Invest in Young Voters: Victor Shi
January 19th, 2023
“Embrace the civics lifestyle.”
Victor Shi is a Gen Z activist, host of On the Move, co-host of iGen Politics, a junior at UCLA, and Strategy Director of Voters of Tomorrow. He was elected as the youngest delegate for Joe Biden in 2020 and previously interned at the White House and DNC. We discuss the power of the youth vote to determine elections and which issues motivate Gen Zers to go to the polls.
Against the backdrop of voter suppression, especially in states like Texas, young voters struggle to understand that their voices really do matter. We need people to be engaged in keeping this democracy running. Because Gen Zers and Millennials are going to outnumber any other generation of Americans starting in 2024, it’s crucial to meet young people where they are. That includes text banking, social media, phone banking, and relational organizing. Voter registration drives should start in all high schools and early, in person voting should be widely encouraged. Sustaining change also comes through electing more young people to office.
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Credits:
Host: Mila Atmos
Guest: Victor Shi
Executive Producer: Mila Atmos
Producers: Zack Travis and Sara Burningham
-
Victor Shi Transcript
Mila Atmos: [00:00:00] Hi there. Before we start the show, I'm so thrilled to share that Future Hindsight took home the silver in this year's Signal Awards. We feel super honored to have our work recognized in this way and to be in the winner's circle among an amazing roster of fantastic shows. Thank you to all of you who voted for us. We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you!
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Mila Atmos: [00:00:44] Welcome to Future Hindsight, a podcast that takes big ideas about civic life and democracy and turns them into action items for you and me. I'm Mila Atmos. A lot of people were eating their hats after November's midterms. A lot of pollsters, a lot of Republican talking heads and a lot of folks who doubted whether the youth vote would make a difference this time. And oh, boy, it did. So is this a permanent shift we're seeing in youth turnout and organizing? Or a flash in the pan? To figure that out, we caught up with Victor Shi. He's a junior at UCLA, a Gen-Z activist, host of On the Move, Co-host of iGen Politics, and Strategy Director of Voters of Tomorrow. He was elected as the youngest delegate for Joe Biden in 2020 and previously interned at the White House and DNC. Basically, he's a very busy Gen-Zer who we interviewed from a pretty loud hotel room in Washington, D.C. back in December. Victor, welcome to Future Hindsight. Thank you so much for joining us.
Victor Shi: [00:01:56] It's great to be here. Thanks so much for having me.
Mila Atmos: [00:01:59] So we spoke with Gen Z for change organizers Aidan Kohn- Murphy and Jack Petocz last year. And so much of what we talked about there was how young people are ready and willing to get involved with politics and for their voices to be heard. But politicians and the old guard in party politics aren't necessarily engaging with them, not meeting them where they are. But here you are. You've interned at the White House. You are the youngest ever delegate for Biden. How did that come about?
Victor Shi: [00:02:29] Yeah, well, so the delegate process is something that I think is often very esoteric and confusing for a lot of people. Essentially, delegates represent the candidate and then they help the candidate become the eventual nominee. So back in 2020, I decided to run to become a Biden delegate. And so basically that was back in Illinois. And I put my name in kind of the hat and there was a primary process. And then in June, it was the nomination process for the president. And so basically the delegates convened virtually and helped elect President Biden. But I think at the end of the day, so much of kind of what I've been trying to do and what a lot of other organizers that Voters of Tomorrow and other organizations have been trying to do is just trying, like you said, to meet young voters where they are. And I think we've often been overlooked. We've often been ignored as just young people in politics. I think that's a common feeling. But, you know, going back to what you kind of frame the question as, I think Democrats have had a history of, I think a lack of engagement for young people. But starting I think this year, we've started to see that change a lot. We've seen President Biden and Democrats, I think, really start to engage young voters, start to engage influencers, activists, really kind of hone in a lot of these young people who have a platform and who can be that kind of person, who can relay the conversation and amplify whatever successes Democrats and President Biden are doing. I think that's powerful. And I think a strategy that's new and I think it's working right.
Mila Atmos: [00:03:49] Well, it's almost as though you've met the politicians where they are, right? Like gone inside, if you will. How do you think about those different shoes you fill, youth activist versus establishment party operative?
