Hillary and Chelsea’s Mother’s Day Rally

So, yes, it was ‘throwing my money away’ as one of my friends said. But I took my mom, my daughter and myself to the Sheraton fundraiser yesterday in the city to see Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton together. I told my daughter that Hillary will not win the nomination, but my daughter said we should support her for trying. That’s the whole reason I’m in love with what Hillary was brave enough to do. She is one of the people who lets my daughter grow up in a world where it’s okay for women to try, and fail, on a grand national scale. That people will still look up to you, thank you, value you, and support you.

We learned another unexpected lesson. My immigrant mother, who is 68, lived in Korea until she moved to Canada at 23 for an arranged marriage to a perfect stranger. Politics and activism is not something she grew up with, especially having lived with Japanese occupation. While slightly intrigued with going to the rally — it seemed only to the extent you’re excited when you see a Law & Order TV star on the New York street. It’s not that special, but adds a unique kind of texture to your day.

At this rally, though, mild curiosity gave way to a unique understanding of the power of American politics. There was an “Ask Hillary” Q&A bowl left out just before the entrance. I asked my daughter what she would like to ask, and she filled out a card that said, “Hannah Hildebolt, Age 9. If you were elected president, what would be the first thing you would change?”

It was a good question…”first” was important, “change” was important, and of course, “if” was the most important. I hoped Hannah felt empowered by the simple act of asking a question as well, since that was most likely as far as it would get.

The Q&A came at the end. Chelsea pulled questions out of the bowl, and the first question was about adoption. But on the second question, Chelsea reached in to the bowl, grabbed a card and read, “This one is from Hannah, age 9….” As the crowd “aww”ed when the age was read, Hannah and my mom went into mild shock. For the next few moments, three generations of women were an intimate part of a US presidential race. A candidate listened to us, and responded to us. To us! To a nine year old! To a 68 year old immigrant who is losing her English because she is watching too much Korean television on cable! It was a microcosm of why our system works, as three generations thirty years apart were swept up into politics, presidents and pride in an instant. All the other citizens around us patted Hannah on the back and congratulated her. It was a powerful experience, partially preserved as a user-gen moment.

Go Hillary. But more importantly, go U.S.