Sufian Al-Shahed, Durham, NC

Sufian Al-Shahed came to the US from the West Bank in Palestine to study Mechanical Engineering and became a citizen in 1989. He already had a business degree and with his wife he built up a business selling wholesale goods, tobacco, wood, other products. 

In 2000 Sufian felt he was doing well. He had a five-year-old son and when he was able to vote he voted for the Republican ticket in 2000 because at that time he felt that the party shared his fiscally conservative ideals.

Today Sufian is not feeling so hot about the way things are going. A decade ago he had his own business and put money into the stock market. Today he delivers pizzas at night and relies on his wife to provide the family's health insurance. His son is now 13 years old and he wants to provide a stable life for his son.

"We are living like we are in a third world country," says Sufian. "We work hard and politicians make it seem like we have everything but every week my wife works 80 hours a week and comes home with less than $200." 

Most of that money she earns is being used up by what Mrs. Al-Shahed is paying her employer to have medical insurance to cover their 13-year-old son and Sufian.

Sufian has recently switched his party affiliation and plans to vote for the Democratic ticket this year. 

"There is something very deep, that is wrong in this country. Special interest are allowed to do as they please at my cost." He feels strongly that the current policies have not benefited him and that his trust has been betrayed.

His son is interested in politics; Sufian doesn't remember being interested in politics at 13. But since his son gets an earfull about the state of the nation from the adults around him, says Sufian, it seems that he is becoming very politically conscious.

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