Fear as a Hispanic in Trump’s America

Electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States of America will change lives for Hispanic Americans. There could be mass deportations of Hispanics across the nation. Separated families won’t be able to see each other any longer. Two countries could be separated by the infamous “Trump Wall.” There has been clear racism toward Hispanics and all people of color.  

The next four years will be a living nightmare for all Hispanic Americans. When he talks about Mexico not sending its best, he means all Hispanics. Whether they are Mexican or not, any person of color will be persecuted. For many Hispanics, Trump seems bent on deporting all of us. Even those whom he refers to as “anchor babies,” who are legal citizens, children of immigrants. I am an anchor baby, and it is scary to see that he is willing to separate families and take away our rights as citizens of the United States.

As a Hispanic American, I am scared for my family. My family members came from El Salvador to find a better home here in the United States. Like many immigrants, my family came to escape the Salvadoran Civil War; they are refugees. They are not “rapists and murderers.” They are hardworking members of society who contribute to this economy. I am not a threat to the United States, but with this presidency, I am branded as one. All Hispanics are. Immigrants who come from Central America come to this country because it is known as the land of the free.

If anything, though, I am proud of the mature, civilized response from the Latino community to his horrific verbal attacks. We got out to vote, and we showed that the Latino vote matters. We had Latino celebrities make a video telling the public how important as a Hispanic American that our vote matters.  

As of right now, the only feeling there is to share is defeat, disgust and shame as a nation. I have seen this man get away with ludicrous comments about dating his daughter and shooting a man without losing voters. Clearly that worked in his favor. We will now have Trump as the president of the United States. Trump is in charge of all codes for nuclear weapons and the military. With those codes, I am certain he will not stop trying to get Mexico to pay for his “great wall.” This might be the end of America as we know it.

Americans voted for this guy. He has not only made fun of Hispanics but women, Muslims, disabled people. He has threatened to deport Hispanics, put a mass ban on Muslims coming into the country. The list goes on, and America still voted. Fear comes from the fact that Americans voted for Donald Trump and believe everything that he had said is better for the country. It is understood that not everything he said will be done, but still so many people in this country feel this way about us as Latinos and other minorities is frightening.  

Hispanics who come to America don’t come to screw up this country. They come to find better lives and escape their own poverty and corrupted government, because they know that this is the land of opportunities, the land of the free. Latinos are the most populated race in this country, and we are still growing in numbers. Latinos have to stand united and look past the differences between us and we will not fall. As a nation, we should understand that working together and accepting those who are different is the best route not only for this country, but for the world.