Throughout the years, Donald Trump has said many horrible things about many different groups of people. During his presidential campaign in 2016, Trump said some really terrible things about Mexican immigrants.
Trump said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
A lot of people were upset when Trump said this, and rightfully so. I myself am a Mexican-American woman and a daughter of immigrants. Hearing Trump say this made me very upset and disappointed that that is how he views Mexican immigrants. I mention what Trump said about Mexican immigrants in 2016 because according to pbs.org, 52% of Cuban-Americans voted for Trump in Florida for the 2020 presidential election. I know that Cubans and Mexicans are not the same and do not share the exact same experiences, but they do share the experience of being within the Latinx community. Cubans, Mexicans, and many other groups in the Latinx community also likely share the same experience of being immigrants or having immigrant family members.
It was very shocking to me when I learned that 52% of Cuban-Americans voted for Trump because I would’ve thought that the majority of people in the Latinx community would be appalled by the things Trump has said. I understand that not everyone is going to think the same, but I feel that people in the Latinx community should stick together. It goes back to the saying “Tu lucha es mi lucha” which means your fight is my fight. People in the Latinx community who have the privilege of being residents or citizens should use their voice for those that are undocumented. I am also shocked at the amount of Cuban-Americans that voted for Trump because according to npr.org, when Trump took office, “…the Trump administration said it would deport any immigrant in the country illegally, including Cubans.” Npr.org goes further and mentions that in 2018, 463 Cuban nationals were deported back to the island, which is 7 times more than the number in 2016. This should be especially shocking seeing as how Cubans are partially protected under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, according to uscis.gov. This act allows Cubans to become permanent residents after just one year of being in the country and meeting other criteria.
Given all this information and seeing how Trump is still deporting any undocumented immigrants, even if they’re Cuban, shows that Trump does not care to help undocumented immigrants. It just surprises me that such a large percentage of Cuban-Americans would vote for someone that has said such awful things about Mexicans and undocumented immigrants. I believe that all the people in the Latinx community should fight for each other but unfortunately this is not the case. In the Latinx community I have often seen people change once they get their residency or citizenship. It’s sad, but it seems like a lot of people in the Latinx community forget what it was like to be undocumented or to struggle once they become residents.
I am stunned by the growing amount of people in the Latinx community that support Donald Trump. Although I do not agree with the way that many in my community support Trump, I recognize that everyone has their own way of thinking and that is not something I can control. All I can do is continue to bring awareness and fight for the rights of undocumented immigrants, no matter where they come from.
NPR source