For some reason, a lot of people ask me why any Latinx voters still vote for Trump, despite everything he's done and continues to do that clearly goes against our interests, and despite his pretty blatant disgust for us. I can't speak for everyone, but I have some theories:
1/

I'm from Miami. I am a first generation daughter of Cuban refugees. My grandfather was a political prisoner. (This does not make me special, a lot of Miami has this exact family story.) Many Cuban Americans have been Republicans since Kennedy, who they feel betrayed them. 2/

I, unfortunately, have friends and some family in Miami that voted for Trump. They aren't racist. They aren't bad people who want bad things for the world. They are 10000% brainwashed.
3/

The ads, FB videos and misinformation targeting FL **SINCE BEFORE OBAMA** about how all Dems are radical socialist commies have been widely and continuously spread and also widely underestimated. And, they work. They work because they use and abuse the trauma of my people.
4/

This applies to Cubans, but also Venezuelans and all the other Latinx people who fled from poverty and violent, oppressive regimes. The bs they see on FoxNews has made them TRULY scared of Bernie and anyone like him. Even Latina AOC.
5/

They were sold the same promises in their countries: "Equality for all!" "Socialism works and everyone is equal!"
But those promises turned sour. They turned communist. They turned into Castro. Into Maduro. They turned into suffering and fleeing and death and trauma.
6/

Remember those Obama "Hope" posters? What aesthetically, does this remind you of? If you said communist propaganda, you'd be correct. This design, as popular as it was, was a bad idea in regards to the Latinx vote in FL. This really sealed the "communist" deal.
7/

None of my family and friends in FL actually like Trump. Not at all. But the bad things he's done have been underplayed by FoxNews, and they are terrified, to the point of tears, of EXACTLY what the republicans manipulated them to be afraid of: That the other choice is worse.
8/

Actual things they've said to me: "Biden is just going to do what Bernie says" "They're going to say Biden is too weak to lead and Kamala is going to take over and she is for killing babies after they are born!" "Biden is just saying what we want to hear but he's a communist"
9/

The other theory I have is one that runs deeper. It has been said (and seen, first hand) that immigrants and refugees have a fervent love and appreciation for this country that sometimes surpasses people who were born here. It's because this country literally saved them.
10/

Not that it was easy. It's not easy to come here and be accepted when you look different and speak another language. And you work hard to lose your accent and dress like they do, and make your hair like theirs so that you fit in, so that you feel "a part of".
11/

And you might not even notice you're doing that. It can be unconscious, and it might happen slowly. Your eyes are being opened to new things, new styles, new customs on TV. But it's human nature to want to be accepted by your community, by your country.
12/

So, in the case of Cubans, let say: The revolution and mass fleeing happened in the 60s/70s. You've been here for 40+ years. You're thankfully a citizen, and a proud American. You watch HGTV. You decorate the house with gourds for Thanksgiving. You drink pumpkin spice lattes.
13/

You see a threat to your new life that feels familiar. That the people you trust are warning (lying to) you about- You're going to fight with all you have for your country. Because you don't want the same thing you saw happen to happen again.
14/

And the saddest part of this is, is that when you see the current administration belittling, caging, and mistreating immigrants (like you were, once)- you either are 1. in denial about it, you can't accept that this country you love could be so cruel or...
15/

2. You feel you are not on their side anymore. You've been accepted. You're on the American side. This is your soil now. It's the same psychology that happens when you're a dorky kid in middle school and suddenly get in with the popular crowd...
16/

You reject your old, loyal dorky friends (even if you relate to them more) because you don't want to be associated with the shunned, and you don't want to go back to being rejected yourself. It's a type of colonized self hatred that I think every minority deals with.
17/

It's all very sad. I'm sure I'll get shit for this post, but it's important for our growth that we try to understand each other & ourselves more. This election has certainly made it look like we are truly divided. But I don't think it's that black and white. (Or Blue and Red)
18.

Also, it's important you know- Latinx people voted in DROVES this year for Biden. We also didn't lose Florida because of them (blame the panhandle). My thread was some thoughts on why *any* would vote for tr*mp. Okay. Good day. https://www.vox.com/21549607/latino-hispanic-vote-2020-trump-biden-arizona-florida