It is impossible to shut your ears. In the year of 2024, election news is unavoidable. Students all over the United States have witnessed Kamala Harris’s and Donald Trump’s pointed tirades bouncing back and forth, which was acceptable when it concerned the well-being of the country and its citizens. However, when President-elect Donald Trump’s statements turned into direct stereotyping, it became impossible to ignore the fact that Donald Trump may disrupt what sets America apart from the rest of the world: our diverse melting pot of immigrants from all around the world.
As a main issue to American voters, immigration was an inevitable topic during the presidential candidate debate, hosted by MSNBC. Vice President Harris was expected to finally introduce her plan for the border. In a disappointing performance as part of the Biden administration, her impact on the border crisis was undistinguished. Though Trump could have taken advantage of Harris’s cloudy plan for immigration, he decided to become choleric. In a blatant attack against Springfield, Ohio, residents, Trump said, “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating – they are eating the pets of the people that live there.” BBC Verify investigated these claims and was told by city officials that there have been “no credible reports” that this has happened. In fact, the influx of Haitian immigrants has benefited the local economy; Ohio gov. Mike DeWine said “What the companies tell us is that they are very good workers. They’re very happy to have them there, and frankly, that’s helped the economy.”
Claims such as these corrode the American people’s view on immigrants. Despite having no evidence that such crimes were committed in Springfield, Trump painted the picture that every Haitian immigrant is a wild animal who eats dogs and cats. What’s to stop him from propagating similar stereotypes for every immigrant? If this ignorant view about immigrants is spread by Trump, a leader nationally and around the globe, it is guaranteed to seep into the minds of the American people.
Some Republicans argue that their vote for Trump is a vote for the Republican party, that they aren’t “Trumpers.” However, the group behind Trump is exactly that; behind Trump. Though Trump’s cabinet will be a representation of Republican legislation, Trump becomes the symbol of the United States. Views like these belonging to the person in the Oval Office would send the United States decades back to a time when citizens with immigration in their blood were seen as inferior to American-born citizens.
As a school composed of 80% minority students according to U.S. News, many Jefferson students who come from immigrant backgrounds cannot stand to be stereotyped. If anti-immigrant sentiments plague Jefferson’s hallways, there is no doubt that our student body will be affected. Not only is it degrading, but it is also ignorant of the amazing talent our student body possesses. Jefferson students have sent satellites to space, been leaders in our community for activism and won awards in athletics and extracurriculars. We do not deserve to be reduced to the stereotypes cultivated by our future president.
Allowing divisive rhetoric like Trump’s to shape our national leadership will shatter the values of inclusion and diversity that define America. It is imperative that as voters, we hold our leaders accountable for their words and actions, ensuring they reflect the values of respect and unity that define who we are as a nation.
From the November 2024 Issue of tjTODAY