Although Donald Trump seems to be enjoying a dream run at the American elections, there could possibly be revolution brewing. Disturbed by Trump’s xenophobic attitude, Latinos in America feel convinced that they should vote against him.
According to a report, several legal Mexican immigrants in the United States are seeking American citizenship, just to be able to cast a vote against Trump.
Their votes are important in swing-states, like Florida or Ohio, in the November 2016 elections.
Ironically, this is exactly what Donald Trump pretends to want – more and more people of colour and different cultures becoming part of the American fabric.
Rush for American citizenship
As proven by statistics, naturalization applications in the US have increased by 11% in the 2015 fiscal year compared to the previous year, and jumped 14% during the six months ending in January, according to federal figures.
Experts believe that the over a million applications could be filed by 2016.
Are legal immigrants seeking to grab American citizenship as they fear Trump’s win could spell doom? The reality is, in fact, much more interesting than that. Latinos are seeking the coveted citizenship in order to make their opinion count. Mexicans usually seemed more laidback, as previously the system witnessed only 36% of eligible Mexicans actually pursuing naturalization. However, there is now a sharp increase in attendance at the naturalization workshops being held, as people might want to make it in time to vote in November.
Latino revolution brewing
American of Mexican heritage, Mr Miguel Garfío, 30, explains the rationale behind this. His parents came to the United States in the 1980s, and were hardworking individuals. They set up a company which now employs 18 workers. Mr Garfío was born and raised in Colorado, and verifies that none of his relatives have any criminal records, immediately dispelling the wrong ideas that the Trump campaign is spreading. He said, “A lot of people are opening their eyes because of all the negative stuff Donald Trump has brought,” referring to the rise is applications for citizenship.
On this front, it seems like Democrats are more supportive of legal residents claiming citizenship, as President Obama took several measures to ensure this. Around the end of last year, he launched a nationwide promotion to encourage legal residents to take the step. They have the easy option of paying the application fee of $680 with a credit card, and can also practice the civic test online. They can also access applications at “citizenship corners” in public libraries across several states. In fact, the White House is openly supporting social initiatives and organisations that are helping to build immigrant voting power. This is already something Republican Trump should be scared of, as Hillary Clinton already appears to have the established support of ethnic minorities. With the surge of Latinos applying for citizenship to vote in the upcoming November elections, this could greatly favour Clinton.
Ms Villegas, legal Mexican immigrant seeking American citizenship, clearly states, “I want to vote so Donald Trump won’t win.” This could possibly echo the thoughts of the hundreds of Mexican who have also applied for citizenship. Latinos are hoping to use their voting powers to ensure that Trump does not get elected, as he has expressed hatred-filled views against immigrants.
However, Trump still remains quite delusional. On February 26th this year, during a Republican debate, he confidently announced, “I’m just telling you that I will do really well with Hispanics,” justifying that he has employed several thousands of them over his career.
We only wish Trump could hear what Ms Villegas said. It is high time he realises there could be a serious issue with his presidential campaign, because –
Latinos want to become American citizens just so that they can vote and stop Donald Trump.