‘‘I've gotten used to having my passport with me at all times”: Dispatches from the USA’s Latinx Community
Since Donald Trump's electoral victory, he has embarked on various campaigns against marginalised groups, and already taken countless actions with inflammatory international consequences – whether it's a series of tariffs followed by an unparalleled isolationism, a prejudiced and invalidating agenda against transgender people, or even the so-called patriotic intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
The U.S. president's vitriol against Mexico and Latin American countries is nothing new. He has a long record that ranges from the border wall to discriminatory, generalising, and insulting remarks against an already segregated community. As his second administration promises to intensify deportations, particularly of Latin Americans, vowing to make America great again, concerns and new challenges rise, along with returning feelings of fear, anger, and the lingering trauma of being Latinx under an administration that has made you a target.
For Jasmine, a Mexican-American who lives in Milwaukee, everyday life seems almost normal. But with the constant news of legal permanent residents and U.S.-born citizens being detained and even deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), she feels like the only home she knows can't protect her anymore. ‘‘I've gotten used to having my passport with me at all times,’’ Jasmine says. According to Daniela, a Cuban-American living on the East Coast of Florida, this harassment is more than just an attack on the Latinx community but also on the justice system. Describing life in the U.S. today as “extremely alienating,” she also feels the effects of increased discrimination. Daniela recalls being threatened by a white man in a grocery store for speaking Spanish on her cell phone. ''He was angry that I was speaking [Spanish] to a family member and asked a store employee to escort me, saying that I should go back where I came from if I don't want to see how he deals with intruders.’’
“Every aspect of who we are is under attack,’’ shares Alexandrina, an Afro-Latinx actress of Dominican-Haitian descent, living in Los Angeles, who feels the weight of being seen as both invisible and a target simultaneously. Although she is grateful that L.A. has a large Latinx population with a strong sense of unity, Alexandrina senses a shift in the atmosphere now, as people start to spread anti-Latinx sentiment both online and in daily life.
‘‘Even if immigrants follow all the rules, they're still demonised. It's not about legality, it's about racism.’’
Their concerns, however, go beyond deportation and discrimination – they also include worries about threats to reproductive rights and sexuality. ‘‘As a woman, I have never felt less free in the U.S.,’’ Daniela, who is bisexual, says. She highlights that she sometimes feels discouraged in being open about her sexuality, and carries around the feeling that her body has been appropriated for political purposes. Jennifer Han, a Mexican-American editor at Academized.com, echoes this sentiment, stating that the way reproductive rights are being chipped away, mainly in states with large Latinx populations, feels personal. ‘‘Our bodies are seen as battlegrounds, and the voices of women like me – immigrant, brown, working-class – are pushed even further into the margins.’’
As a mental health provider, Claudia, a Nicaraguan therapist living in San Francisco, is concerned about the loss of access.‘‘The U.S. government likes to put forth a narrative that they care about democracy and people, looking deeper into history, though they care about power and control,’’ she shares. In times like these, the professional emphasizes the importance of critically evaluating the news, supporting trans and non-binary people, and strategising alternatives to ensure safe and appropriate access to reproductive care for vulnerable populations.
Another growing issue for her is the economy. ‘‘We're still making the same amount of money but we're spending so much more, so that's really concerning,’’ she says, on inflation. ‘‘It's not just eggs – it's everything. Are we going to be able to afford our kids' school, rent, and groceries? Not even to mention things like savings and retirement goals – just the basic needs.’’ Jasmine shares similar concerns on the topic and the effects it will have on people like her parents, who are retired and on a fixed income. ‘‘The Trump administration is just hacking and slashing international alliances and trade agreements without second thought, and I worry about the effects that’s going to have months from now,’’ she explains.
‘‘This administration wants people like me to be afraid and hopeless, and I refuse to give them that,’’
For Jasmine, Trump’s first presidency was synonymous with relentless stress. At the time, she was working for a social justice nonprofit dedicated to mitigating the ongoing harm caused by his administration.‘‘We were running Know Your Rights workshops in immigrant communities, attending protests and demonstrations, knocking on doors to get people to vote, running fundraisers,’’ she recalls. By 2020, Jasmine was exhausted. ‘‘It was just too heavy. I'd like to think that, under a different presidency, I might still be working in the field…but under his, it was just so much.’’
In 2025, having recovered from her initial despair on the night of the 2024 election, she felt a strong sense of determination: ‘‘We've been through this before… it's not going to be the same as last time… but we have to survive this,” she thought. If during his first term she was fuelled solely by rage, this time she’s choosing joy and community as a form of resistance – whether it's spending time with people, making art, or singing and dancing.
Jasmine states fearlessly. Resistance comes in many forms – protests, boycotts, or simply the act of cherishing Latinx culture. ‘‘I am extremely proud of my background and the perspective that it has given me,’’ Daniela, who credits her resilience to her Cuban identity, says. Likewise, Alexandrina attributes her strength to her ancestors, the warriors and survivors of Hispaniola and Africa. ‘‘I know their blood runs through me, their strength, and their wisdom. When things get hard, I remember what they survived, and I find my strength there. We have to reconnect with our roots and honor them. We owe it to them and to ourselves.’’
