I was born in New York City when my family didn't live there. They were living in Princeton NJ. My dad worked for Columbia University's Teacher's College as chair of Psychology (not to be confused with the more prestigious Columbia University's Chair of Psychology). He was the original educational evaluator of Sesame Street and the Electric Company (Jim Henson was the talent, my dad was just the hack education expert). He also worked for the UN in developing nations of Africa, Asia and the Pacific. New York was where he was based and his family lived in nearby Princeton. While my mother was visiting my dad in NYC, I was born.
Both my parents are Australian. I lived my first eleven years in the US, but have lived the next thirty two years in Australia and see myself as Australian. I went to High School here, and university. I did odd jobs in Sydney before becoming a teacher in Sydney. When I turned eighteen in '85 I was allowed to vote as a permanent resident. I hadn't formalized my citizenship status. Partly I didn't want to give up my US citizenship. I didn't register to vote as I didn't feel it important. But by my mid twenties I cared about political process and wanted to exercise my responsibilities. But the law had changed, and if I hadn't enrolled I wasn't allowed to enroll because I hadn't formally adopted Australian citizenship. I didn't have to do much, just tell the federal government, but I was afraid of losing my US status, so I resisted that. I went to an election both on voting day and asked if I could vote, explaining that if I wasn't enrolled I wasn't entitled to, but if I was enrolled I should. A sympathetic polling booth manager listened to me, and allowed me to vote in absentia for where I felt I might have enrolled. I got word back a month or so later that my vote hadn't counted because I wasn't registered. I thought that would be the end of that.
I moved a lot in my early years as an adult. I was sharing a flat with university students when my car was stolen. I found this out as I went to go to work. I reported it to the police and to my insurance company. Then I went to go to the police station to officially report it. I identified myself at the police station and found out there was an outstanding warrant for my arrest. I was supposed to serve one day for failing to vote in an election. The police sergeant kindly offered to not arrest me straight away, but suggested I fix up the matter quickly, as I assured him I could.
What had happened was the sympathetic electoral officer had enrolled me, and I had moved after I had been told that I wasn't registered. Because I wasn't aware I'd been enrolled, I didn't tell the electoral office I'd moved. The following election I failed to vote they sent a letter to my old residence .. a fine I failed to pay. I was given my day in court, but I failed to appear. So due process was to place a warrant for my arrest for the unpaid fine.
I asked an uncle what I should do and was advised to tell the electoral office what had happened and ask to have the warrant quashed. I did that, but in order to sidestep the next question as to why I might be voting when I wasn't a citizen I also declared my citizenship as Australian. I thought I could explain my actions to the US later. That should have been the end of the matter. I vote each election and I am proud to exercise that right. But then something really sinister happened.
I became a witness to an apparent government lead cover up of the death of a school student Hamidur Rahman. I was being harassed and I told my occupational government minister I would resign and contact the press if they failed to fix the situation. They failed, and so I resigned to speak out. I felt I could leverage centerlink to help me launch an unfair dismissal claim in IR court .. I was going to have the state government on toast. But then centerlink told me (after my resignation) that their records did not show I existed or was an Australian and I needed to prove who I was or face possible deportation. I'd been paying tax since I was seventeen years old. My dad had represented Australia government internationally. My mother was also a former government employee. Neither Centerlink nor immigration could locate any record of their existence. I could tell them where they lived, but my family is estranged. It took me eight months before I declare my citizenship and provide proof. In the mean time, I was timed out of IR court and I'd learned the press didn't need to report my story regarding that poor school boy. And I was threatened by a couple of ALP government Ministers.
I am a dual citizen, currently, but I understand I will need to surrender my US citizenship so as to contest the next state election as an independent running for the NSW Legislative Council on the issue of Justice for Hamidur Rahman. I am proud to be Australian, and proud to vote. I believe voting should be voluntary, but that conscience should compel.
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This blog was written for Zaya Toma's
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