Your words have clarified my choice in this election season.
Recently, I stumbled upon a message tucked away in a Facebook folder I seldom check. Against my instincts, I opened it.
“Your seriously a loser. Grow up you dirty foreigner! Hope Trump sends you back to your country.”
This wasn’t my first encounter with such a sentiment. Yet, each time, my fists clench in frustration. I want to reach through the screen and shake some sense into the sender. This is my home. I was born and raised in the Midwest—the only place I know as home.
For the first time in my life, I feel like an outsider in my own nation. It doesn’t matter that my parents immigrated legally from India in the 1960s or that they became U.S. citizens. My sister and I were born here. We have assimilated by speaking only English and wearing “American” clothes.
It doesn’t matter that we lived in a small, cramped townhouse for a decade while my parents worked tirelessly to provide for us. My mother dedicated her life to aiding the mentally ill, while my father helped students secure jobs after graduation. My sister and I have excelled in our careers as engineers, yet the only thing that seems to matter to those who tell me to “go back” is my ethnic background and skin color.
This is my fear: Donald Trump has awakened a dormant beast. His reckless rhetoric about immigrants emboldens those who harbor deep-seated xenophobia, potentially leading to violence. A hateful note in a hidden folder can escalate to physical aggression on the streets.
Some may argue that it’s just one message and that violence existed before Trump’s campaign. They might dismiss his words as mere theatrics for his conservative base. But this is not a reality show. Mr. Trump is a candidate for the presidency of the United States, and his words hold significant power.
On June 16, 2015, I watched as he announced his candidacy, claiming that Mexico was “sending people that have lots of problems” who bring drugs and crime. On August 19, 2015, two men in Boston assaulted a homeless individual, justifying their actions by stating, “Donald Trump is right.” A few months later, Trump openly discussed deporting over 11 million undocumented immigrants “in a very humane way.” He even praised a historical deportation program known as “Operation Wetback,” notorious for its inhumane methods.
In a troubling moment, he suggested tracking Muslims in a database, saying, “They have to be.” At a rally, he encouraged attendees to “knock the crap” out of protesters, promising to cover their legal fees.
One incident involved a Muslim woman who was verbally assaulted and then doused with a liquid by a stranger who endorsed Trump’s immigration policies.
To the Trump supporter who sent me that message: thank you for solidifying my decision. Your note opened my eyes to Trump’s consistent pattern of dehumanizing immigrants and inciting violence. Without it, I might have considered voting for a third-party candidate, oblivious to the real dangers a Trump presidency poses.
In closing, if you are still on the fence, I urge you to consider the implications of supporting a candidate whose words can lead to real harm. For information on pregnancy and home insemination, I recommend checking out the CDC’s excellent resource here. If you’re looking to boost your fertility, you can also explore this informative post. Additionally, for more insights on shaping your future, visit this authority on the subject.
Summary: In a personal reflection, the author expresses their feelings of alienation amid rising anti-immigrant sentiments spurred by Trump. They recount experiences highlighting the dangers of inflammatory rhetoric and emphasize the importance of recognizing the implications of supporting such views.