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It’s Time To Take Care Of Ourselves So We Can Keep Fighting

by Gabe Ortiz on

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Last night, Donald Trump won the Presidency. This is a painful moment in our history, and our communities, in particular, are in mourning.

Donald Trump targeted immigrants and Latinos from the start of his Presidential campaign, and now many in our communities are left wondering what will happen to them and their families.

“Crying at my desk,” Tina Vasquez tweeted last night. “I can’t say, ‘It’s going to be OK,’ or, ‘Don’t worry,’ to undocumented family/friends. Because I don’t know if it’s true.”

One thing we do know, is that we’re going to do what we’ve always done: we’re going to have each other’s backs.

We’re seeing immigrants and their allies organizing and reaching out to help those who need it the most. Most importantly, they’re letting folks who are afraid and unsure know that they’re not alone.

We’re going to need each other in the time to come, and we want you to know we’ll be standing right there next to you.

DREAMer Juan Escalante:

DREAMer Karla Perez:

United We Dream:

DREAMer Nestor Ruiz:

Journalist Marlena Fitzpatrick:

Journalist David Torres:

DREAMer Manny Bartsch:

Manny

College student Maria Betances, also in a Facebook post:

I never ever make posts on Facebook and even though I am a Political Science major I rarely discuss politics outside of the classroom. However, after the election results I need to share my thoughts.

What happened yesterday was much bigger than Donald Trump. He was able to mobilize a group of people that think that I do not deserve to be in this country. A group of people that think that I am a criminal that has nothing to offer this country. A group of people that think that all I want is to live off the government and not work hard. A group of people that hated the thought of going from a black president to a woman president so much that they decided to vote for a person that was endorsed by the KKK instead.

These people have always been here and have always had these thoughts and Donald Trump finally gave them to the ability to fully embrace their mindset. Trump was exactly the candidate this group of people have been waiting for. These people now feel free to share their racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic thoughts freely because a presidential candidate was able to do the same.

As much as I despise this group of people they will not stop me from trying to make this country better. If anything, they have fueled my fire to work hard to make this country inclusive for all people. I will fight for everything I believe that we deserve and Trump will never stop me from that.

There is still much work to be done and Trump will not stop me from trying to get it done. Trump will not make America great but I will work my hardest to. I encourage all of you to do the same.

Tolu Olubunmi, in her Medium piece “Though Hope May Weaken Past Victories Assures Us Of Future Triumphs”:

I will admit that the light within me has dimmed significantly today. The audacity of hope that got me through decades of fighting for change and reaching for heights deemed inaccessible to me, is weakened. But, if we have learned anything as people of tested courage we know that we shall overcome. This is not the end of my story or our collective stories as people committed to truth and justice. We were devised in the wars of Abolitionism. Forged in the fires of the Civil Right Movement. Suffrage gave us voice and we were battle tested by Colonialism. We are an undeniable force for justice. Our fight is long and our path hard, but we never give up, we never give in, we never submit, we never forget. Ours is the extraordinary responsibility to push forward no matter how dark the night because defeat is not an option. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his life for our future, we must repay that debt by making sure there is a future for the Joshua generation.

Take heart and take hold of the awesome responsibility of being light in a dark, uncertain world.