As a Latina daughter of immigrants, that’s why I vote

I remember when I first learned that Donald Trump had been elected as the 45th President of the United States. I was 17 years old and it was November 9, 2016. I just returned from my first ever trip to Europe. When we landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the flight attendant told us that Trump was officially the president-elect. Tears came quickly. A trip home to New Jersey with a family who couldn’t travel abroad and were eager to see the world through me was supposed to be filled with exciting holiday stories. Instead, it turned into a conversation about newfound fear.

As the daughter of two immigrants, the first on both sides of the family to be born in the United States; I have never forgotten the privileges of receiving a blue passport engraved with the words “United States of America.” Growing up among mostly Latin American and Middle Eastern immigrants in a diverse working-class community in Paterson, New Jersey, I was exposed early on to the challenges that migration poses, especially for those who arrived in the United States without documents.

Trump has relied on dehumanizing fear-mongering tactics from the start

The horror I felt that day in 2016 goes back to the day Trump announced his presidency June 16, 2015 at its namesake New York tower.

“The USA has become a dump for everyone else’s problems,” Trump said, instilling fear in the American people by demonizing immigrants from Latin America and the Middle East. “When Mexico sends its people, they don’t send the best people. They don’t send you. They don’t send you. They send people who have a lot of problems and bring these problems with us. They are bringing drugs. They bring crime. They are rapists. And some, I suppose, are good people.” Unfortunately, it didn’t end there as he continued: “It’s not just coming from Mexico. It comes from all over South and Latin America, and probably probably the Middle East.”

The words Trump chose to use during his speech did not mean that he was addressing immigration as a social issue in America, but rather that he was spewing xenophobia. As the daughter of two immigrants from Colombia, raised mostly by other first- or second-generation Latinos, I never thought of the people who raised me or my friends as a “burden.” I admired the stories of my parents and their chosen community, as well as the stories my friends told me about their families.

Those who migrate to the United States without documentation know the key resources they lack and the challenges they will face. From housing insecurity and lack of access to affordable healthcare to language barriers and other cultural phenomena that expose them to xenophobia. Trump argues that millions of our loved ones are not a burden, immigrants are some of the most independent and strong people in our communities. For someone who is the heir to generational wealth and given the resources to create more, referring to the US as a dumping ground for immigrant problems highlights an ignorance rooted in privilege.

Since Trump’s 2016 presidential speech announcing his re-election campaign, his strategy has remained the same: instill fear in Americans at the expense of immigrants. The reality is that undocumented immigrants do not have the same access to resources as Americans. Immigrants don’t take their problems to a country that barely recognizes them. How can a person who can’t even apply for the same job as a US citizen take that US citizen’s job away? Why would someone avoid legal reprimand at the cost of their livelihood and commit crimes? Trump’s privilege is proof that he has distanced himself too far to adequately address or acknowledge a community of millions of immigrants who mostly seek simply to survive.

The Harm of Criminalizing Immigration

In 2018, Trump’s insistence on criminalizing illegal immigrants led to the adoption of dangerous “zero tolerance” policies that left more than 2,000 children separated from their parents. The images of children in cages were nauseating, as was the fact that two years later, in 2020, reports of 545 migrant children who have yet to be reunited with their parents. This family separation policy at the US-Mexico border has criminalized even the youngest immigrants, and Latinx families have been at the forefront of this monstrosity.

During that time, the administration not only forcibly separated children from their families at the border—it also affected U.S.-born immigrant children. In the first year of his presidency, immigration arrests increased by 41% compared to 2016. ICE data showed a 171% increase in non-criminal arrests. According to the Pew Research Center as of 2022, about 4.4 million U.S.-born children under age 18 live with an undocumented parent, representing about 84% of all minor children living with an undocumented immigrant parent.

Another deadline for Trump is another four years during which migrant families will be forced to live in fear or be separated. “On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history.” he said at a rally in Madison Square Garden. Adding: “I will save every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail and kick them the hell out of our country.” as as quickly as possible.”

