This young Afghan American is following news about the election in Afghanistan very closely

Sohabe Mojaddidy is a long way from Kabul. The Afghan American lives in Fremont, California, and the presidential election is very much on his radar.

Mojaddidy was born to Afghan parents in California. He grew up in Fremont, the city with the biggest concentration of Afghans outside of Afghanistan.

For him, growing up and living in an Afghan community was a unique experience.

"Contrary to what people may guess, Afghan culture is extremely similar to US culture," he says, adding that Afghan values such as respecting elders and having good ties with friends are considered important in the US as well.

Mojaddidy was a young kid when 9/11 happened. He grew up watching the US go to war in Afghanistan.

Today, with the presidential election only a few hours away, he says he follows the coverage very closely. Something that's missing from the coverage in US media, he feels, is how Afghans are viewing the election.

"I've been able to ask family members who live there, and their primary perception is that if they can have an election that's free from corruption and it's free from meddling, free from control from warlords, then they'll consider it as success," he says.

Meanwhile, he says among the Afghans living in Fremont, California, the older generation is very much interested in the upcoming election. However, that's not the case among the younger generation.

"There might be a defeatist attitude in which we perceive Afghanistan as not being able to move forward," he says.

Mojaddidy says not all young Afghans in Fremont feel this way, but in general, that's the way they see things.

He's hopeful that this election can help turn things around in Afghanistan and bring about much needed hope for the future.