What’s it like being a Trump supporter of color?

The name Donald J. Trump never struck me as a name that would become a significant player in any elections. But to my surprise the year 2016 may just be the owner of Trump Tower’s year.

Trump has become a prominent figure of controversy in the 2016 elections ranging from the amount of supporters he has to the words he has spoken. But touching upon the topic of supporters, a majority of his stronghold has often appeared to be white.

I went out of my way to talk to the supporters of Trump who are everyday people of color. I contacted multiple people and groups on my two-day online journey to find out what it’s really like being a Trump supporter of color. I was rejected by many groups and received many responses but very little answers. I luckily was able to still get to speak to seven individuals who believe Donald J. Trump will be our next President.

I’ll now introduce you to these seven:

Natalie Lally: A 22-year-old Colombian Puerto Rican American
Abrar Ahmed: A 19-year-old Bengali American
Nick Suri:A 19-year-old Half Indian Half White American
ShiWhan Kim: A 20-year-old Korean American
John Lin- A 52-year-old Chinese American

So tell me about yourself. Describe your background to me.

Natalie Lally

Natalie: My name is Natalie Lally. I was born and raised in Flushing, Queens. My family is Colombian and Puerto Rican. I will be graduating from Hunter College this month with a BA in Media Studies/Journalism and two minors in English and Women’s Gender Studies. I’m currently 22-years-old.

I had discovered Natalie through her Tab article about how she revealed her decision to vote Trump to her Hispanic family.

Abrar: I was born in Queens, New York; my parents are from Bangladesh. Although I am in the NYU Liberal Studies Program for my first two years, I am planning to major in Computer Science, and do a double minor in physics and business. I am currently 19-years-old, and a rising sophomore. I am also a devout Muslim who prays five times a day.

Nick: I’d love to, my name, obviously, is Nick Suri, I was born in Chicago, raised in Maryland. My father immigrated from Delhi, India to the cornfields of Illinois where he met my mother, then through them magically comes me and my four siblings. I am currently 19 years old. I am a rising sophomore in the NYU Liberal Studies Program, but I plan to dual major in Econ and Comp Sci.

ShiWhan: My heritage is Korean, my parents came from South Korea both as adults, and I was born in the U.S. I’m from New York City, though I moved around a lot as a child. I am currently studying Economics at NYU. I am a 20-year-old rising junior.

John: I am Chinese. I’m from Plano, Texas. I currently am 52-years-old. (John is actually my friend’s father.)

Why do you support Donald Trump?

Natalie: I support Donald Trump because I believe the biggest issue that needs to be solved immediately is our failing economy.

Nick

Abrar: I wouldn’t go so far as to say I support Trump; I just don’t think he’s as bad as people claim. People are quick to say he’s just like Hitler because of sound bites they hear without considering nuance. A similar situation occurred in 2008, when Republicans did the same thing with Obama and said that he would bring socialism to the country.

Nick: I support Donald Trump in this election for a couple of reasons, the first being he’s better than Hillary, by far. The second being that he has some very sound policies, if you check out his healthcare policy, accurately named Trumpcare. It is a sound policy, he is a smart man, he graduated from the Wharton School of Business at UPenn. The reason he does not talk about his policies is because people don’t want to hear about that kind of stuff, they want to hear about how he’s going to “Make America Great Again.”

Abrar

ShiWhan: I support Trump due to his Military/Foreign Policy. It is absolutely true that NATO is almost entirely held up by the US Military. The fact that many of America’s European allies have taken standing armies and contribute peanuts of their GDP to their own self defense is a warning sign that America is spending an excessive amount of its military force overseas without any benefit to the US. According to the 2015 FY report, approximately 49 percent of the greater US armed forces budget was spent on salary and maintenance of bases, many of them abroad. I wholeheartedly agree that it is time that America’s allies to contribute and help pay for the defense spending of the US. Furthermore, Donald Trump’s openness towards creating friendly relations with Russia is a crucial step in de-frosting the Cold War era relations that the US and Russia have had for many years, persisting even after the fall of the USSR.

I also support Trump due to his position on the economy/trade/taxes. The so called “free trade,” as shown by both NAFTA and the soon to be passed TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) shows how crony corporatism and archaic and draconian patent and IP laws can greatly harm our nation’s overall debt, as well as the jobs and economic opportunities available for its citizens. Symbolic gestures made by Trump such as “no more Oreos” or that he would bring automobile manufacturing back into the United States shows the direction of economic and foreign trade that a Trump administration envisions for this great nation. It is true that “free trade” in general allows for lower prices for consumers and offers more options, but such policies traditionally only benefit large corporations and do not necessarily bolster the health of small businesses in the country, which are the backbone of domestic commerce. So called free trade should be cautiously accepted with stringent limitations in order to ensure that every party benefits from such a policy proposal.