Trump is a racist and xenophobe, and his nationalist agenda is a disguise that is easy to see as his dehumanizing rhetoric continues to empower white supremacists. We saw this with one of his allies, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who spoke at the MSG rally and mentioned Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage”These are the kinds of comments that those given the former president’s platform feel comfortable making in an environment led by him.

Harris’ Efforts: From Vice President to Candidate

In 2021, as vice president, Harris led the Biden administration’s strategy to address root causes, intensifying efforts to address root causes. root causes of migration from Central America. During this time Harris did tangible efforts that were focused on Latin communities, working alongside Partnership for Central America on Call to action this caused US corporations to invest and create economic opportunities in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. As of March 2024, the partnership was reported to have generated more than 5.2 billion private sector commitments for Northern Central America.
As vice president, Harris made a positive impact on Latin communities through her diplomatic efforts. Now, as a presidential candidate, she has spoken out about the need for Congress to pass legislation that would create an affordable path to citizenship as part of comprehensive immigration reform.

Harris’ policy agenda prioritizes a path to citizenship for those who arrived in the country as children (DREAMers) and those with temporary protected status. She recognizes the contributions of immigrants to the U.S. and reaches out to DACA recipients as motivation during a town hall in Las Vegas hosted by Univision earlier in October. “One of the biggest problems with The lack of a comprehensive immigration plan is that we haven’t given them the opportunity to earn the right to citizenship,” she said.

Not only was I the daughter of two immigrants, but I was also a classmate and friend of DACA recipients. I studied and worked alongside DREAMS who worked twice as hard and had less than half the opportunities I have as an American. Not because I’m smarter, harder working, or more deserving, but because of my sheer privilege. As an American, any candidate who does not acknowledge or have a plan for immigrants does not reflect my values.

The power of Gen Z voting

According to CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, I am one of nearly 41 million Gen Zers eligible to vote in 2024, making up one of the 8.8 million Gen Zers with Hispanic heritage. I really hope for Gen Z turnout at the polls this election.

In addition to exercising my right as an American to vote for undocumented loved ones who cannot do so, and against Trump’s anti-immigrant, anti-women agenda, I am voting for Harris to preserve my bodily autonomy. Harris vowed to restore the freedoms taken from American women under the Trump administration through the abortion ban he personally elected Supreme Court justices took away from us during her closing speech in Washington.

As a Gen Z woman who looks forward to the day she becomes a “tia” to her friend’s kids and who is helping raise her 16-year-old sister, I believe Gen Z will vote for the fundamental freedom to make decisions about our own bodies. Under the Trump administration One in three women in America now live in a state where Trump has banned abortion. Many, without exception, even for rape and incest.

I believe that my generation, which will raise the next generation of Americans, deserves to do so on its own terms, and so does Harris.. The Democratic candidate has expressed her desire to proudly sign Congress into law to restore reproductive freedom across the country if she is elected president.

While my belief system is largely aligned with the Democratic Party’s agenda, especially when it comes to immigration and reproductive rights, I do not belong to any political party and do not plan to ever belong to one. My decision to vote for Harris in this election is not based on political party or gender. After all, the United States was founded on colonization and continues to promote it abroad by funding the Israeli occupation of Palestine. How the USA did it provided Israel with more than $130 billion in bilateral aid.This war, like mass deportation, has historically been supported by both sides.

From his 2015 presidential speech, where hateful rhetoric began, to the presidential debate this September, during which he falsely accused Haitian immigrants of eating American pets and then started calling himself The “Defender” of Israel less than ten days later, speaking before the Israeli-American Council, Trump’s fear-mongering tactics and anti-immigration rhetoric make him the wrong candidate to represent a nation as diverse as ours.

I am voting for Harris because I am a reproductive woman who loves and respects the immigrants she grew up with and around. Harris’ plans to protect our reproductive freedom and bring a sense of hope to millions of immigrants and their children (like me) don’t just make her the right choice. She’s the only choice.

Ashley Garcia Lescano is an audience strategist, writer and producer with a passion for covering Latino culture and stories. In addition to PS, her work has appeared in People en Español and Teen Vogue. As a first-generation Colombian-American, Ashley is committed to authentically amplifying Latina voices and narratives.