Ilhan Omar, Kamala Harris, Kate Brown, Catherine Cortez Masto, Darren Soto, Adriano Espaillat. These are just some of the examples of how our country is slowly but surely transforming before our own eyes, with few of us actually knowing.
On November 8th, 2016, Donald Trump won the Presidential Election and will become the 45th President of the United States in January. To some, it was devastating. To some, it was a cry for change. To some, it was a smart economic move. However, as various protests in cities throughout the United States have shown, there are a large section of the population so upset about it that they are demanding change.
However, there were more people elected to office than Trump. The names mentioned earlier were all citizens who proved to defy odds and become a number of 'firsts.'
Ilhan Omar
Born in Somalia, Omar moved to the United States as a refugee in her teenage years. Since then, she has been a political activist in Minnesota. On November 8th, Ilhan Omar became the first Somalia-American and refugee to serve as a legislator.
Kamala Harris
Daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, Harris has lived in California her entire life, quickly climbing the political scale, becoming San Fracisco's first female district attorney and California's first Attorney General. On November 8th, Kamala Harris was elected the second female black senator.
Kate Brown
Brown has served the Oregon public for over 25 years, with positions such as Oregon's Senate Majority Leader (the first female to ever hold that position), Oregon's Secretary of State, and other legislative positions. On November 8th, Kate Brown was elected the first open LGBTQ governor.
Catherine Cortez Masto
Mastro, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, has served as the Nevada Attorney General, focusing mainly on issues pertaining to seniors, women, children, and immigrants. On November 8th, Catherine Cortez Mastro became the first Latina Senator.
Darren Soto
Soto has worked for the Florida Legislature for four years, working on environmental issues and decreasing unemployment. On November 8th, having a Puerto Rican father, Darren Soto became the first American-Puerto Rican to represent Florida in the House of Representatives.
Adriano Espaillat
Espaillat has had a ground-breaking career, as he had become the first Dominican-American to serve a state legislature in 1996. Since then, he has become the chair of the Senate Puerto Rican/Latina Caucus and the top Democrat on the Senate Housing Committee. On November 8th, Adriano Espaillat became the first Dominican-American in Congress, representing a district in New York City.
Not to sound too much like Trump, himself, but these milestones are huge. In an election so focused on bigotry, racism, misogyny, sexism, immigration, LGBTQ, human rights, and more, these candidates and more prove that there is hope.
Not only do they provide hope for a more diversified government, but they also provide hope for American citizens as well. They weren't just miraculously voted in; they all needed real, major support, even more so as a minority, from voters. Real people believed in and voted for these candidates because regardless or race, gender, sexual preference, or ethnicity, the American people want what is best for the country. I don't know about you, but that sure makes the election a little bit more exciting.
Also, just taking a chance here, but some of the people who voted for these candidates may have also voted for Trump. So, what does that say? Voters can have different opinions on different people. Voting for one person shouldn't automatically categorize you as a certain type of person.
Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but don't we all need a little bit of hope right now? It breaks my heart seeing people crying out of fear that their mom could get deported. My heart aches for the people who now feel they have nobody looking out for them.
I am not saying our fears of Trump's image and presidency are overdramatized; in fact, I wish I could say that was the case. Instead, what I am saying, is that maybe, just maybe, we have a tendency to see the overall evil before the bright patches.
Honestly, I'm proud of you America. I'm proud, because I believe these six examples and more prove more about our identity than one politician ever could. Above anything else, go out, be kind to others, listen, and respect their opinion.