Victor Shi: [00:04:02] Yeah. So I think you have to do both because on one hand, you know, we're in this system. And while I wish that young people can have all they want, we have to work within the system that we're having. And so that means engaging with elected officials; so senators, representatives of administration, and giving them the tools that they need to, one, understand the youth vote and then also help them kind of implement change. And I think that's one of the things that especially with this new Congress I'm looking forward to, because we're going to have the first Gen-Zer member of Congress, Maxwell Frost. And so I think at the end of the day, it's all about engaging the different constituency groups. You first have people on the ground who will be kind of the mobilization efforts and the grassroots people who will kind of make change happen on the ground level. And then I think you also have kind of more systemic
change that we've, myself have tried to really kind of push through and meet them where they are, too. So I think it's two levels. And it's interesting because, you know, you have to know your audience and it can sometimes be a little bit daunting to go into an elected officials office and demand change. But I think it's those two different elements that really kind of make a lasting difference.
Mila Atmos: [00:05:05] Right. Well, so help us understand the youth vote. Were you at all surprised by the midterm results and the turnout from young voters?
Victor Shi: [00:05:13] So I personally wasn't surprised. And right before the election, I was beating the drum about why this election would be different compared to previous elections. So we started to see the young voter turnout increase starting in 2018. And that was the first time that I think for this generation that saw President Trump and his administration basically denigrate so many rules and traditions. We wanted to see a sense of normalcy. And so I think that's why you saw a lot of young people starting to turn out in 2018. That's what helped usher in this blue wave during the Trump administration. Then in 2020, you saw that youth voter turnout be sustained. That helped elect President Joe Biden, as well as Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Warnock down in Georgia in the 2021 election. And then this election cycle. I think the, all signs point to that. It would be just as high of a turnout because, one, you had the fall of Roe, which I think was monumental for a lot of young people. And you had this Republican Party, I think, that really set up the difference between what Democrats stood for and Republicans stood for. And so the choice for young voters was clear. And so that's why I think you saw a lot of young voters turn out in high numbers and not only turn in high numbers, but I think overwhelmingly vote for Democrats, especially in those key battleground states like Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada. And so I think all in all, I wasn't surprised, but a lot of the pundits and pollsters, I think, before the election counted us out. And I think that was perhaps a little bit irresponsible and behalf of the media's part.
Mila Atmos: [00:06:33] Right. Well, so given that youth voter turnout has been increasing since the 2018 election, what was your focus or your goal at Voters of Tomorrow in this last cycle in 2022?
Victor Shi: [00:06:45] So it was twofold. So first, there was a what we call the mobilization component. So that's really the grassroots effort. So things like phone banking, text banking. We engaged in more than, I think, 7 million texts and phone bank contacts throughout this election cycle. So meeting young people where they are and finding a way to reach them and just remind them of the importance of voting and also nudging them in that direction by providing them resources, helping them make a plan to vote. That's kind of the organizing efforts that voters of tomorrow engage in. There's also the social media aspect of it and working with partners. So going to social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram and engaging young people on those platforms. Because when we think of, I think, meeting young people where they are, it's not the traditional model anymore where you can go to coffee shops or churches. Or, you know, in-person settings. Right now, young people are digitally connected. We're the most digitally connected generation in America. More than 99% of us have at least one social media platform. And so that's the way that you're able to, I think, bring more Gen-Zers into the table. And so that was another critical aspect of us making sure that we provide resources on Instagram and Twitter and other platforms so that young people will see it.
Mila Atmos: [00:07:53] Mm hmm. Well, you talked about text banking just now. It's important to remember the different ways younger voters engage with politics, texting instead of meeting people at dinner counters. But but tell me about how you measure the efficacy of text banking.
