This story is part of America @ 250: The Questions Before Us, a series from IPM News and the Illinois Student Newsroom.
CHAMPAIGN — A birthday is a time for celebration and reflection: Where have we been? Where are we right now? And where are we going?
IPM is marking America’s 250th birthday by inviting people from across east-central Illinois to share what they think are the most important questions facing our nation at this historic moment.
Brian Cudiamat is Filipino American. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs. He came to the University of Illinois for school in 1996 and never left.
Cudiamat works as Manager of Visitor Services and Events at the Spurlock Museum.
The following transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
I’ve been incredibly lucky in life and have traveled many places and have won several contests. But also, sometimes I feel like maybe I’m gonna have a streak of bad luck at some point, too.
My parents are from the Philippines, and I don’t have white skin. And a year ago, when there were ICE raids in Chicago, that was a little bit of a worry to me.
And when I would go to Chicago to visit my old high school or to go to a dentist appointment, there’s always a small voice in the back of your head that maybe today is the day.
I was both scared and not worried. I tried to believe that there’s no way this could happen to me. But I would carry my passport with me.
And that’s not a thing that I feel that any American would need to do. I think that that’s how most Americans would feel is: You don’t have to have your papers.
We have a Constitution. We have rights, certain inalienable rights, due process.
But I don’t know that what’s happening in the world is a reflection of how the Constitution should be going.
Where I’m sitting, I don’t see anyone doing anything that they’re supposed to be doing.
We have houses of Congress being sent home to avoid having to do their job. We have a president that is — and it’s not just the current administration — issuing executive orders to get things done, when really it’s Congress that’s theoretically supposed to be writing these bills.
Supreme Court also. A lot of things are happening on the shadow docket, is what I hear.
So, my question is, ‘Does anyone know how to govern?’
Last week I was at a bar watching ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ It’s very interesting to see that people get really excited about Guillermo. I know there was lots of screaming at the bar when his performance was over.
But when people are more excited to vote for Guillermo in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ than they are for casting a vote for their local representatives, in counties or in statehouses, all of this is important because it all affects our lives.
So, I believe Americans also aren’t doing their part. And it would be nice to see some more engagement by a larger portion of the population.
It’s hard to think about, as one person out of 300 million, what can you do?
And to that I say I don’t think that that should stop you, me, or any other person from trying.
I’m still going to vote, and I’m still going to figure out if my state representative is someone that aligns with what I would like.
And even if you don’t have a soapbox, even if you aren’t a famous person, you can still have a little bit of difference in the world that’s immediately around you.
You can only control what you can control. But if you’re not trying, then what are you doing?
After we spoke with Cudiamat, Guillermo was voted off Dancing with the Stars. Cudiamat says he’s very disappointed.
This story was reported by University of Illinois Journalism Professor Charles “Stretch” Ledford. If you have an idea for the America @ 250 series or would like to be featured in an upcoming story, please contact Stretch at stretch@illinois.edu.