Chinese 1199ers Help Get Out the Vote

November 1, 2012

More than 25 members of the growing number of 1199SEIU's Chinese-speaking membership gathered at for a political action training the Union's 42nd St. headquarters in Manhattan on October 27. The training, conducted in Mandarin and Cantonese, helped members hone their skills for the November 6 Get Out the Vote effort and provided them with a forum for discussion about the conversations they would have with voters during Election Day canvassing.

Members also participated in an hour of phone banking that was conducted in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Nancy Fong, from Taiwan, is a retiree from Manhattan's Mount Sinai Medical Center. She brought her sister, Kitty Wu, 70, who is also retired.

"The election is about economic issues, education and the Middle East," said Fong. "That wastes a lot of money. The soldiers in Afghanistan should be brought back. That money could be used for different things.

"If Romney is elected we will lose a lot." she said.