By NAN Contributors
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Nov. 9, 2016: Somebody call Gina Miller! Britain’s Brexit has come to America and the vast bloc of Caribbean and Latino immigrant voters who showed up for Hillary Clinton at the polls yesterday and as early voters were not enough to stop a wave of angry uneducated White men ready to “take their country back.”
“Say hello to President Trump. The nightmare is real,” Cuban immigrant and journalist Albor Ruiz wrote on social media shortly after the state of Florida went to Trump last night.
The divisive racial results were not lost on many in brown immigrant America.
Jamaican, Gregory Smith, who told NAN he voted for Clinton because he said he wanted to protect Obama’ legacy, called the stunning results a “political 9/11” as Trump was on the cusp of winning the 2016 election.
“America’s civic ignorance and hate will be the death of our democracy,” he said. “God help us!”
But it was not because Caribbean and Latino voters did not do their part. Many left little doubt Tuesday they were for Democratic Presidential hopeful Clinton and many had canvassed, knocked on doors and used social media to encourage others to vote. Mainstream media was also quick to tout the surge of the Latino voting bloc.
The majority of immigrant voters who choose Clinton yesterday and in early voting across the country told NAN reporters they did it mainly because of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric throughout his campaign but also because they felt Mrs. Clinton was by far the more experienced of the two.
Aruba-born Miami-based nurse, Rusette Arends, said she voted for Clinton in the battleground state of Florida because Trump’s expressed feelings about immigrants and women “is insulting.”
“I voted early for Hillary Clinton,” Arends, who has lived in the US for the past 30 years, said last night because “Donald Trump really scares me.”
The Caribbean-born, Latina said in addition to that, Trump’s lack of experience, his arrogance, the fact that he behaves like a 6 year-old and because she is afraid he will start another world is what further influenced her decision.
“It saddens me to think a women or an immigrant would vote for him after all he’s said,” she added.
Also voting in the battle ground state of Florida and in the key area of South Florida was Jamaican immigrant and entrepreneur, Hugh Ferguson.
Ferguson said he voted early for Clinton because of Trump’s anti-immigrant stance, an issue that is important to the Caribbean and immigrant community he is a part of.
Jamaican immigrant Albert Graham also calls Florida home and voted early for Clinton in Orlando because he said she is undoubtedly the most qualified candidate in this election.
In Tampa, Guyana-born immigrant and actor Ron Bobb-Semple said it was a difficult choice for him but on Tuesday morning early he voted for Clinton so he could also see history being made as the first ever woman President is sworn in.
In another battle ground state, Venezuelan national Eduardo Viada, said he choose Clinton as well mainly because of her solid experience in government.
“I voted for Hillary because she has a solid 30 year experience as a government official and she is calm,” Viada told NAN last night. On the other side of the equation, you have Donald Trump. He is a big risk, he is emotional, has no experience dealing with government and too much evidence negative characteristics such as racism.”
In Texas, Trinidad immigrant Gemma David also voted for the Democratic candidate and last night she said she was “literally sick” from the cliff hanger results that showed a likely Trump win.
New Yorkers of course also showed up for Clinton.
Aruba-born Latina Maurella van der Ree voted in the City of Mount Vernon in NYC.
“I voted for Hillary because I’m a registered democrat but also because I believe she will be a better president and will do a better job,” van der Ree said. “I’m looking at competency and if I was asked to compare, Hillary is competent to run the country and because of my heritage. I’m a minority, a woman and a Latina and I voted against the bigotry of Trump.”
In NYC, Guyanese couple Michael and Sharda Bobb also choose Clinton because they felt Trump was a “nut job” while Alex Sahadeo, another Guyanese voter in Queens, NY said he voted for Clinton because “Drumph” was not an option.
Jamaican immigrant Claudette Spence, voted in Flushing, Queens, NY in a heavy Asian community while Pat Sinclair, a first time Jamaican voter in Mount Vernon, NY also voted for Clinton.
Guyanese immigrant Adelita Deepan voted in New Jersey and was also on the ballot there for the Piscataway Board of Education. Last night she was on edge in her home as the results showed Trump the likely victor.
Jamaican Sharon Gordon also voted “without apology” for Hillary Clinton in New Jersey, a state Clinton won as did Caribbean roots voter Tony English while Guyanese Cornel Ferdinand, also voted early for Clinton in Maryland, and was holding his breath last night.
Many immigrant voters in this bloc were also like Ferdinand holding their collective breaths, praying and watching into the wee hours of the morning as they faced a cruel reality – that a vulgar racist, demagogue, misogynist and xenophobe is now the President of the United States of America with a Republican House and Senate in his corner.
Britain’s Brexit with all its pure white hatred has now been visited on America and African-American voters stood by and mostly watched while leaving the immigrant voters fighting hard against scared White men angry at the darkening of “their country.”
Now the question is: will the exodus of immigrants come or will they be walled out soon?