Victor Shi: [00:08:11] Yeah. So there's been interesting research about text banking because in terms of kind of mobilization efforts, text banking is the easiest, but it's also the thing where you need a response. And so the only metric that we can have is the number of responses that we get. And I don't have the numbers off the top of my head, but we have some good responses. So we made 7 million contacts and I think about 20 to 25% of those responded to us. And so we help them make a plan to vote. But every text that you send matters because that's another person that you're attempting to reach. So those are people kind of in your universe of voters. And then you try to bring in more people in that universe of voters to ultimately expand it. And so I think the only metric that we have for texting is just the number of responses we get. And I think it's higher for younger people, especially because we are on our phones. Yes. I think on the other hand, we are a generation that might not respond to strangers, but I think it's more receptive among young people to receive a text and then also respond to a text. And
part of the reason for that, especially Voters of Tomorrow, is because we emphasized that we were their age. So it's a peer-to-peer text, and I think it's a lot easier for young people to, one, relate to that person on the other end. And then because of that, I think respond. And so it's one of those efforts that you need to do a lot of it in order to see, I think, the results. And that's something that we did a lot of. And ultimately the metrics kind of show that young people, I think, were a little bit more receptive to it than older generations.
Mila Atmos: [00:09:25] Mm hmm. So what are the most successful races for Gen-Z this year or the ones where Gen-Z's effect was most felt?
Victor Shi: [00:09:33] Yeah. So I would say the key battleground states and I and I was following the data pretty closely on Election Day, before Election Day. I would say there are a few states. So first is Michigan. And Michigan to me represented one of those states that encapsulated everything that Gen-Z cared about. It was a state that had abortion on the ballot. So if voters voted for the abortion measure, that would basically enshrine abortion into the state constitution. And because of that, you saw tons of young people show up to vote compared to 2018. One of my friends at University of Michigan sent me some videos that I posted on Twitter and she had to wait for 4 hours. I think the last person to vote ended up waiting until around 2 a.m. to vote. So these young people showed up in line, which is, I think, another sad reality of of democracy. But they showed up in line and they waited in line and they made their voices heard. So Michigan was one of those states we saw huge voter turnout. Also, Pennsylvania, that was a state that you saw a lot of people, especially young people, turn out to vote overwhelmingly for John Fetterman. And I think part of the reason is because John Fetterman, I think, represented this authentic person. And I think for Gen-Zers it's that authenticity, as well as this indication that he's very committed to his values and has good policy, is why that drove young voters there. Also in Arizona and Nevada and Georgia. So so those are, I think, the five states that I saw high voter turnout. And then I think lastly, Wisconsin was also one of those states where young voters really made a key difference. And you can see that because of those states. That's what helped, I think, prevent this red wave from occurring and helped also expand the Senate.
Mila Atmos: [00:11:03] I have a question about Georgia. How did you approach getting young people to vote a second time?
Victor Shi: [00:11:09] So this election cycle was unique because unlike 2021, there were only four weeks for Georgians to vote. And it was also particularly challenging because for a lot of young people, this happened to coincide with final exams too. So you had final exams happening as well as this runoff election. And so part of the strategy that we really pushed is, you know early voting started about a week before Election Day. And so we wanted to make sure that young people voted early in person. And so that was, I think, one of the messaging frameworks just to really get young people to get out there in person and vote. Even though Georgia tried suppressing the vote, we wanted them to go out there in person to vote. The other one was providing access to the ballot box. And so Voters of Tomorrow, one of the things that we did a couple of days before the election was we announced a partnership with Plus One Vote and we would basically fund Uber rides to and from the polls for young people. So any young person who wants to go to the polls, they would have to just kind of submit a code into Uber and they would get a free ride to and from the polls, from their college. And so that was all about providing young people with access to the ballot box on Election Day, because we know, one, Georgia happens to be a state where a lot of college campuses have no voting center. And so that's one a difficulty for young voters. Vote by mail has had some problems in Georgia. And so in-person voting, we were really banking on that. And so we wanted a lot of young people to go out there, vote early in person. And then also on Election Day, we wanted to provide as many ways for young voters to go out there in the easiest way possible. Because we know how challenging it is for young voters to make their voice heard. It's a lot of time. It's a lot of effort to kind of go out there, especially when you don't have a voting center on campus.
Mila Atmos: [00:12:40] Right. Right. It's incredibly time consuming, especially in Georgia, where they make it really hard. I have a question about Texas, because in 2018, youth voter turnout increased by a lot, but that wasn't the case this year. And so what are your thoughts at Voters of Tomorrow about tackling Texas in the next cycle?
