When Culture and Politics Collide

As I have learned, there is usually some political component to almost every aspect of life, even though it may not always be evident at first. For instance, culture is affected by politics, and vice versa, in many different ways. Whether it be language, race, ethnicity, location, or something other, they all have political implications when you conduct a more in depth examination of them. It is pretty common knowledge that there are some races and other categories of people that tend to live under less fortunate circumstances than others, and therefore suffer in a lot of ways with one of the main ones being in the political sphere. Specifically, there are certain groups that are more disadvantaged when it comes to voting, having a say, and being considered when it comes to important decisions.

An issue of this nature that comes to mind is Native Americans and the voting obstacles that they face. In Arizona for example, the current law requires voters to provide proof of residence when registering to vote. However, much of the Indigenous population reside on reservations, and thus they typically do not have a traditional address that they can use when they try to register to vote or receive mail-in ballots. This makes it quite difficult for many Native Americans in Arizona to register to vote but not impossible, and there is a large group of people that are committed to helping these communities overcome the obstacles they face. The real reason behind the address rule, but when it affects such a large portion of a state’s population, something should be done about it.

Website Link:

https://www.statepress.com/article/2024/10/indigenous-native-voters

YouTube Video: