We embark on the team’s journey as they attempt to make history. Arabs have lived in New York City for a 100 plus years, but not one has ever aspired to run for office before this. In the previous elections, only 250 out of 40,000 Arab Americans in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, had thought voting was worth the effort. Democracy is not working well for this new American community in Brooklyn.
The camera gets access to the inner core of the campaign, and is able to document up close the Islamophobia that many Arab Americans face - even one who is in fact a Christian pastor. The local election is as prone to scandals and madness as a national election. But things change when the Democratic Socialists of America join the cause and suddenly, 200 young volunteers emerge onto the streets, ready to knock on doors.
Linda Sarsour is a controversial, Brooklyn-born Palestinian who rose to prominence as one of the three organizers and keynote speakers at the Women’s March on Washington. We see her facing death threats, and being demonized as a terrorist. Sarsour embodies the tension: how can the community speak out against all the forces organized to silence it?
On election day, there is a lot of hope and optimism. More Arabs surge to the polls than ever before. But polling booths have translators working in Spanish and Mandarin, not Arabic. Many voters are unable to vote due to language challenges. Arabic translators are kicked out of the voting sites. Is the fix in?
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