Victor Shi: [00:12:58] Yeah, So Texas is a really, really unique state. And you mentioned you had some people from Gen-Z for cChange and there's really no one better to talk about this than Olivia Juliana, who is just an amazing youth activist and from Texas. And I would say Texas to me represents kind of the ground zero where voter suppression happened. You saw a lot of colleges this time around take away
voting centers, for example, Texas A&M University. That was one college that took away a voting center weeks before the election. And so Voters of Tomorrow went down there. We made sure that we could provide bus services for young people to and from the polls. But even then, you have this normalization of, I think, of voter suppression in Texas and in those states. I think it's where young people kind of see this reality where you're trying to suppress the vote. So does our vote really matter? And so I think that's going to be the challenge going forward, is how do we tell young people against the backdrop of voter suppression that their votes really do matter and how do we provide those resources and opportunities? You know, if state legislatures won't expand the voting right, then I think our job to step in and really make it clear to young voters in Texas that their vote matters and that to help them provide those resources and get them registered to vote, get them signed up to vote before they turn 18. And then also, once they turn 18, to constantly remind them of ways that they can vote. And I think a constant process of engaging young voters in politics.
Mila Atmos: [00:14:14] Right. Right. Well, we got a lot of new information out of the midterms, and you've been mentioning some of them. And one of the key things, of course, is the inverse of some of what you are talking about in Texas, that deep organizing with young people and fighting voter suppression and gerrymanders on college campuses can have a profound impact. Are there any stories or examples from that kind of organizing that you want to share right now?
Victor Shi: [00:14:39] Yeah, I mean, I would say just kind of top of mind, Georgia and that state really represented to me a state that defied political gravity and defied this really, I think, sustained effort from the Republican Party to suppress the vote. Right after Thanksgiving, on that Saturday after Thanksgiving, Republicans tried to keep voters home. And then thank goodness for people like Mark Elias and other democracy- led organizations that went into the courts and said, you cannot do this. And so all the courts rejected the Republican effort. And I was talking to some young activists down in Georgia and organizers on college campuses, and I think they really were able to mobilize young people, constantly, remind them go, go to dorm rooms, knock on doors, make sure that we get young voters engaged. I think that was a state that saw a lot of just kind of since 2018, before 2018, a lot of organizers and activists like Stacey Abrams and other great groups down there just constantly doing the work. And it takes a long time. But I think we're starting to see the results of it now.
Mila Atmos: [00:15:36] Yeah, definitely Georgia. Takes a long time, but like you said, you're seeing the results in Georgia.
We are going to take a quick break. And when we come back, Democrats benefited from the youth vote this past cycle, but it would be foolish to assume they've got younger voters in the bag for good. Victor, on what progressives need to do to turn new voters into habitual voters. And is there any hope for young Republicans? That's after this message.
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And now let's return to my conversation with Victor Shi.
So young people skew progressive. Massively. The Republican Party, I think, might be coming slowly to the realization that the future looks dire if they can't appeal to young voters. Do you know any young Republicans? And if yes, what are they saying?
Victor Shi: [00:17:57] I do know a lot of young Republicans, and I think, like you said, yes, the majority of this generation does skew left, but there are a lot of young
Republicans out there, too. And while we may have our differences, I think there are many things that, for example, my friends who are Republican and I agree on, and that's: one, just the need for young people to be represented in government, because I think for any young person who's been in politics or who pays attention to politics, we realize that our voices are often forgotten and overlooked. And so we realize that I think the most important way to basically sustain change is to get young people elected in office and to have us represented on all levels of government, federal to state, to local. And the other thing is, I think just an improvement on some of the core issues. So no matter where the young person comes from or no matter what party they identify was, I think there are key issues that young people agree on on a fundamental basis, and those include things like mass shootings and the need for gun reform. We all have had to grow up in this era where we had to do lockdown drills. And so that's, I think, something that young people really pay attention to. And then also climate change. Climate change is one of those unifying issues that I think a lot of young people agree on. The urgency we feel every day, every year, and I think for a lot of young people, this is the planet that we're going to be living in and I think going to be really important for lawmakers to address that. But I think at the end of the day, there are, there are, I think, a lot of issues that young people tend to find common ground on. But I think the process might be different, but I think the outcome is eventually the same.
