By Daisy Xia
I first met Liman Mimi Hu three years ago when the district decided to cut the early drop-off program. Many working parents like me were caught off guard and devastated.
Mimi led the efforts for signing a petition, making calls to the schools and passing out flyers.
An effective communication with the Board of Education on behalf of many working parents led to the board’s decision to restore the program. Today, many parents still benefit from it.
I was deeply moved when I found out later that with her mom around, she herself does not utilize this service at all.
From then on, we got on with our own separate lives and occasionally would run into each other in town and exchange a friendly “Hi.” She has always been very active in serving the community and strongly advocates that we, as new immigrants, make efforts to understand other cultures and listen to other voices in our community.
When there are heated debates in Chinese social networks, she does not hesitate to speak up, knowing that there might be disagreement. We have debated each other in the past on certain issues, but at no time have I doubted her integrity and capability.
Her strong community service track record has proven her to be a valuable asset to this community, and her love for books makes her a perfect candidate for the Great Neck Library trustee position.
We should not blindfold ourselves of a person’s virtues, just because this person may have one different opinion from us.
At the end of the day, how far we can go and what kind of people we can be largely depends on how we treat people who are different from us.
I vote for Liman Mimi Hu, the Nominating Committee Endorsed Candidate, for the Great Neck Library trustee position.
