Two years ago I rode with a ride share driver who was an immigrant from Venezuela. I always enjoy hearing other perspectives on life because part of this American experiment is “out of many, one.”
Pandemic effects on political views
Somehow our conversation veered to U.S. Presidents. The driver supported Trump. She felt like our governor and President Biden were too heavy-handed with the pandemic lockdowns and curfews. It her view, these were the signs of an impeding dictatorship.
Knowing the trauma of why she left Venezuela to come here, I understood the perspective. However, it baffles me that just one year earlier, when the 45th President initially refused to participate in a peaceful transfer of power it wasn’t clear that denying he lost the election were red flags of a dictatorship to her. This situation mirrors the actions of the Venezuelan president. He kept himself in office by denying the election results. He used the military to crack down on citizens who protested the move.
Immigrants to the United States from countries with dictators
I also noticed this political leaning in a casual Filipino acquaintance and some people of Cuban ancestry I spoke with. And I wondered:
- Why do people who have experienced living under a dictatorship lean toward putting that same mentality into the highest office in America?
- How do they miss the signs of authoritarianism in American candidates?
The candidates want to police women’s bodies. They aim to ban books. They intend to remove immigrants who have not yet earned citizenship, except those of predominantly European/white ancestry. They seek to keep the population as uneducated and poor as possible.
Comedian Hasan Minhaj in his latest Netflix special sheds some light when he talked about immigrants who are strongly Christian or Catholic. This described the Filipino acquaintance riding hard for the candidate who used Christianity for campaigning while not at all behaving in ways that Christ would approve of.
His standup set didn’t cover the issue of proximity to whiteness anecdotally often displayed in newer Latin/Hispanic and Northeast Asian immigrants.
How will our newest citizens vote in 2024?
I wonder know if that same driver will vote for Trump in 2024. He praises and boasts about being friends with Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. He stated he will be a dictator if he wins. His closest advisors said he shows many of the signs of an authoritarian dictator. She desperately fled from the Maduro-run country. Will she vote for someone who isn’t riding for people like her?
I imagine it is difficult to understand the nuances of American politics when you may not have historical context. Or your social media feeds and ads may not provide enough factual information to help you make an informed decision on candidates.
With democracy at stake, take time to research candidates from a variety of sources. Go vote and know your rights if anything at your polling place on November 5 seems sus.
Pinkpodster Ponders 