Open Thread: How Did You Come to Your Political Beliefs?

by Latoya Peterson

While I was reading the Hypen blog, I came across an interesting tidbit posted by Asiana. Apparently, Asiana just discovered Michelle Malkin (good luck with that!) and wrote a post exploring her confusion with Malkin’s politics and policies.

There are many other Malkin gems that make me so confused. All of which prompts me to ask the following: How does a child of immigrants become a staunch supporter of anti-immigration legislation? How does a brown person fully wrap herself in Anglo ideals, like the radicalization of non-white cultures? How does a Filipino American proudly let go of her roots and ignore the complexity of her identity?

Her post got me thinking about a lot of things, but the prevailing theme was wondering how does someone come to their political beliefs? Obviously, it is a combination of how we were raised, life experiences, and the changing times. And yet, it is interesting to me to see how differently people can interpret the same events.

So, readers, what influenced your political views?

[Side Note: Everyone here is registered to vote, right? Deadlines are fast approaching!]