I RESOLVE: Amplifying Voices

I RESOLVE is a public debate presented by The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) and the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League (SVUDL). This event brings together high school debaters, distinguished civic and community leaders, school leaders, and supporters of debate for a public debate series that showcases the power of debate for a public audience, exploring some of the most pressing issues in our society through the perspective, voice and values of the next generation of leaders — high school debaters.

Last week’s event was held at the Google offices in Silicon Valley. The Bay Area is a region of extreme wealth and poverty, making this year’s topic especially timely and relevant: the viability of guaranteed income as a policy solution to economic inequality.

Google Senior Counsel and SVUDL Board Member Bryson Santaguida spoke about how it first surprised him as a young adult when initially asked by people as to what he thought about certain topics, but he has seen how that has remained a constant in his life and career. Sharing what he thinks in a clear and persuasive way is a skill derived from his own high school debate experiences - a skill that he utilizes both at work and to influence people in his community. In his role at Google, he is well aware of the increasing polarization of our society, exacerbated by emerging new technologies as the world learns how to grapple with both simultaneously. Bryson emphasized that it is more important than ever to have the skills of Speech and Debate offered by SVUDL as a training ground for future leaders to help shape the future for good.

The two student debaters were Chloe Truong from Independence High School in San Jose, and Cristel De La Cruz Bonilla from Summit Everest High School in Redwood City. Panelists included Senator Dave Cortese and Scarlet Corona. Senator Dave Cortese represents State Senate District 15 which encompasses much of Santa Clara County. Along with his accomplished career as an attorney and business owner, the Senator previously served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for over a decade, with four years as Board President, on the San Jose City Council for eight years, including two years as Vice Mayor, and as a trustee for the East Side Union High School District for eight years.

Scarlet Corona started her career in the nonprofit sector providing mobile showers to individuals experiencing homelessness in San Francisco and Oakland. They have continued to work providing case management to our unhoused population in Oakland, focusing on housing and access to health care. Scarlet is the Program Manager for the Rise Up Alameda Guaranteed Income Pilot Program created by the City of Alameda to reduce economic instability for program participants.

Chloe Truong began her opening argument with the statement that everyone in America has a story as to how they got where they are today. She urged that racial capitalism has affected everyone, and that as a nation of immigrants and a country built on equal opportunity, we have decades of injustice that people of color have to contend with and yet, history has not changed as we continue to perpetuate the same oppressive system coupled with resentment to one another. She argued that we need a society of solidarity and universal basic income is part of that structure because of its simplicity, unifying force, and realism.

She believes that universal income would alleviate the tedious and complex nature of paying taxes and the stress of families trying to navigate archaic and complicated governmental systems. She gave the example of a family losing their Medicaid just before their 4 year old’s surgery due to a requirement they weren’t aware of and reinforced her statement that we must make universal income unconditional. A cross examination followed as Chloe answered questions about the redistribution of wealth and its impact on the economy.

Cristel De La Cruz Bonilla took her turn to make her stand. She contended that the US should acknowledge its immoral actions against historically oppressed groups and apologize in the form of reparations. She argued that we must address the lack of generational wealth for the first time in history as a consequence of historical racial oppression. White Americans hold 84 percent of US wealth, and yet Black Americans are 13 percent of the population but hold only 4 percent of the wealth. She also noted the impact of injustice of racism on indigenous peoples who still suffer from crowded housing and sewer system connectivity issues. Her cross examination focused on the impact of selecting one minority group over another to benefit from programs. She focused her answer on the importance of starting somewhere now, and that the work is not solely about the money but also the apology.

Senator Dave Cortese and Scarlet Corona took their turns to ask questions of the SVUDL students. Senator Cortese focused on how the unconditional and universal aspects of universal income could address both the racial aspect and the safety net delivery as overly prescriptive in terms of an administrative burden. The discussion followed about universal income as essential because paperwork can be overwhelming and the universal nature of the income’s potential positive impact on the divisions in our society. The conversation with Senator Dave Cortese and Scarlet Corona also included how wealthy people would also benefit from universal income, as well as a noting of the recent $14.3 billion dollars in military aid made by the government in terms of relative economic burdens on the current budget.

A conversation followed where the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions. Senator Cortese made reference to SB 333 that addresses the 15,000 unhoused high school seniors in California that lose their benefits when they graduate before they go on to college, the workforce or an apprentice program. This bill proposes a guaranteed income of $5,000 a month for these students as a way to prevent more people from becoming homeless.

Scarlet Corona spoke about their work with the 150 families randomly chosen to participate in the City of Alameda’s program of guaranteed income of $1,000 a month. They noted that the best form of apology is real change.

Both Senator Cortese and Scarlet Corona appreciated the students’ hard work of preparation for I Resolve and their ability to respond to spontaneous questions. Both noted how each student was able to return to their core messaging and weave in their arguments to use the opportunity to reinforce their points.

Chloe Truong reflected on the experience of I RESOLVE. “Honestly, leading up to the event I was super nervous. This was the first time many members of my family even saw me debate, and I wanted them to understand why I love it so much. However, during the actual debate, I felt comfortable. I felt prepared enough to respond to panelists' questions and present my speech due to the immense amount of support from SVUDL and NAUDL. I remember attending the same event last year. I never could have imagined that one day I would be doing the same event. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to discuss the topic of economic inequality, while connecting it personally, from an Asian American perspective. Many members of my family who came had experienced the same historical injustices described in my speech and I was grateful for the opportunity to highlight their personal stories,” she said.

Cristel De la Cruz also had much to share about her own experience. “I RESOLVE provided a space where I learned that when working with others, we were able to bring out the best in each other. What was most difficult was answering the questions that were asked on the spot. However, preparing for these questions made it a little easier to answer them. I learned that if you want your voice to be heard, you have to take a step and be confident to participate in any event that can help you do that,” she shared.

Thank you to the NAUDL, our event sponsors, and Google for opening their doors for this event, along with Senator Dave Cortese and Scarlet Corona for serving as our expert panelists.