Open Letter to Family and Friends

         I love you, that is first and foremost and one thing that I can say for certain will not change. I am also sorry. I am sorry for what November 8^th, 2016 will forever stand for. Donald Trump is the epitome of the worst form of White America, and he is now our president-elect. To clarify, White America doesn’t necessarily mean white people in America, but rather a despicable coming together of white supremacy, privilege, and fragility. Do not fear with your whole heart yet, though, for everyone that voted for Trump cannot share the same amount of hatred in their soul. Rather, empathize for how badly these communities must be hurting. Family, as immigrants and people of marginalized identities, you know what it is like to feel like your country does not have your best interests in mind. People vote with their hearts and their wallets, and these people saw that their only way to create a fundamental change in the status quo they were suffocating under was to elect Trump. Think about that. How poor must one’s situation be to overlook Islamophobia, xenophobia, misogyny, racism, etc. for just the hope that their lives and the lives of their families may improve? These are our fellow Americans that we ache with, and, through dialogue, must find a way to reach a better tomorrow with.

We must also not be disillusioned, or overlook the bigotry that fueled Trump’s rise to the presidency. There are people out there that would rather see people like you and me hanging from a tree than exercising our democratic rights and that is something we will never stand for! Mother and father, you came to this country with the notion that this was the land of opportunity and would build a better future for your kids. I am sorry that this current reality is still better than any that could have been fathomed back home, but I thank you for instilling in me the will to fight. Your dream did not end with your arrival on American soil, it lives on through your children.

When I called on election night you tried to calm me down by saying “everything happens for a reason”, and I was upset. Now, I see reasons. This election exposed the true colors of some of the most intolerant, unreasonable people that call this country home. These are people we have known the existence of (and interacted with) for years, but now they are brought into the mainstream news cycle and are on camera spewing their ignorance. That is a starting point, now we just need to work on changing the narrative. Another thing I realized is that I can create my own reasons. I believe in my own power to make things happen and refuse to let anyone—businessman, president, or otherwise—deter me from working towards the better life I have planned for all of us.

Friends, thank you for sticking with me. Thank you for showing you care and your solidarity in this struggle. Every community needs allies, and every individual needs a friend. Your unconditional love is greatly appreciated and your input is valuable, so do not ever doubt your power and purpose in my life.

Though the moral compass is subjective, we know where the line is drawn. Donald Trump has crossed the line too many times and we cannot take his political agenda without so much as a fight. This country was built on the yet-to-be-reached ideals of liberty, equality, and justice, and major step backwards is not what we need.