Why I'm voting for Joe Biden

While we're facing the greatest public health crisis in a century, economic catastrophe and an overdue reckoning of racial inequality, we're also in the home stretch of a presidential election, with the Democratic National Convention.

I'm proud to support Joe Biden in this election because:

• I'm a woman. As a female elected official and attorney, I know the struggles women face getting into positions to make a difference. Joe has not only chosen a Black woman to join the ticket but will confront the obstacles women face by fighting for equal pay, providing resources for female entrepreneurs and expanding access to paid leave and childcare.

• I'm the daughter of immigrants who came to the U.S. hoping to improve their lives. My parents contributed to this country, starting a small business and providing job opportunities. Joe will reinstate the DACA program and create a path to citizenship for millions of U.S. residents who have been strengthening our country the way my parents did.

• I'm alive during a pandemic. It's clear that the lack of a coordinated federal response to the pandemic has cost lives. Joe will coordinate a national response, and his plan guarantees paid sick leave for COVID-positive workers, provides PPE to all employees, implements a national contract tracing program and provides immediate financial assistance to workers and small businesses.

Mariyana Spyropoulos

Chicago