Another reason why I support Trump due to his positions on Immigration/National Security. While the increasing globalization of labor and trade has lowered wages and pay for non-skilled and traditional manufacturing labor, the influx of illegal immigration only further drives down wages and deteriorates the financial situations of vulnerable working class families nationwide. The DHS estimated that in 2012, approximately 11.4 million individuals were illegally residing in the country, though ICE and other sources report that the unofficial number of illegal residents is much higher. According to Pew Research, approximately 5.1 percent of ALL labor and jobs in the US is filled by illegal workers, which does not include legal temporary visa workers and seasonal workers.

ShiWhan

Minimal and low wage work accounts for the vast majority of such labor, meaning that a significant portion of low skill jobs are taken by illegally residing workers. In addition to the artificial job shortage created by illegal immigration, studies have shown that illegal immigration costs local, state, and federal governments more than $100 billion dollars every year from strains on public education, unpaid healthcare, and other social benefits meant for U.S. Citizens and legal residents. It is unacceptable for US employers to continue taking advantage of such at risk individuals, and it is unacceptable for the democrats to ignore such salient and pressing financial issues for the sake of maintaining their election seat. The level of corruption at all levels of government is reprehensible, and it is time for a President who is willing to take a stand and solve the immigration issue, whether it be through building a wall or other means to discourage illegal immigration and protect the nation’s borders.

I also appreciate Trump’s straight-talking unapologetic tone. In an age where politicians such as Hillary Clinton wax poetic about “ending corruption in Wall Street” before taking millions of dollars from Wall Street donors, or condemn atrocities committed by foreign governments such as Saudi Arabia while selling millions in arms deals and raking in even more donations through the murky Clinton Foundation, the straightforward and sometimes brash tone and rhetoric that Donald Trump uses resonates with millions of Americans. Trump has in fact taken the mantle of working class Americans by promising to raise wages and bring back jobs, and has stated that he would close loopholes for the ultra-rich. The fact that Trump has so far not taken corporate donations or Super-PACs shows his commitment to the American people and NOT any responsibility to corporations. Before someone raises the “racist” red flag high in the air, I do not see any indication that Mr Trump has any racist sentiments. In fact, in the 1990s, Donald Trump pushed for his Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach country club to let in African Americans and Jewish Americans at a time when white-only country clubs dominated the Coastal South. He was also the man who helped push Mike Tyson’s career into stardom, and the two still share a strong friendship. Donald Trump was also one of the first CEOs to hire women into his male dominated field of real estate development, including high advisory positions. Almost none of Donald Trump’s friends over the years have never even hinted at a bigoted sentiment that Trump may have held. The fact that Donald Trump makes comments about both men AND women show that he is truly not sexist, because only a sexist would name call men but hesitate to do so with women.

John: Well, first I am tired of the party establishment of both the Democrats and Republicans, second I am tired of political correctness, third I am fearful of the threat from ISIS to this country, fourth I am concerned with the fact that the middle class is constantly getting squeezed by the wealthy, and lastly I am not happy with the problem of illegal immigration.

How do you perceive Donald Trump’s policies on immigration?

Natalie: I also believe that Donald Trump’s policies on immigration are right and just. My whole family came to the United States legally. I believe that if you want to be here, you must follow the proper guidelines in order to do so. It’s the law!

Abrar: I don’t think Trump is a racist. He has said, “I love the spirit of the Mexican people.” He only speaks against illegal immigration, which can happen from any country. What he said was that there is a problem with rapists and drug dealers coming into the country from Mexico, but this does not include all Mexicans, especially not the ones that came in legally. He has the highest minority vote for a Republican in the modern era — 40 percent of Blacks support him, as do 45 percent of Hispanics, and nearly 19 percent of Asians.

Many people bring up his plan to build a wall along the border and make Mexico pay for it. Everyone likes to make fun of him for it (not without good reason), and everybody was laughing when Vicente Fox said he’s “not going to pay for that fucking wall.” But there was very little media coverage, at least from what I could tell, about the fact that he apologized, invited Trump over to Mexico, and stressed important trade ties between the two countries. In addition, a speech given by Bill Clinton shows him saying many of the same things as Trump regarding illegal immigration, but for some reason Trump is a fascist.

It is also pointed out that Trump’s ties are made in Mexico. This does not show that he is a hypocrite like some claim, instead it shows that he is a good businessman who is using what he considers bad trade deals to benefit the company. He wants to change these trade deals to make it so companies will make the products in the country. I don’t agree with Trump on this position, but I will not call him a hypocrite for something that does not illustrate hypocrisy.

Many are opposed to Trump because of his plan on banning Muslims from entering the country. However, this must be compared to the positions of other viable candidates. The only one right now seems to be Hilary Clinton. She supported the Iraq war, backed intervention in Libya, and she was involved in the expansion of lethal drone strikes. These have all had far worse impacts on Muslims around the world than a temporary ban will. I myself am not even completely opposed to the ban. The terrorist acts that have happened recently give a bad perception of Islam, and a temporary ban until things are better handled is not a terrible idea in my opinion. Trump is also one of the only candidates that prioritizes making peace between Palestine and Israel.

