While many Hispanics are getting serious about stopping Donald Trump, there is a vocal minority who see things differently. They’re not waving Mexican flags and throwing rocks at Trump rallies, nor are they becoming citizens to vote against him. Instead they’ve come to see the benefits of a Trump presidency.
“…when I turn on my TV, I see terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and in Orlando. There are dangerous people coming across our borders. Trump was right,” Ximena Barreto, 31, of San Diego, California told The Guardian. “Some are rapists and criminals, but some are good people, too. But how do we know who is who, when you come here illegally?”
Bertran Usher, 20, of Inglewood, California said, “Trump can be a nut, but I think he’s the best candidate in this election. Though there are issues of his I disagree with, at least he says what’s on his mind, as opposed to Hillary Clinton, who hides what she’s thinking behind her smile.”
The Guardian recently published this collection of opinions from Hispanics who support Trump, which included a substantial number of millennials. Their reasons for supporting the Republican candidate ranged from longtime admiration, typical economic worries, support for stricter immigration, and appreciation for Trump’s “political incorrectness.”
“I am very impressed with Trump’s economic agenda,” said 22-year-old Marissa Desilets of Palm Springs, California, “I believe we must cut taxes for everyone and eliminate the death tax. Lowering taxes and reeling back regulations will create more jobs – meaning more tax-paying Americans. This in turn will generate more revenue for the Treasury.”
Reading through the reasons for why they support Trump, I noticed how similar they are to non-Hispanic Trump-supporters. Don’t let the fact that they’re Hispanic make you assume their reasons for supporting Trump are different than the rest of his base.
Just like their non-Hispanic counterparts, their family history, lifestyle, and environment play a lot into their reasoning.
Omar Navarro’s parents came to the U.S. legally. “They didn’t cut the line,” he said, “They assimilated to the American way of life, learned English and opened small businesses.”
Bertran Usher, who grew up in a multicultural household with a Belize immigrant father who’s a Republican and a Latino-African-American mother who’s a Democrat, credits their spirited debates for adding “nuance” to his political views.
Their views on the issues fall all across the board. Some are pro-life, or for lower taxes and fewer regulations; others are pro-amnesty.
Others have experienced alienation and judgment from their family and community.
“I’m not ashamed to vote for Trump. I’d just rather not have the conversation with my family,” said Natalie Lally, a 22-year-old Columbian college student from New York. When she told them about supporting Trump “they just kind of seemed uneasy. And my uncle just said, ‘Why?’”
Mary Jo Andrade told the Associated Press that her 17-year-old daughter is often teased in school for backing him. “She hears, ‘Oh, you’re not real Mexican. You’re not true Mexican,'”Andrade said and added, “A lot of the time I tell her, ‘Keep your silence because of that.'”
The prevailing message to be taken away from these stories is that Trump doesn’t just attract a certain demographic. Support for the Republican nominee does go beyond race.
