Hello, everyone! With less than 50 days until Election Day, we’re back for another round of BuzzFeed’s 2024 Election Diaries!
This weekly series highlights different groups of voters nationwide to find out what political issues are most important to them AND who they plan to support for president in 2024
Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, have overtaken the news cycle lately as they’ve both made controversial (and unsubstantiated) comments about Haitian migrants that could impact immigrant voters heading into November.
During the last presidential debate, Trump spewed a false rumor about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, saying: “…They’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Win McNamee / Getty Images
Similarly, in a recent interview on CNN, Vance doubled down on the false rumor, saying, “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do…”
CNN
So, with all of this controversy, we asked members of the BuzzFeed Community who are immigrants to share which candidate they plan to support in November and what issues matter most to them.
Our poll found that 63% of responders expressed support for Kamala Harris.
Joe Raedle / Getty Images
While 32% expressed support for Donald Trump.
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Whether you agree with their political opinions or not, here’s what 15 immigrants had to say anonymously.
All photos are AI-generated for anonymity.
1.”I was born in China, grew up in Hong Kong until high school, then immigrated to Arizona with my entire family. In this election, the character of the candidates is what matters the most to me. I’m voting for Kamala because she is well-educated and will serve US interests. Trump is a con man, a liar, and only looks out for his own interests.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
2.”I’m originally from Venezuela, and my top issues this election are the protection of rights of all minorities (immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, etc.). I’m supporting Kamala Harris for two reasons. One: She’s a brilliant woman who I believe truly has what it takes to drive the country out of its spiral into chaos.”
“Two: Donald Trump hates me (well, people like me). He’s extremely racist and can only blame immigrants for the country’s problems. Not only that, when he’s bored, he just decides to spew harmful lies about immigrants. The way I see it, it’s a choice between order and progress or chaos and hate. My choice is order and progress, and it always will be.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
3.”I currently live on the East Coast, and my parents and I moved here over 20 years ago from Asia when I was in Pre-K. My top issues this election are the economy and immigration. I see merits and faults on both sides, but looking at my top issue(s), supporting Trump just makes the most sense. I don’t need to support someone as a person to support their work, and this is very much one of those cases.”
“For people who wonder why immigrants may be leaning toward what they see as the ‘wrong’ side, please keep in mind that we know/have experienced firsthand the struggle of getting to and making a life in the USA, and while we may understand the aspirations that some people who cross the border may hold, we just can’t condone the subverting of a legal process.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
4.“I’m currently going through the green card process so can’t vote — but if I could, it would firmly be for Harris. I’ve been in the US on visas for six years now, which is a position of immense privilege, but it has been difficult (even more so during the Trump years). The Trump administration actively tried to significantly curb or outright get rid of the visas that have allowed me to be here.”
“Anti-immigration people will say, ‘Oh, immigrants should just come in legally,’ without understanding that even with an MA, a specialized job, and a team of corporate lawyers (as in my case), visa life is still stressful, and there are forces in this country that want to take it away entirely. He might get the most airtime for his grotesque lies about Haitian immigrants, but don’t forget that he’ll wind up using that same rhetoric to make life harder for us all. An immigrant vote for Trump is the ultimate hypocrisy, IMHO.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
5.”I am an immigrant but have been a citizen for five years. Four years ago, I voted for Biden, and this year, I am voting for Harris. The way Trump talks about immigrants is only one of the many reasons why I would never vote for him. Besides, I like what the Democratic Party is fighting for; my beliefs align with them.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
6.”I earned my citizenship in 2018. As I took my naturalization oath, nine months pregnant, little did I know my daughter was the Schrödinger cat for Liberty. How could I consciously vote against the freedoms of other Americans to make choices on their own bodies? As a grateful immigrant, I vote for freedom and Harris/Walz. I didn’t earn freedom so that I could vote away freedom.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
7.”I’m originally from Russia, but I currently live in Michigan. I plan to vote for Donald Trump because the economy is my top issue. While the economy certainly wasn’t perfect under Donald Trump, many of the factors that directly impact day-to-day life for most Americans were in a much better place (i.e., gasoline and grocery prices).”
“Although I believe that Kamala Harris is a genuine and well-spoken candidate, I do not fully agree with her position on several social issues that are particularly important to me. Furthermore, Harris’s proposed plans have lacked a sufficient level of specificity for me to feel comfortable voting for her.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
8.”I’m voting for Harris because my green card was stuck for four years under Trump. Under Biden, I got my green card renewal and citizenship within a year. A three-year process took seven years because Trump was president for four years.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
9.”I was born in England, and I currently live in Connecticut. No little orange man will tell me what I can or cannot do with my body. I will not be voting for a racist convicted felon who cannot vote himself, thinks I eat cats and dogs, believes I am getting a sex change operation in prison in my spare time, or who has seemingly claimed that if he wins this election, it will be the last election America has.”
“He is a wannabe dictator. I believe in women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and human rights. Kamala is for all people and has brought hope back to this country.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
10.”I immigrated from Honduras to Florida. I’m worried about the economy, so I’m voting for Trump because he already has been president. We know what to expect from him. Despite everything that’s been in the news, I don’t know enough about Kamala to support her.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
11.“I am an immigrant from Kenya, and freedom (reproductive rights, voting rights, and democracy in general) are important to me in this election. Ms. Harris is positive, intelligent, and experienced. She has a good temperament, is a uniter, and seems trustworthy.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
12.”I’m from the United Kingdom, and maintaining our democracy (and reproductive rights) are my top priorities. I believe a vote for Donald Trump is a vote to take away my own rights.”
“I spend a lot of time abroad, and it’s embarrassing to be associated with Trump and his madness. I also can’t deal with the risk to our federal systems, climate, and tax code. America will not survive another Trump presidency, so I’m voting for Kamala Harris.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
13.”I’m from Germany, and the economy and spending are my top priorities in this election. I’m voting for Trump because he has better ideas for strengthening the economy and getting the US away from wars.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
14.”I immigrated here from Montserrat, and my top issues include having competent, qualified individuals in the White House and Congress, less division, and more cooperation to bring us all back on track.”
“Without that, nothing else matters. I’m voting for Kamala because she is competent, smart, and cares about the people above herself. She is the most qualified of any president I’ve ever had the privilege of voting for since I became a citizen in the ’70s.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
And finally…
15.”I’m voting for Jill Stein. I think Kamala’s hardline of sending more money and weapons abroad is alienating to myself and many Muslim voters who would otherwise be voting Blue. I fear that this stance is what’s going to cause her to lose Muslims in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and ultimately lose those swing states as a result.”
“Do I (or most Muslims) want Trump to win? Absolutely not. But do I want to continue to support the Dems when they continue to demonize my people and boldly let us know that we don’t matter or count as humans? No. And the only way my community can communicate this to our leaders is with our vote.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Imagine
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote!
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Publish date : 2024-09-23 07:34:00
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