Mila Atmos: [00:19:18] That's very interesting. Well, because I feel like, you know, Republicans in this moment are sort of the anti-democracy party and the climate change denialist party. And so as a young person, as a young Republican, I wonder how they square that circle. Because if you're engaged as a young Republican, it's like, well, if you want to dismantle democracy, how does that work?
Victor Shi: [00:19:41] I mean, it's becoming increasingly harder for young people to support this Republican Party. And that's why I think in this last midterm election, you saw overwhelmingly in those states that did help elect Democrats, just huge numbers of people either not vote or just barely increased turnout from the Republican Party, whereas young Democrats soared in this election. And so I think that's part of the reason why you're seeing a lot of young people turn away from this Republican Party, because I think they realize at the end of the day, it's it's harder for them to support what Republicans are saying. I was talking with Michael Steele the other day, who used to lead the Republican Party, and we were talking about just what the Republican Party
used to stand for and what it now stands for. I guess what it doesn't stand for, because if you look at it across all levels in Congress, you have people who don't have any real policy proposals. They said they would go into office and address things like inflation. They still don't have a concrete inflation plan. So they tell voters something, but their actions prove otherwise. On bills like the Inflation Reduction Act, every single Republican voted against that. The majority of Republicans voted against just basic common sense gun reform. And so I think on all of these issues for young people, it's becoming harder for even young Republicans to support this party. So they either I think the majority of them are staying home or you're starting to see them change parties.
Mila Atmos: [00:20:55] Mm hmm. Well, also, so few young people fit into the classic two party mold. Actually, over 50% of them identify as Independents. You're clearly a Democrat. What does your party need to do to engage with those millions of independent young voters?
Victor Shi: [00:21:12] Yeah. So values are super important for young voters, and that's becoming, I think, the number one kind of way that young voters shape how they vote. It's not so much political ideology or political party or political labels. It's more what values do you stand for and how will you benefit my life? And so I think right now the Republican Party seems like there are engagement efforts for young people just aren't going to work. And so I think Democrats now have to take the ball into their hands. And I think that requires sustaining the investment for young voters. We've started to see that improve with this election cycle, but it can't stop here. Young voters, I think, are going to make up this huge voting bloc starting in 2024. Gen-Zers and millennials are going to outnumber any generation in America. And so for Democrats, it's going to mean keeping on the momentum of sustaining the investment among young people, starting in high schools, doing voter registration drives, contacting young voters, not just older voters, starting way before the election, not just weeks before the election. And so for me at least, I hope that they include young voters in their investment efforts. And then also from this administration, the president. I think now that young voters have shown up, we want to see how our vote will translate into tangible policy differences. So how will they include young voters at the table? And I think that's going to be a key question. I know there have been a lot of pushes among the young activist community to get the president to establish some sort of youth advisory council where young voters can have some sort of input in the administration's key policy decisions, because that, I
think, shows symbolically that young voters matters, but also has a real difference in terms of what this administration does. To serve the interest of young voters. I think that ultimately makes a big difference. So I just think at the end of the day, it really requires President Biden and Democrats to show young voters like you turned out to vote and now this is how we're going to make sure that your your voice is counted and then also why you should vote next time.
Mila Atmos: [00:22:55] Right. Yeah. Well, I think that's the next big challenge, right, to to turn these first time voters from the 2022 cycle into habitual voters. So one of the things, of course, is to get President Biden and Democrats to really listen to the voices of young people and include them in these conversations. But how do you think about that in general in turning young voters into habitual voters?
Victor Shi: [00:23:20] So one of the most important things for for turning anyone into actual voters is just to get them started early. So I think it has to start in high school. I think civics is a really important thing that we've started to see it die down in recent years. Civics is really important. Just getting young people to be aware of government, the processes of government, how government functions. That's, I think, really critical. Also, just institutionally, when we think about the systems that we set up in place in high school, I think voter registration should be something that should be in every high school. Young people should have the opportunity to register to vote. And then once they turn 18, just always reminding them that this is why your vote is so important. I think that's the way that you start getting young voters to kind of get into that habit of voting, because for a lot of young people, they might find voting, you know, scary. They might find this political process daunting. And I understand that. I think it's completely understandable. You have a system that, for the most part, really hasn't cared for us. And so I think the younger we can get people to, I think, start in that civics process, the better it will be for forming that lifelong habit of voting.
