In the 2016 election, our country’s nominees are the most unfavorable candidates in more than 30 years, according to a USA Today poll. While one candidate may be one of the most qualified candidates that we have had, the other is a business mogul who has filed for bankruptcy six times. Despite the widespread dislike, one of these people will be in charge of our country for the next four years. After a long 18 month battle that has left the country in shock and mourn, the country has now spoken and we have to accept the fact we chose a person who will set us back eight years.
A popular topic of discussion this year, especially with the rising numbers of immigrants from not only Latino America but around the world, is immigration reform. For many Latino American voters, including members of my family, this is a big topic and a heavy influencer on whom they casted their ballot for at the polls on Nov. 8. Although I can’t speak for all Latinos, the majority are with her for several reasons that Trump in no way will be able to compare to.
Most of the things said by Trump have not only been racist but are misogynistic and ignorant towards people who look different than he does, such as his belief that people who are Muslim should have to identify themselves. He’s also suggested that Hillary Clinton doesn’t have the “presidential look” and has called a former Miss Universe winner “miss housekeeping” because of her Latino heritage. It is racist comments like these that enrage me, because the next president shouldn’t resort to stereotypes to label thousands of people he’s representing. I hope that someone wouldn’t say comments like these to me or any other Latina just because of our race, when our potential to do other things is so great. Now that Trump has won there has been an increase in people who think it’s okay to treat Latinos terribly and that’s not the case we are people just like everyone else.
Trump’s campaign slogan is Make America Great Again, but when did America really stop being great? When was this big downfall that Trump says he needs to fix? Could the real meaning behind the slogan be that he wants to make America White again? Because honestly, whenever I hear a peer say that phrase it makes me a bit scared to think that someone can sink that low, especially in a Liberal place like Marin. Most of the time it’s usually said by someone who doesn’t understand what privilege they have, or how lucky they are to live in such an affluent part of the country. Although everyone is allowed to voice their free speech it just hurts that they side with someone who thinks sexually assaulting women is okay.
As a whole, the Latino community is worried about what may come. Some policies that could be set in place include the mass exodus of 20 million people back to their home countries. I know that some Redwood students wouldn’t even be in the country if these new policies were set in place. This would not only be detrimental for the economy but also is completely unrealistic and cruel. Already we’ve seen people in fear and in tears of their families being split up which makes me so sad because as a minor I wasn’t able to vote. 11,000 people went out and voted a dead gorilla named Harambe and virtually wasted their vote that people in other countries die for, which could have saved a lot of people from the tears of having their families torn apart.
If these policies were implemented, some Latinos born in the U.S. wouldn’t even question leaving with their parents, but others might not want to leave the opportunities they have found in the U.S. For instance, if they have a job or are currently attending school here, leaving the country would put them at a great disadvantage. If they’re too young to even make a choice and just have to leave, they become like a fish out of water and need to learn to readjust, especially if they don’t even speak Spanish. Lots of redwood students think that learning Spanish is difficult but think about having to be shipped to a country that is supposed to be “home but not being able to speak the language.
Lastly, Trump paints the wrong picture of Latino Americans. When he said that Mexico only sends the U.S. rapist, he was wrong. The Mexican government isn’t out to get the U.S., Latinos are trying to escape the crime that’s infested their country or just trying to make money to send back to Mexico to their families in need. This is a sad reality that many Americans do not realize. Instead of making American great again, we need to make America more inclusive and accepting, especially during these next four years.
