As a Latina, Trump’s Win Deepens My Fears For My Community’s Future

If you're anything like me, you stayed up as late as you could the night of the election, hoping to get answers before bed, only to wake up to the very real but disappointing news: Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election.

I had to read it twice because I could not believe we are back here again.

I instantly felt frustrated, then disappointed, and finally, the fear set in. I could feel my body go into survival mode. No one I knew was okay. As one friend suggested, "Today should be a national day of mourning," considering everything from women's reproductive rights to immigration reform to our education system is now at stake. Come Inauguration Day in 2025, we will have a president who is very proud of helping overturn Roe v. Wade, promised mass deportation costing the country millions, and is ready to dismantle the Department of Education.

Trump wants to reverse lots of progress this country has made, all in the name of white supremacy and protecting the 1 percent. Even if Trump could prove that he isn't a white supremacist, it doesn't mean he hasn't enabled it. This is probably the scariest aspect of his power. It's why I cross the opposite street when I see someone wearing a MAGA hat because all I see is someone with morals and values that completely conflict with my own. If I see a person of color wearing a MAGA hat, all I see is a colonized, trauma-filled, brainwashed, self-hating person who thinks voting white will make them white.

The news of Trump taking on a new term feels like a death. And, like all deaths, this one also requires us to sit with our feelings like the emotionally responsible adults that we are. Especially considering that we were oh so close to having our first Black and South Asian woman president, and now we have to grieve that loss. Now add the fact that those who didn't vote for Trump are exhausted at the thought of having to fight for basic human rights again for the next four years. The work that lies ahead is so real and we're so tired, burnt out even. Racists stay adding to my to-do list, damn.

But what was even more disheartening was learning that 45 percent of Latines voted for Trump, that's a 13-point increase from 2020, according to NBC News exit polls — a record high for a Republican presidential nominee.

If you're confused by the growing support from the Latine community for the far right, journalist Paola Ramos did a great job explaining why she believes this phenomenon has occurred in her new book, "Defectors."

In short, she argues that after interviewing Latine Trumpers, she sees how our cultural and political trauma, along with our history of colonization and racial hierarchy, makes us vulnerable to Trumpism. If you don't have a hold of your traumas, you will find yourself repeating that lesson over and over again. Unfortunately, Latine Trumpers are stuck in a self-hating cycle.

I don't feel safe around Latines who voted for Trump. Now my trust issues have trust issues. I used to think that Trump supporters, especially Latines, were given so much misinformation that it became their truth. In other words, I truly tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. When they say it's because he tells it like it is, I remind them he's also well-known for spreading disinformation and even inciting hate. Remember Jan. 6?

When I ask Latines why they voted for Trump, they say it's because he's a good businessman, but how could that be true when he's claimed bankruptcy at least four times? Or even when they say, "Trump sent me a check during the pandemic," I remind them it was Congress that did, but Trump did delay the stimulus checks to have his signature on it so he could take credit. When they say it's because he's not afraid to mention Jesus in his speeches or policies, I am confused because his hateful and racist remarks don't feel Christian at all. Don't forget he's a convicted felon who has sexually abused women. When they say that it's because we're being invaded by Mexicans and Trump wants to fix that, I say, I'm so sorry you don't see yourself in the struggle of someone who had no choice but to look for somewhere safe for refuge. I hope you never have to feel what it is to choose the dangerous desert over your hometown. If you want to bring religion into this, Jesus was a refugee, would you turn him away? It doesn't matter how many times Trumpers are given the truth; they refuse to acknowledge it.

I already see life getting a little scary very fast for the Latine community, especially those with mixed-status family members. No one wants to come home from work to find out Abuela has been deported. With Trump's new mass deportation plan, he plans to take away the citizenship of Dreamers, leading to families being separated and more trauma hitting our already vulnerable communities. We will be working twice as hard to feel safe and secure.

Once the truth seekers, culture keepers, and thoughtful leaders of the world rest and fill their cups, we'll have to get back to work. We have to transform our pain into power. We have to use our voices now more than ever for change. We must never forget that we are descendants of those who survived and who didn't give up. We are survivors of colonization, genocide, and more. Even if we have to stop and take intentional breaks, we have to keep fighting. We didn't come this far to only come this far. Every bit will help. From checking in on your family members to staying healthy as far as getting involved in your local politics or becoming an organizer.

The road ahead will require us to do internal work by going to therapy, practicing radical self-care, and checking our own racial biases consistently. This work is necessary while also keeping our local government and the Trump administration accountable. If you're a parent, talk to your children about the political climate, they are feeling it as well. If they are old enough to ask, then they are old enough to know. If your goal is to to understand why your friends and family voted for Trump, enter the room with the goal to understand and not debunk. You'll learn where the root of their support comes from but keep in mind that they won't change after one conversation. The deeper their trauma attached to Trump is, the longer it will take to make any real change.

Remember that you have gotten through other deep and dark parts of your life, even when you weren't ready. You come from a long line of women who figured it out despite the odds being against them. Even if this administration doesn't see your magic, they understand your power or they wouldn't be so adamant about the demographic shifting. Never forget that Trumpers are working in fear, thinking that if they "take America back again," all will fall into place. But we're no longer the scared brown faces they see, we're the children of the immigrants who saw how the system disserviced our communities, and we're angry. Justifiably so. We are going to use that anger to fuel the real change that this country deserves, despite the Trumpers. Even if it means protesting, boycotting, marching, writing letters, running for local office, creating art, educating our communities, and overall resisting. Use the power you have, and don't forget we thrive in community, this is the time to tap into our ancestral power.

For those of you who have felt a calling to make a positive change, the time is now. If we can imagine a more equitable, community-focused, and just world, then we can create it. If knowing what we want is half the battle, then we are almost there. We cannot give up now. The world needs that special gift that everyone living in this time has to give.

Cindy Y. Rodriguez has spent 17-plus years crafting powerful stories. One of her proudest achievements is hosting and producing the Webby-honored and Emmy-nominated five-part docuseries "Hay Dinero," which offers practical financial planning tips for the Latinx community and highlights the deep connection between culture and generational trauma. Cindy's commitment to creating diverse and impactful content shines through in her work, especially when addressing topics like identity, culture, and race. Her work includes co-launching Vivala as well as HuffPost's Latino Voices, and cofounding the award-nominated feminist podcast "Morado Lens," which has conversations spanning sex, culture, and spirituality.