Mila Atmos: [00:24:21] Well, speaking of sustainability and lifelong habits, there is a lot of burnout in young people. Almost everyone I know who is a parent and I'm a parent myself or who works with young people says that folks are not okay. Is that something that you're seeing with your peers and how does your activism fit in with self care and communal care?
Victor Shi: [00:24:43] So there's a lot of stress and anxiety among this generation. And part of that, I think, is what makes this generation so unique is that we have so many things coming at us at the same time. So we have this political atmosphere that is becoming increasingly polarized, that is taking away rights like abortion rights. Just yesterday I was at the White House for the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified on the federal level interracial and same sex marriage. The impetus for that was the Supreme Court decision by the Court. And Justice Thomas in that decision said that we're not going to stop with abortion. They should consider, at least according to Thomas, same sex marriage. And so all of those things were on the chopping block, too. But you have this political atmosphere that I think is becoming really hard for young people to look at. And I think it's it's a lot, you know. Every single day is a news story. You have issues like climate change and nothing seems to be getting better. Gun violence is still a very immediate threat in schools and young people's lives. You have rocket high student loan debt and also college tuition. And so I think a lot of it is just things compounded in our lives and then also just trying to make a living in college with those high tuition costs. You also have young people working many jobs during school. I think right now there's a bigger emphasis on what is going to be your plan. I think a lot of people are expected to go to college, have a plan, know what they're going to do, and that's stressful, too. And so I think, yes, you're seeing a lot of young people really, I think, become stressed and overwhelmed in this space, which is I think when we talk about activism and organizing in this space, I think self care is really important. But also how we talk to young voters, you know, acknowledging that their lives are busy, providing them with different resources and different avenues to go out there and vote, but just really increasing that accessibility because voting is hard already. And so we should make it easier for young people to get out there and make their voices heard. So anything that can take the burden off their shoulders and then also just listening instead of telling people what to think, listening to their concerns, understanding what they have to say. And I think that's kind of the first step to really understanding young people and getting young people who are already so stressed to just speak to us.
Mila Atmos: [00:26:45] Yeah. So maybe I should have asked you this at the very beginning. It seems to me that you might be irretrievably hooked on politics and activism. Do you remember the inciting moment, the thing or event that spurred you to step up and get involved? Take us back.
Victor Shi: [00:27:02] Yeah. So it was in eighth grade and I was in my social studies class with my teacher. Her name is Miss Needleman. And basically it was during the Iowa caucus and I really, really wasn't interested in much before then, but it was during the Iowa caucus. And she explained the political spectrum and where Democrats fall, where Republicans fell, and what the differences between the two parties was. At the time it was Trump was the front runner and then Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side. I just remember kind of hearing her explain this and it was so interesting to me at the time, I don't even know why. It was just, I think, interesting to see these two candidates on these two very different ends of the political spectrum dueling it out and then also Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Or interesting figures. The first time that I ever saw a woman run for president. And so that was a really kind of profound moment. At the end of that conversation, she told young people that our voices matter, that we can make a difference and to basically urge us to get involved in politics. And so I internalized those words and then started to volunteer on a local congressional race and then become an intern for that congressman who currently is in DC. Brad Schneider. And so it was really that eighth grade classroom that helped shape my experience. And I will never forget just the fascination I had with politics when she explained it. And then ever since then, I've been and continue to be fascinated and interested in this kind of political space.
Mila Atmos: [00:28:18] Oh, that's so sweet. Huge, huge shout out to the teachers. And you never forget the teachers who set you on the path to life's adventures, right?
Victor Shi: [00:28:26] Absolutely.
Mila Atmos: [00:28:27] So good. So on the show, we love to take some time to celebrate and shout out the folks doing the work. Who are your heroes and who inspires you?
