Republican Ideals And Latinos: Why Do 30% Support Him?

30% of Latinos side with Trump-why do Republican ideals attract them at all?

At a recent Trump rally, I noticed the crowd of Hispanics waving their signs. They held up: 

‘Latino’s for Trump’ and there were quite a few in the crowd.

I began to wonder why Latino’s would get behind Trump when he holds such sweeping views and wants to keep them out? It seems there is a minority of Latino Republican supporters but nonetheless-it is there and visible.

A CNN poll last year found 30% of Latinos in Texas supported Trump.

Why Do People Vote For Trump?

One might wonder why anyone would support Donald Trump period. He is neither intelligent in his speech, fair, kind or uniting. When Trump supporters are spoken to: they make references to the wrong opposition (Obama), or quote ‘he will make America great again’ but then cannot verbalise what that actually means.

Quite a few ‘Trump’ supporters have the feeling that not voting for Trump would ‘let America down’, the ‘American Dream’ and ‘the land of the free’. For these ‘Trump’ supporters, Donald Trump represents the ‘idealised’ version of America that perhaps their grandparents held onto-and why should they vote any differently?

The father in the video, on ‘What if Trump loses’? quotes:

“I will be very disappointed for my children…We want them to be proud of America, proud of what this country stands for and I am very worried they’ll be taught not to be proud of America”

A lengthier and more thought out answer but still misshapen. Why would a Democrat win teach his children to not be proud of America? Joe Biden could not be more American. Is it because the ‘America’ he talks of stays in the past, rather than progresses to the future? Or, will a Democrat win mean America will have to face up to its’ mistakes and take on a whole new meaning? Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are progressive-in particular, Kamala Harris and this is perhaps who he is referring to rather. Since, it is also coupled with a comment from his partner about Harris being the real front runner, and not Joe Biden. 

Republicans seem to have a notion that Biden is about to drop down dead any second, even though he is only 3 years older than Trump and about 10 times fitter. You haven’t seen Biden end up in hospital with Covid.

A Pattern of Ideals

A common theme is developing. The traditional ideals of America are being proffered by Trump, ‘the dream’, and the ‘old America’. And this is the bandwagon some Latinos are jumping upon or aspiring to. These are Latino’s who have lived in America for a long time and aspire to be part of that ‘dream’. For if the American dream is real-they have as much right to it as anyone else.

Listening to what Republicans say, there is a pattern of ideals that they want kept in place:

1. Rights to own guns
2. Making abortion illegal

3. A free country (we can only assume this is in reference to the first ideal and something to do with a right to say whatever you like about anyone-whether it is racist or prejudice).

4. Non-socialism

5. Not answering to lobbyists (of course, unless it benefits the Trump..I mean, the Republican party).

Still, I Ponder: Why Do Latinos, As Many as 30% Want To Vote for Trump?

He calls Latinos rapists and murderers and his biggest project to date is the wall to keep Mexicans out. And yet, there are Mexicans who will vote for him tomorrow.

I think the answer to this is deeper than I can go. It may be part of the transformation that occurs when someone immigrates or grows up within an immigrant family. I can understand why that may encourage a need ‘to fit in’ or to stick to the ‘American Dream’; for that is what allowed them to come to America in the first place.

However, it gets complicated when the very man you support-does not see immigration as part of the ‘American Dream’. Donald proffers avoiding the ‘wrong kind’ of immigrant and banning them from entering the country. Some Hispanics obviously agree-or it fits in with the notion of who they are:

‘They are the right kind’

The Psychology of Us And Them

I can understand the draw of Trump and ‘free speech’, I think someone who can stand up to lobbyists and speak his mind is attractive. It is just sad the kind of ‘free speech’ they are talking about is fascist. And this is partly the problem of America: Donald Trump represents the section of society (the Republicans) who do not want to compromise, and therefore want to keep the Latinos and anyone different out in the first place. Since it is not within keeping.