Personal Reflections in the Aftermath of the 2016 US Elections: What Do We Do Now?

Yesterday was my 25th birthday and also the first time I ever voted in a US election. Needless to say, given the outcome of the national race, I did not find it a particularly happy birthday. I had a rather sleepless night last night, as I'm sure many of you did. Feelings of fear and despair were quite overwhelming. I had to think long and hard about how I could personally continue. Now that it is the day after, I feel that I need to get my thoughts out there. So to anyone who will listen, here goes.

Yesterday's election results were hard to stomach. It was unexpected (for me, at least) and the aftermath seems bleak and terrifying. I truly thought that sound minds would prevail and that people would see through an obvious demagogue who preys on our worst instincts. Well, given the results of the popular vote, at least 50% of people who voted did. But in our winner-takes-all electoral system, that is not sufficient. And I realize that no amount of complaining will change that.

Much has been made about the Canadian immigration website crashing during election day. I know that a lot of people are seriously thinking about leaving while they still can. I understand that, and I will admit that, in the depths of my despair, I joked about doing that myself. Certainly as an already one-time immigrant, who is well-educated in an in-demand field and who has relatively few familial ties in this country, I would find it easier than most to leave and set up somewhere else.

But I think this is ultimately selfish and short-sighted. Selfish because others cannot do so as easily and need people to advocate for them. Short-sighted because the US is still the foremost global power and the actions of its government will have far-reaching effects outside its borders.

I still have a shred of faith left in American democratic institutions. In two years time and then in four years time, we will have a chance to rectify our mistake and start undoing the damage. This will doubtless take a long time. We have still not undone the national security apparatus and other societal changes put in place by the Bush administration, for instance. But this rectification cannot happen if everyone who could bring it about leaves the country.

The following plea is directed mainly at other 1.5 and 2nd generation immigrants. Please, let's stay and endure this together. No matter what those in the far right and alt-right say, this is also our country. There are many good reasons why our parents chose to leave their respective homelands and come here, out of all places. Let's stay and defend those reasons for future generations. It will be difficult. Trump's victory will embolden the white supremacists and nativists who supported him. Hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, especially against those of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent, may well escalate. The only thing we can do is be careful and watch out for each other. Immigrants in rural counties will be especially vulnerable, but even those living in diverse urban areas need to be vigilant. During my time in New York City, there were a handful of fatal or near-fatal attacks on men of South Asian descent (these attacks were motivated by Islamophobia but the victims were not, in fact, Muslim). Ironically, the diversity and density of these cities may increase the chances of such hate crimes occurring, since there is a higher likelihood of encounters between immigrants and those with anti-immigrant sentiments.

If there's anything to be learned from this election, it is that we cannot become complacent. In the past, I have been very apolitical and did not vote or seriously involve myself in any political causes. I thought that such activity was pointless and that the actions of elected politicians would not directly affect me or those I know. It's still too early to say, since the president-elect has not yet taken office, but I'm sure that this sentiment will be proven to be quite naive. Hopefully, the checks and balances in our political system and the opposition of the American people will prevent the worst excesses. But this depends on effective organization to defend our civil liberties and the rights of women, minorities, and LGBT. If anyone more politically experienced than I am has any ideas on what I can personally do to help, I'm all ears.

To those of you who are more recent immigrants and do not have citizenship, especially those from South Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, I am so, so sorry. Those of us who do have the right to vote have failed you. The next four years will be especially difficult for you. Without a green card or citizenship, you may lose the ability to even stay in this country. And even if you are able to remain, you may encounter intolerance that makes you feel unwelcome. I understand that feeling very well. I grew up in South Carolina, which voted overwhelmingly for Trump yesterday (although my home county of Charleston voted for Hilary, as did most urbanized counties in the US). Through elementary and middle school, I very much felt like an outsider. I was one of a small handful of Asian Americans in a predominantly biracial (White and Black) school. Racial slurs and displays of cultural ignorance were a common occurence. As a consequence, I did not think of myself as being fully American until I was 16 and became a US citizen. If I have any advice to give, it's that you do not need to suffer alone. Seek out those in your area who are in a similar position. This can be others of your nationality, or it can be other immigrants in general. My elementary and middle school life would have been much worse if not for a vibrant and close-knit Chinese American community which organized events to celebrate our shared cultural heritage. My high school life was made much better by attending a magnet school with a high proportion of immigrant children like myself. When everyone is different, those differences become much less important. If you cannot find anyone like that near you, reach out online. I personally promise to lend a sympathetic ear and to do whatever is in my power to help.

To those of you descended from earlier generations of immigrants (for we are all immigrants or descendants of immigrants in this country), especially those who voted for Trump, I don't blame you. I know that most of you are not bad people. There is no way that approximately half of a country can be bad people. I cannot safely say that, had my upbringing and life experience been similar to yours, I would have made a different choice. This failure is on all of us. I understand the frustration with politics-as-usual, the feeling that the economy and society have left you behind. But retreating from the rest of the world is not the answer. America needs the rest of world to succeed and thrive, just as the rest of the world needs America. To withdraw inwards and focus on "America First" can only harm us in the end, as we have seen with the disastrous economic nationalism of the early 20th century. I know this may sound empty when the jobs are moving away and the political and economic elite that has benefitted the most (an elite that I admit I belong to) dismiss your concerns. I don't have a good answer. There most surely are no easy answers. If there is one thing I would like to say, it's that I would like you to recognize our commonality. Just as you fear your way of life is being threatened, those of us whose families are not as well-established in this country now fear our way of life is threatened by a Trump presidency and Republican majority in congress. If there's one thing I can say with certainty, it's that we are your fellow countrymen. We are just as American as you are and we are all in this together. America is the country I grew up in. It is the only country I will call home.

After publishing this, I am going to continue with my graduate research, because life must continue even in the face of great uncertainty. There is still much work to be done. In multiple senses.