Victor Shi: [00:28:37] Wow, there are so many people. First, I had the privilege of joining Voters of Tomorrow in September of this year, and every single person on that team is so hardworking, so just tireless in their efforts to turn out young voters. Top of mind: Santiago Mayer, who leads the organization that wouldn't be possible without him. There are great people just up and down the organization that really make this happen on the ground, state and local chapters. They're really inspirational. And then just kind
of everyone out there who's doing their part. I think even this podcast where you're trying to elevate platforms, giving people a voice that really matters. And so I think there are so many people out there who provide me hope and I know who are doing really good work. And so that for me, at the end of the day is what keeps me going, knowing that I'm not alone in this fight, that there are so many other people who are speaking about the issues, giving other people a chance to speak and elevating these issues and informing the public about why this is so important.
Mila Atmos: [00:29:28] Yeah, well, I will say one of the things that I discovered in doing this podcast, which is now in its fifth year, is that there are so many people who are truly dedicated to making democracy work better in this country. And that is incredibly hopeful and heartening. And I just didn't know until I started, and I'm really happy always to share those stories. So I'm comparatively old. Everything is relative. But seriously, I think we share a lot of values and I certainly want to support and lift up youth movements because you all are the future. And also you're my kids, you know, I have an 18 year old and a 15 year old. So how do you think about inter-generational coalition building?
Victor Shi: [00:30:09] That's actually one of the things that I do on one of my podcasts called iGen Politics. And so it's me and Jill Wine-Banks, and we met when we were actually writing to become Biden delegates. I remember the first time I met her was at a convention room in Illinois, and it was all the Biden delegates. And I think I was the only person under the age of 65 in that room. So it was quite startling for me to see. And so I saw Jill Wine-Banks and we were like, "How is it possible that someone my age and someone her age can support President Biden?" Because at the time there weren't many young people who were supporting then candidate Biden. And so I think for us it was how do we build these intergenerational movements for young people who may be hesitant about voting for Joe Biden? How can we bridge that intergenerational divide? And I think the most important thing is for older generations to listen to younger generations to understand our concerns. I think at the end of the day, it's having those conversations, listen to young voters what our concerns are and understanding, you know, why we don't go out there and vote, helping guide young voters to the polls and to voting resources and organizations that can be involved in and emphasizing, I think, the importance of starting off on the local level, because I think there's a lot of talk about the national level and I think overwhelming sometimes and that what happens on the
federal level, what happens here in D.C. just is not representative of what happens anywhere across the country. And so I think always emphasizing the need for local efforts. And then I think it becomes much easier for young people to imagine how they can tangibly make a difference. And so I think those are kind of the most important ways that younger people and older folks can work together and hopefully bridge that generational divide.
Mila Atmos: [00:31:37] Yeah, I think it's really it's a, it's a good point to get involved locally. My my son was volunteering for a DA race in 2021. So that's a local race in New York. And I thought that was incredibly informative. You know, he stood on the side of the street next to subway stations talking to potential voters. And I think that just taught him so much about both his power as a citizen, but also how to make contact with other people and how how to talk about voting and elections and all the things that were happening in New York at that time. So it's interesting what you're saying about building those bridges between generations, because I think often the old and the young are deliberately pitted against each other in a kind of divide and conquer move. Social Security versus student debt relief, that sort of thing. Where do you find the common ground to push back against that kind of deliberately divisive messaging?
Victor Shi: [00:32:35] Yeah, you're so right. I think a lot of the times older generations are pitted against younger generations, and I think it takes all of us to do our part to have those conversations. I think that's one of the most important ways for me is just making sure that older generations, when they talk to young people, they really come from a place of listening. When you see these kind of efforts to divide people, to stoke division and fear among people, for me, the most important thing is to always remember that there are more of us than there are of them. That if we have these conversations, we all do our part. That's what will help. And then also, when we talk about organizing, I think there was once a model where you just wanted to contact the most number of people, you wanted to call the most number of people, you want to text the most number of people. But now there's this intentional kind of aspect called relational organizing. And that's key because it's all about those one-on-one individual conversations that are going to make the difference. And it's starting from a place of not, you know, will you support X, Y, Z, candidate but instead, you know, how are you doing; understanding, you know, coming from a place of humanity. And I think starting from a place of listening, that's I think what you're starting to see with this new model of
organizing that I think kind of runs against those divisions. Instead of going into a conversation, assuming the person is going to vote for you. Starting off by listening, starting off by asking them questions about how their life is and then getting into the political talk. But I think once we can start understanding people on a human level, that's when I think you can start tearing down those political battles that have been kind of stoked by some people in the political space. So just starting from a place of humanity, I think, is what I found works best in cultivating that intergenerational dialogue.
