The Fear and Resolve of Those Most Threatened by a Trump Presidency
Seattle’s Muslims and Mexican immigrants share their hopes and concerns following the election.
______________________________________________________________________________
During his campaign for the country’s highest office, Donald Trump’s rhetoric was thick with invective. He railed against the Washington establishment and the media, and the businessman-turned-politician also disparaged various women, mocked a disabled reporter, and spread racist propaganda from white nationalist groups. Most troubling, though, were his policy prescription, which sought to lay the blame for economic insecurities and national security concerns at the feet of two communities—Muslims and undocumented Mexican immigrants. To ward off terrorism, he suggested a ban on all Muslims traveling to the United States and would not rule out a registry for all Muslims living in the U.S. To bring about economic revival, he has promised to build a wall along our southern border and to deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. to the other side of it. The effectiveness and practicality of these proposals—not to mention their constitutionality and civility—has been widely questioned by various experts. Nonetheless, Trump won. And while his win last week has many on the left anxious about the future, it is these two communities that have the most at stake under a Trump administration. We asked what they are thinking now and what they believe the future holds.
Hanni Hassan, 15, Cleveland High School
If the person that’s running the whole United States doesn’t care about us and hates us, everyone’s going to feel free to say what they want. I never knew racism growing up. I felt like an American. I felt like all of that was in the past. But lately I started noticing people I used to smile at don’t smile back—little stuff. People at the stores used to be nicer. I feel like we never had power because we’re minorities. We’re immigrants. Our parents are refugees. We’re Muslims. It’s supposed to be a free country for everyone, but it’s just not. It hit me. I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Instead of being upset that he’s president, I’m trying to hope he gets some sense knocked into him and gets it together to do his best as president. I have a lot of hope and I’m praying everything goes well. I don’t want us to go to war. I don’t want us to fight each other.
Faduma Ahmed, 29, Somali immigrant, Seattle University
This should be a lesson in the work that needs to be consistently done. We took so many things for granted. We laughed at him, we mocked him, we told ourselves, “Hey, this will never happen so let’s just chill back. We’re going to be fine.” We left so much of the work, the effort to other people. We didn’t focus. We didn’t come together. I’m disappointed, but this doesn’t discourage me from being here, from participating, from doing what I can for the community. At the end of the day, it’s the little steps—the details—that matter. I believe that Trump won’t be able to take my rights away. Yes, he can make life difficult, but it won’t be possible. I’ve been here for so long, and I’m going to be here long after he stops being president. So I’m not worried. I believe people can still come together, use this as a learning moment, and move on. But it’s frustrating to know this actually happened on our watch.
-more-
http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/the-fear-and-resolve-of-those-most-threatened-by-a-trump-presidency/
= new reply since forum marked as read
