As President Donald Trump raised his right hand, I felt the knot in my stomach tighten. It’s a strange feeling, watching a nation change when you’re not part of it. The inauguration of a new president is pivotal, but for international students, it hits differently.
On election night and throughout inauguration day, I felt like I couldn’t comment on the situation or air my grievances because, as an international student, I made the decision to move here. And now I have to deal with the fallout. Though I don’t regret taking the leap, I do wish things would’ve ended up differently.
I moved to the United States this year for college, hoping to start a new chapter of my life in a better place. I love my home back in Bolivia—the bleeding heart of Latin America—but despite its charming landscapes and vibrant culture, I would be lying if I said that the instability of living in a country where people line up from dawn till dusk to get a bag of sugar or a carton of eggs and where presidential candidates bet on who will imprison the other, makes America seem more than dreamy. For years, I trusted that promise. I wanted to pursue the life my parents and I have always dreamed of. The hope is still alive, albeit dimmed.
“Trump’s decisions could affect not only the U.S., but the rest of the world too,” said Andriani Lamprinou, a freshman journalism major from Greece. In reality, that’s the true fear plaguing international students. Trump’s influence stretches far beyond that which we can fully understand, and his reach is intimidating considering the goals he has outlined not only for America but the world at large.
However, not everyone shares the same feeling of dread. Trump supporters across the country proudly celebrate their victory after a tumultuous election cycle, preparing to finally embrace the America they seemed to miss last administration.
“There are worse things that could happen,” voiced a freshman creative writing major and international student who passively and anonymously approved of President Trump’s economic and immigration policies. Despite public skepticism about Trump’s foreign policies, some firmly believe that he’s the right man for the job.
“I’m not worried about anything, I think other nations fear him. They know he’s probably going to do something terrible so they will try to keep the peace,” the student, who requested anonymity fearing public backlash, continued. “I don’t necessarily agree with everything he’s said, but I’m positive about the changes he’s going to make.”
With international students making up 16% of the undergraduate student population, we are inherently a diverse group of individuals, and it would be unrealistic to expect everyone to hop on the liberal bandwagon.
Truth be told, the international student I spoke to was apprehensive to express her true feelings regarding the inauguration and President Trump for fear of being judged. “I try not to talk about my political identity unless it’s around people who I know can have a conversation without attacking everything I say,” she said. “Everyone assumes that everyone thinks the same, but you don’t always know.”
To highlight both sides of the same coin, even in this minuscule way, is the only truth that remains. The good, the bad, and the ugly intermingle when it comes to politics, and it’s unrealistic to not represent every side at play because we must learn to face these perspectives in a civil manner. As the freshman creative writing major admits, “maybe if there was more conversation, we’d be better off.”
“I feel that we should still take care of each other and help each other whenever difficulties arise,” Lamprinou continued. For now, it’s important to support one another because the only way we will come out of the [next] four years is together.
“I just hope that things won’t become worse,” Lamprinou concluded, and for everyone’s sake, I sincerely wish all the panic brewing is just a product of paranoia as opposed to reality.
For the next four years, all we can ask for is mercy. As Trump sticks to his agenda, and the American populace becomes deeply divided, all I can hope for is that I won’t have to watch history repeat itself, or even worse, report it as current events. Like many in this nation, I’m tired. I just want some peace of mind, if not some relief from the exhausting feedback loop of disappointment I know all too well. I’m sick of taking sides; I just want to be absolved, and I know I’m not the only one.
However, I vehemently refuse to let Trump be the reason I despise American life. Despite the uncertainty that accompanies the future of this nation under his command, I’m certain we will endure. So for now, we wait, we hope, and most importantly, we brace.