Mila Atmos: [00:34:03] Yes. Yeah. Well, deep relational organizing is politically so effective, and it's also life changing, to your point. You know, you have a relationship with a lot of older people now in a way that you didn't before. And of course, you're building relationships all across the board when you're doing the relational organizing. So this is a civic engagement podcast; What are two things everyday people can do to support Gen-Zers, to stay engaged, to vote, to be active?
Victor Shi: [00:34:35] So I would say the first thing is, and I'm going to channel my former AP government teacher here, this great saying called "embrace the civics lifestyle." And so I think whether you're young, whether you're older generations, I think embracing the civics lifestyle is important. That just means, you know, sure, elections are every two years, but it's always a constant thing in this democracy. We need people to do their part to keep this democracy running, to protect it, to strengthen it. And so I think for everyone, whether it's going to your city council meeting, whether it's voting in your state and local election, whether it's just paying taxes and being a good citizen, that's what we mean by the civics process. So always staying involved, knowing that everything around you somehow relates to politics and knowing that your voice really matters. And so I think always staying in the loop, always trying to make a difference really goes a long way. And then also helping out wherever you can. I think that's at the end of the day, what's going to make this democracy keep on functioning and engaging with young people? Find a young person in your life who may not vote or who may be a little bit hesitant about voting, helping them get the resources and find the tools that they need to make their voices heard. That's also going to make a big difference. But just knowing that your voice matters and and doing anything, whether it's big, whether it's small, there really is no too small of an effort when it comes to helping this democracy and staying civically engaged, I think.
Mila Atmos: [00:35:51] Oh, I totally agree. There is nothing that is too small. And also, we love the idea of embracing the civics lifestyle. That's exactly what we do here at Future Hindsight. I want, I want the t-shirt for this. We should we should print t-shirts. So as we are rounding out the hour here, looking into the future, what makes you hopeful?
Victor Shi: [00:36:10] Yeah, I would say just kind of going back to the question of what gives me inspiration, just the people who are out there doing the good work. I think this election cycle we saw the fruits of their labor. But really, you know, we've seen just in Georgia over the past decade, more than decade, young activists on the ground, organizers, leaders who are on the ground making a difference, talking to voters. That's what gives me hope. I think we're not stopping here in 2024 Gen-Zers and millennials are going to outnumber any generation in America. There are people out there who are doing amazing, amazing work. And so that's what ultimately gives me hope, is knowing that they're still doing the work. They're still engaged in people, no matter how messy it gets. People are on the ground and keeping their heads down and really making this happen. So that's what gives me hope as we head into 2023 and then the next presidential election cycle.
Mila Atmos: [00:36:56] That's... Yeah, well, that is very exciting and that is indeed very hopeful. Thank you. Thank you very much for joining us on Future Hindsight, Victor. It was really a pleasure to have you on.
Victor Shi: [00:37:05] My pleasure. Thanks so much for having me.
Mila Atmos: [00:37:07] Victor Shi is a Gen-Z activist, host of On the Move, co host of
iGen Politics, Strategy Director of Voters of Tomorrow, and a junior at UCLA.
Next week on Future Hindsight, we are going to be joined by Jared Yates Sexton. His new book, The Midnight Kingdom: A History of Power, Paranoia and the Coming Crisis is a really vital account of the rise of authoritarianism and how everyday people can resist it and work together for a brighter, freer future. You're not going to want to miss it. That's next time on Future Hindsight.
Have you checked us out on Instagram yet? We've got a bunch more tips to help you build your Civic action toolkit. Follow us on Instagram @futurehindsightpod to get special updates, episode clips, and everything in between.
This episode was produced by Zack Travis and Sara Burningham. Until next time, stay engaged.
The Democracy Group: [00:38:13] This podcast is part of the democracy group.