选活动中扮演他们应当扮演的角色。您可以在 www.votedeana.com 了解Deana Wang和她的竞选运动的更多信息

As for the outcome of local elections this year, Americans can only hope their voices are heard on November 2nd. With destructive narratives centering on race, religion, and personal identity often taking center stage, local elections provide an opportunity for courageous citizens, like Deana Wang, to assume their role in America’s democratic voting process. You can learn more about Deana Wang and her campaign at www.votedeana.com.

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