Nick: On the topic of immigration policy, I have to bring up that not every fan actually supports 100 percent of everything a politician says. I love the concept of the wall, not because I think it’s a good idea, I don’t think we should have a wall between us and Mexico. It’s a terrible idea, but the American voters, they love the idea of a wall to “keep them damn illegals of this country” (real quote I actually heard). Will it happen? of course not, there is no way a wall will happen, and he knows that, he’s just saying these things to get people to vote for him. He is a smart man, because he knows that especially during the primaries, he said these things to attract voters away from Cruz and Rubio and lot, but now recently, he has been saying very moderate things to attract the Democrats that supported Sanders or just do not want to vote for Clinton. I think that people take him too literally. He’s a smart man because he is taking advantage of the polarizing environment in this country. Do I think he actually believes everything he says? No I do not. I do not believe he is a racist; I do not believe he hates Hispanics or Muslims.

John

ShiWhan: On a fiscal level, I believe that a permanent solution to the constant influx of illegal immigration will finally allow the US government to come up with a feasible and fair solution to the illegal individuals currently residing in the United States. Policies such as amnesty do not work because more people will continue entering the country afterwards. Full amnesty has been implemented in the US twice before under two administrations, and nothing was solved. On a separate note, I believe it is unfair that illegal immigrants can continue to live in this country by simply skirting around our nation’s lax enforcement, when many other immigrants spend tens of thousands of dollars and many years in order to have a chance at the same opportunities of residing in the United States. My parents had to spend 14-16 years legally in this country, renewing visas and permanent residencies, filing H1B work permits and sponsorships, all before getting a green card and eventually obtaining citizenship, which I think is fair. What is not fair are those who can simply cross the border and then ask for the same benefits and citizenship as my parents.

John: I hope that he will be able to enforce some of the current immigration laws for the purpose of correcting America’s current situation.

Finally, do you think Trump will actually win the election? Why or why not?

Natalie

Natalie: I believe Trump has a great shot of winning this election. Trump and Hillary are neck and neck in the polls right now, with Trump allegedly with more Hispanic votes than Hillary, which says it all.

Abrar: I definitely think Trump will win the election, and have thought that for a long time now, even before I considered voting for him. There is a silent majority of people who support him, but are too afraid to say so because they will be quickly and often (but not always) incorrectly labeled as a racist and fascist. Rather than trying to shame people for their political views it would be more productive and insightful for everybody to actually listen to the ideas people have.

There are many things I disagree with on Trump, such as free trade and taking out families of known terrorists, and this is why I’ll probably vote for the Libertarian candidate. But I may change my mind — I have to make the decision between choosing the candidate I support more and basically waste my vote (which may help the libertarian party in the future) or choosing a candidate who is the lesser of two evils for this election. Right now I’m planning on doing the former, but I have been slowly moving closer to doing the latter.

Abrar

Nick: I actually think he might have a slim chance to win this election. I believe this election is not about the candidates themselves, but more about the parties that back them. I believe the Republican party can come together and rally behind a president Trump because that is what the people want, while the Democrats on the other hand, have the opposite problem, the people want Sanders, and the establishment wants Clinton. The reason why I believe that Trump has a chance is that the Republican establishment and a lot of voters can “settle” for trump as a nominee because they do not want Clinton, while many Democrats do not want either, and would rather not vote, or vote third party over voting at all, but Clinton has an obvious advantage in this election, and in the end, I still believe that Clinton has a MUCH higher chance of winning.

ShiWhan: Absolutely. The fact that the worst thing journalists could dig up about Donald Trump was that he posed as his own publicist, and that he likes attractive women, shows that there isn’t much dirt left to uncover. Trump is famously known for his “no drugs, no alcohol, no smoking” self-imposed rule, and his commitment to helping those in need, including veterans, will only bolster Trump’s reputation as an upstanding person. Hillary Clinton on the other hand is one of the most corrupt, flawed, and weak candidates the Democratic Party has to offer in quite some time. Over the coming months, public sentiment will shift positively towards Trump and negatively towards Clinton. The number of “Never Trump” Republicans are slowly decreasing as members fall in line to unite behind the republican standard bearer. Trump has already defeated The 100 million-dollar Bush dynasty, a half-dozen governors, beloved and popular senators, as well as conservative Icons, all while spending less money than any major candidate at $57 million. All of his donations have been through small individual contributions, merchandise, and self-funding. The biased media, George Soros, and Clinton cannot Stump the Trump. Trump will absolutely win and when elected will Make America Great Again.

Nick

John: Yes I believe he will win. This country is not happy with the current situation. People don’t want another eight years of the Obama Administration. Therefore, I don’t think Hillary will win.

Personally as a woman of color I could never find myself able to support Trump. Mainly since his policies conflict with my own view points. It truly blew my mind over the amount of people of color I ended up discovering to be supporters of Trump. Although I disagree with their support for Trump, they have some defendable arguments for their support.

Trump is a businessman; he says the things he says to attract the attention of the American public. Although he often attracts massive negative attention, he still ends up being the center of attention. One has to wonder if he truly believes every single thing he says sometimes, or is it just to continue being seen. Finally, will Trump actually win the election? It’s all up in the air for now. When November 8th rolls around, it will truly be a moment to remember. I for one will be excited to see the outcome of America’s future.