Personal Narrative: I Am A Solid Liberal

In almost every respect, I am a liberal. My politics evolved through years of growing, learning, conditioning, and interactions with those whose experiences are unlike my own. My Pew Research Center’s political typology result of “Solid Liberal” accurately describes my personal political views and characteristics. My political views stem strongest from my familial upbringing’s intersections with my identities of class, nationality, sexuality and geography. The experiences resulting from these categories have collectively built values in accordance with liberal ideology.

One of the strongest characteristics about myself that have made me a “Solid Liberal” has been my class. Like the classification of “Solid Liberal” states, I am highly affluent and educated at some of the best public and

private schools in the nation (Pew Research Center). I intend to get the highest degree possible in whatever field I end up going into (Pew Research Center). From birth, I have never had to worry about money. Because money was no issue, our family’s politics generally surrounded social issues. In my family, we agree that the government should spend more money to help the needy, especially if that means raising taxes on wealthier families like mine, because we can afford it (Pew Research Center). With this comes the “Solid Liberal” ideas that environmental regulations and laws are more than worth the cost (Pew Research Center). I was raised around elite liberal Jews, and was expected to become one. As a result, I adopted their liberal ideals. Overall, growing up in an upper-class liberal society has conditioned me becoming the quintessential product of my class’s surroundings.
My experience growing up as an Israeli-American citizen has shaped my liberal political views, even through conflicting values typical of my identities.

I am Israeli-American citizen. My father is an Israeli immigrant, who at one point lived undocumented in America. My steadfast liberal views on immigration have been critically shaped by my father’s experience. However, my Israeli heritage has often clashed in liberal spaces in the US. Though I lean to the left-side of Israeli political spectrum, as well as very critical of the Netanyahu administration, I stand more moderate when it comes to my views of Israeli and American foreign policy as a whole. However, I do not let this conflict with my voting pattern and my fierce support of the Democrats (Pew Research Center). Nevertheless, I have struggled growing up as a liberal Israeli-American, as conservatives are generally more supportive of the Israeli state whereas liberals are more critical, in my experience. My Israeli-American identity has always been a crucial factor in how I view politics, especially globally. And though I may not think as liberal as non-Israeli-Americans do, I remain well rooted in my liberal

ideology.
My sexual orientation is one of the greatest factors that has kept me passionately liberal. I am a bisexual man. Living in the sexual minority has made me more empathetic towards the struggles of other minorities. Just as well, my family’s unwavering support of whom I love has led me to successfully adopt liberal ideals of celebrating LGBTQ+ identity. I grew up in Massachusetts, the first state to legalize marriage equality. I grew up around all kinds of families. My parents taught me the value of diversity in all its representations. These instilled values led me to take liberal positions on almost all social issues, like many “Solid Liberals” (Pew Research Center). The nations rapid change surrounding its views on marriage equality signifies one of the greatest qualities I believe America has. America’s ability to change remains one of my core liberal beliefs as to why I remain so optimistic for America’s future (Pew Research Center). My bisexuality, though it does not define my politics, has certainly helped shape my views to exist in deeper accordance with strong liberalism.
Finally, my geography is an integral part of why I have adopted such “Solid Liberal” political views. Growing up in Massachusetts and Metro-Boston area, I was surrounded by a community that is currently notorious for being exceptionally liberal. I belong to a liberal group of white people who live on the northeast who proudly supported president Obama consistently since 2008, as is expected from “Solid Liberals” (Pew Research Center). However, though I came from a relatively homogenous community, I still learned about the intricacies of race, discrimination, and inequalities that exist across America. My liberal community’s constant influence on my values has ultimately shaped who I am, as well as my “Solid Liberal” political views.
Pew Research Center’s description of a “Solid Liberal” accurately describes the majority of my personal political views and characteristics. However, as a result of growing up in as upper-class, Suburban-Boston, Israeli-American Bisexual Jew, my experiences and conditioning identifying with these identities that have shaped me into holding “Solid Liberal” views. In short, I grew up in a staunch liberal community that abhorred conservative ideals. Part of surviving in suburban Massachusetts means adopting those liberal ideals or face potential ostracism. In essence, my path to becoming a “Solid Liberal” derives from the constant conditioning I underwent in my community.