Trini immigrants shocked by underdog’s victory

Reprinted from Trinidad Guardian

There was shock and disbelief among the Trinidadian and Caribbean community as Donald Trump won Tuesday’s election to become the 45th President of the United States.

He will take the oath of office next January but will spend the next few days marshalling his troops and rebuilding bridges within his Republican Party and is also expected to put together his Cabinet.

Trump’s win has been hailed by the Republicans but immigrants are now concerned about what the win means for them given Trump’s public statements on immigrants during the campaign.

Trinidadians who spoke to the T&T Guardian admitted to being “disappointed and worried” about their future, saying they are now “left to wonder how long we will have jobs and what will be our future here.”

Elsa, from New York, said: “Outside like the morning of 9-11, everything bleak. The only difference is that now is 11-9 but the weather is the same. It cloudy and bleak. People are afraid that something will happen.”

She said many Caribbean Immigrants woke up yesterday “in a state of shock. Everybody just wondering what will happen now. It is like a bad dream. People sad and quiet but we are rallying together.”

Another New York resident, Gloria, said: “Trump won by a landslide and now he saying he wants to bring everybody together. But he divided America with his evil talk. He won because men like evil rather than good but out of evil cometh good and we are praying and hoping for the best.”

Gloria said Trinidadians and other Caribbean nationals were fearful.

“They saying all ah we dead now but we have to wait and watch and see what will happen. Plenty praying going on,” she added.

Mikael La Roche, from Washington DC, told the CNC3 Morning Brew: “The voice of rural America spoke in the election.” La Roche said he sat in “disbelief and watched it unfold.”

“At first people thought it was a joke. The social media reaction was that everyone would pack up their bags and go home but seeing is believing. Everyone now realise there is going to be change,” he said.

La Roche, like many other Caribbean immigrants, is now waiting to see what happens. “There are so many negative things outside of immigration, it is a matter of shock and waiting to see how it unfolds.”

Jessie, from Florida, said when she woke up and heard the news Trump had won “I broke down and cried. I felt betrayed by what I saw as America’s ignorance. I could not believe that Floridians had voted Trump into office.”

Another Trinidadian, Christine, who returned to New York on Monday to vote in the election, said: “If I knew how this was going to turn out I would have stayed in Trinidad.”

She told the T&T Guardian: “I kept praying that Hillary would win but I think the election was rigged. I think Trump was talking about the Republican Party when he talked about rigging. This is a sad day for America. I believe Putin had a lot to do with this election.”

Clinton had raised the Vladimir Putin factor in one of the debates, questioning Trump’s close relationship with the Russian leader. Hours after Trump’s win Putin sent him a congratulatory message.