The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with representatives from several campus cultural groups ahead of the Nov. 5 election to understand the issues that are most important to them as they head to the polls.

The DP spoke with representatives from Quechua at Penn, Natives at Penn, the Black Pre-Law Association, Lambda Alliance, and the Asian Pacific Student Coalition. Issues they highlighted as important include environmental management, immigration policy and reproductive justice.

Penn University and Quechua President Valeria Andrango told PD that environmental legislation and the role of indigenous communities in these policies are important considerations for this election. She specifically highlighted environmental management efforts and the potential impact of policy changes on those efforts, raising concerns about the lack of “intentional inclusion” of Indigenous voices in the legislation-drafting process.

“(Including Indigenous voices is) something that I really hope will be taken into consideration by whoever gets elected, because it’s definitely lacking in the current state of things,” Andrango told the PD.

College senior and former DP member Mollie Benn, who is a member of the Penn Natives and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, agreed that environmental issues were important in this election. She said her ideal platform would be based on “divestment from oil and a growing commitment to more sustainable forms of energy, while also being mindful of land use.”

Benn also noted an “absence” of environmental discourse overall in the current election cycle.

“I think it’s a pretty controversial election, and so I think I understand why I haven’t seen (environmental policies) more, but I notice that we haven’t paid as much attention to it,” he said. she declared.

Benn also reflected on the 100th anniversary of Indigenous peoples gaining the right to vote and emphasized the importance of protecting that right for those who might be deterred or prevented from voting.

“(There are) certain policies that are imposed either at the state level, or even at some federal levels, (that) restrict the voting rights of certain people, particularly minority groups and people living in rural areas” , she said.

Andrango also spoke about the importance of immigration policy for a group like the Quechua, emphasizing the need for legislation and political sentiment that supports indigenous languages ​​and addresses the needs of undocumented community members. She called for responsibility and urgency in providing legal support to immigrants and addressing the issue of missing indigenous women.

Penn’s Black Pre-Law Association is also focused on immigration-related policies in the upcoming election, as well as policies that address racial and ethnic inequality, according to College student Olivia Reynolds.

“(These issues) have direct personal impacts on our members, and we want to kind of make sure that the United States sends the message that it supports its major minorities in these demographics,” she told the PD.

Although BPLA is nonpartisan, Reynolds emphasized the importance of civic engagement within the organization. The group hosts an ongoing event with Comegys Elementary School to teach students about the Bill of Rights and democracy.

“We want to use our position at the unique intersection of a professional development group and a cultural affinity group to really bring focus to many of these fundamental issues that are at stake on the ballot in this election , in terms of racial inequality and others,” she said.

Lambda Alliance, the umbrella organization for LGBTQ+ student groups on campus, focuses on the importance of anti-discrimination platforms and policies, “especially as (their) community continues to face challenges legal issues relating to equal rights in health care, education and the workplace. ” Junior College and Lambda board member Alex Li wrote in a statement to the DP.

According to Li, Lambda also appreciates the importance of the availability of health care and mental health resources, which he called “essential” to the holistic health and well-being of the community. He also spoke about the importance of programs and books that are open and available to all LGBTQ+ people.

“We are concerned about the impact of policies that could restrict open conversations about LGBTQ+ identities in schools and colleges, as these restrictions not only affect current students, but also limit understanding and empathy between communities” , wrote Li.

The Asia-Pacific Student Coalition has focused on the significance of the impact of the war in Gaza on both its constituents and other groups with which it collaborates. Xue Jiang, a University College student and APSC vice president for political affairs, stressed the importance of electing a candidate who would end the war.

College Principal and APSC President Taryn Flaherty highlighted the importance of reproductive justice as an election issue. Flaherty said that while Pennsylvania is “safe” given Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s public commitment to maintaining access to reproductive care, it’s important to consider people in states with policies more restrictive when deciding who to vote for.

Flaherty also highlighted APSC’s support for affirmative action in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling against the use of race in college admissions, which reversed decades of affirmative action in the higher education.

“(The APSC has) explained how shameful it is for Asian American communities to be used and (opposed to) black and brown communities,” Flaherty said.