This article was written by Simone Keibler
Trump voices his opinion on immigration, and Point Park University students do too.
The hot topic of immigration stirs up the nation, and Point Park University students have brewed their opinions on the matter too. With Trump saying that he will “build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico,” it is hard to ignore.
Trump launched his campaign in June with a controversial speech in which he boldly spoke and urged citizens to see his point of view. Trump said,
“The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. [Applause] Thank you. It’s true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Since then, he has been vocal about wanting to build a wall along the entire 3,100-kilometre border with Mexico.
The 2016 presidential candidate clarified in an interview that aired on CNN’s “State of the Union” his intentions, saying, “I’d build it. I’d build it very nicely. I’m very good at building things.”
For some Americans and Latinos, this thought is very unsettling.
“Even the idea of making a wall is like: wow, here he talks about Mexicans, but you know we [Latinos] feel hurt. It involves all of us. I don’t think it’s right at all,” junior Finance and Economics Venezuelan student Edberg Dominguez said.
Moreover, recently crimes committed by illegal immigrants have recently been under high speculation. For instance, according to the New York Daily News an illegal immigrant murdered a San Francisco women in June. This event blew up on the media as a convicting example demanding immediate and severe action against illegal immigration.
Moreover, it was reported by the news that in August, a similar unfortunate event occurred when an illegal immigrant entered a California woman’s home and raped and beat her. She died eight days later.
“America is the land of the free, if you say that many Mexicans are rapists or murderers, that’s not fair,” Dominguez said. “You cannot judge one instance and apply it to all of them.”
In light of that, what about the other illegal immigrants who are not violent but are here to find a more promising life? Some may question their legitimacy and their right to belong.
“Obviously they do commit a crime because they are here illegally,” Public Relations senior Josh Strother pointed out. “The avenue for them to become citizens is not easy, so I think we have to revamp our immigration system.”
While immigration numbers continue to rise, the avenue to citizenship seems to be increasingly difficult to come by, and even more difficult if Trump is placed in the white house.
Not only does he want to “round up the 11 million undocumented immigrants in a very humane way and deport them,” as stated in an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes, but he also wants to discontinue citizenship of children with noncitizen parents.
This policy may lead citizens to a conflicting question posed by Strothers, “If being born in America does not make you American, then what does?”
Birthright citizenship was deemed in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution primarily establishing freedom of the emancipated slaves, according to the Library of Congress. The amendment states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Therefore, this policy is a key foundation of America. While not every country practices this model, many other countries, including Mexico, have a similar structure.
Fellow student Maria Navia from Colombia, and junior Psychology major, said she takes pride in being Latina, and believes that Trump is “taking the negative stereotypes of Latinos to a stronger degree than normal.” This stronger degree has caused a reaction in popularity among citizens as well as from businesses too.
While major companies, like NBC Universal, Macy’s, and Univision, no longer associate with Trump due to his sentiments in regards to Latinos, he does not let that plan to hinder him, he said in an interview with NBC News.
In addition, some individuals believe that Republican’s support of Trump is not a positive step. “It’s not a good look for the party.” Strothers said. “You need those Latino votes to win an election these days, it’s not just the overwhelming white majority anymore… It’s not a good look for the country either.”
With the challenging ideas that Trump has proposed, and with his entertainment background in shows like The Apprentice, the public wonders if he can truly be taken seriously.
Brazilian senior Advertising student Chris Mika said, “I think he’s just doing it in order to get publicity out of it. It doesn’t matter if you talk bad, or if you talk good, just talk about me.” Americans have familiarized themselves with seeing Trump’s face on television, book covers, and social media. Mika is convicted that Trump will never have a politically dominant position, saying, “Literally, he’s a joke.”
In contrast, according to MSNBC news, when Trump was questioned by CNN host Jake Tapper whether his run is just about promoting his brand, as many onlookers like Mika have criticized, Trump said, “I’m giving up hundreds of millions of dollars to do this. I’m giving up a prime-time television show… I’m in it to win it.”
Trump has made his immigration policy and his opinions clear, and so have the Point Park University students and many others in response. Soon, the nation will vote together to make a decision for their future, and for the millions undocumented as well. Contrasting values and beliefs are shown by each candidate, and perhaps they will likewise reflect those of the nation as well.