By Guadalupe Perez

Intro by Jeehyun Kim

“Trump’s racism and hatred doesn’t scare me. I will keep pursuing the dreams that America has allowed for the dreamers like myself. This election just means that as undocumented people we will play defense like the past generations have done it.”

OPINION

Trying to Make Sense of Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric

OPINION: One Van Nuys High student who publicly identifies as an undocumented immigrant isn’t scared by the new political order. To her it just means the struggles will continue.

With the political turmoil resulting from the 2016 election, many people are voicing their opinions about the results of this major political event, that came as a shock to many. Undocumented immigrants are expressing their feelings as well. A range of emotions from fear to desperation and sadness to determination exists among current immigrants, whether they are documented or undocumented.

Guadalupe Perez is an undocumented immigrant student who is currently a senior at Van Nuys High School. She publicly identifies as being undocumented. After posting her status on Facebook, “When we lose we still play defense, we don’t give up. Perdimos la batalla pero seguimos en defensa, no nos damos por vencido. #proudundocumented,” Perez shared her opinions and beliefs about the election results.

If President-Elect Trump acts on the promises he made during his campaign, many immigrants like Perez will be affected and possibly may be deported.
— Jeehyun Kim
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I believe that neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump was the best candidate to be running for the next President of United States. Yet, they were the only option, so I was leaning towards Hillary Clinton. In my opinion, Clinton was not as bad as Trump. Trump represents hate, and because of him, people who are racists feel more secure.

American citizens now feel like they have the extra push to publicly express their racism, hatred, and negativity. But people spoke through their votes. One of the biggest weapons for us now is to pray for the new president to be more mature than when he was running for presidency.

I expected Clinton to win. I was surprised that many more Hispanic people than I expected voted for him. I still can’t make sense of how they didn’t feel insulted by all those inappropriate comments and statements Trump made towards the Mexican immigrants. He called them rapists, drug runners, and other criminals.

I am a dreamer myself, an undocumented immigrant. For now, I know I won’t be changed or influenced by him winning the election, but the other undocumented students after me will be greatly affected.

This country has given me the privilege to have an education along with many other opportunities for a better future. Not only myself but many other people have had the same privilege.

Generation after generation, my race—both documented and undocumented—has fought for the very freedom and chance. However, it seems as if those Hispanic citizens have forgotten the brotherhood and sense of community that existed at the time. They seem to have forgotten the struggles while fighting to be in a better position.

Our ancestors went through a lot of struggles so that we could have the opportunities provided for us by this country. Trump’s racism and hatred doesn’t scare me. I will keep pursuing the dreams that America has allowed for the dreamers like myself. This election just means that as undocumented people we will play defense like the past generations have done it.