Cristina Chiappe Tells an Inspirational Story About Why She Supports Barack Obama at Campaign Rally in NoVa

My name is Cristina Chiappe. My family immigrated to this country from Lima Peru and settled in Northern Virginia when I was 14 years old. As a Latina of Japanese and Italian ancestry, a daughter, wife and mother, I want to share with you why I support Sen. Barack Obama for President and why I volunteer for his campaign. These reasons are intensely personal so you might have to forgive me if I get a bit emotional.

To me Sen. Obama represents so much of what I am and everything I hope my children will aspire to become. Barack Obama’s story is like the story of my parents, like my story, and that of my children … and it is part of the larger American story.

After my son was born, almost 4 years ago, many people would graciously tell me that he would one day become either a movie star or a politician. On one occasion, I replied, “a politician would be nice, but with a name like Matteo Chiappetta he could never become President of the United States.” Look where we are now, on the verge of nominating Barack Obama to be our Democratic Candidate for President of the United States.

I want Barack Obama to be our next president — my next president and my children’s next president — so that the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes America has a place for him would not just be a hope anymore for my son MATTEO and my baby girl, GABRIELA. Sen. Obama has allowed all of us to dream again of a better future and a better AMERICA — and actually, I dream of him becoming president, not just figuratively but literally! The other day I had a dream that Barack Obama was President and when I woke up I thought it was TRUE. And let ME tell you that it was a GOOD DAY!

My dreams are those of a woman, de una Latina, of an Asian-American, of an immigrant, of a daughter, of a wife — and most importantly, of a mother of two young children– it is for them that I dream, it is for them that I have spent countless hours campaigning for Sen. Obama — with so much effort and so much passion — it is for my children and their generation that I want Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States of America.

And now, it is in this spirit of diversity and multiculturalism, a spirit so alive in our communities in Northern Virginia that I introduce to you a man that has embraced all of his constituents and leads us with great strength and courage. Gov. Tim Kaine is a tireless advocate and friend of families and immigrants throughout the Commonwealth. He has been a supporter of Barack Obama from the very beginning and he is National co-chair of the campaign. Let’s welcome, his Excellency, Governor Tim Kaine!