Piece Comment

Review of Why I Want to Vote


There seem to be two different types of young voters. Those that can but won’t and those that will tackle bureaucratic (yet surprisingly funny) red tape for the privilege of voting. But why does Luis want to become a citizen even though his mother risked it all so he could be born Mexican? Luis tries to understand his parents’ incongruous actions. His mother made sure they where born in Guanajuato and his father can’t wait to return, yet they came to the US for a reason. Luis wants to make that sacrifice worthwhile. But the implications of his actions are more dramatic. I would have liked to hear what Luis was feeling, both in his words and in his voice. The construction of the piece shows that Luis anticipates what the listener is thinking, though the ending leaves you in suspense. Is there a sequel in the works? I hope so.