My parents are immigrants. They are also voting for Donald Trump. I found out over Father’s Day weekend, when my dad insisted, “He’s a better candidate than Hillary.” This was followed by a very awkward silence. I continued sipping my coffee, thinking it was the start of a joke. It wasn’t. After realizing he was serious, I almost choked with frustration, struggling for words. “How can you even say that? Are you out of your mind?” I finally managed. My dad doesn’t fit the profile of who you might imagine to be Trump’s typical voter. He’s an immigrant. Both my parents believe in immigration reform and many other democratic ideals. They live in Maryland, a reliably blue state, voted for Obama in the past election, and have never voted for the GOP. In fact, our “American Dream” has been realized because of democratic policies. But come November, they still plan to cast a ballot for a candidate many consider “anti-immigrant,” (among other things).
'Trump has an awful personality, but he is an incredibly successful businessman. He has done what we [Russians] all dream of doing,' my dad explained.
Despite a less than average upbringing of eating cereal for dinner because my mom was at her second babysitting job, my parents made sure that we lived our own American Dream.
It’s not about Republican or Democrat for them — it is about avoiding history repeating itself.