How to Talk to Your Familia About Politics During the Holidays
Sweating the holidays with your relatives because 27% of Americans voted for Trump? Instead of closing off and taking your plate of food into your room to be alone, here are some short tips on how to talk to your familia about the election.
First off, the election turned into an ugly spectacle that nobody wanted and by the end of it, most of us just wanted it to be over. We understand that tensions will likely be high for a lot of families, but it’s important that you speak up for your values. And if you do have that family member who voted for Trump, here are some ways to talk to them about why this election is so important to you but first off:
- Know Your Facts (and What You Don’t Know)
- Put Yourself in Their Shoes
- Put Your Own Spin On It
- Be patient and don’t throw out insults. It takes time!
Also, make sure the record is clear. Nearly 8 out of 10 Latinos rejected Trump’s agenda, and instead voted to protect their families and communities. A lot of our issues were on the line during the election, and even if the results didn’t go how you would have liked, we still have to keep fighting for a country that is reflective of who we are. The election doesn’t change that.
So as you sit around the dinner table, make sure you speak up for the issues you care about, and talk to your family about how they can help as well. And use these guides from our partner organizations to make sure you have all the information you need.
Wage and Fight for $15:
Working families and our communities have been struggling for decades in the face of gross corporate greed that has kept wages low — despite record profits — and blocked opportunities for workers, our families, and our communities to get ahead. While our hard work has helped make this country the wealthiest in human history, many of us can barely afford to put food on the table for our families.
The Fight for $15 movement has raised the national consciousness about what working families need to get ahead and support the ones they love. Since the fight began 4 years ago, 10 million workers are now on a clear path to $15 and a total of 22 million workers won higher wages. And now we must come together as before to keep fighting.
LGBTQ Issues:
A majority of Americans now personally know someone who is lesbian, gay, or bisexual. More than a third of Americans say they personally know or work with someone who is transgender, a dramatic rise from single digits just a few years ago. When people know LGBTQ people their support for equality increases because they realize that LGBTQ people are just like them, merely seeking to live their lives and fully contribute to their workplaces, communities, and country.
But the reality is that LGBTQ people still face significant discrimination throughout their lives and, in a majority of states and at the federal level, they still lack clear and explicit protections from discrimination in the employment, housing, education, credit, government programs and public spaces. That means that LGBTQ people are still at risk of being fired from their jobs, denied housing, or kicked out of a restaurant simply because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. LGBTQ people deserve full federal equality, nothing more and nothing less.
Immigration:
President-Elect Trump plans on deporting 2–3 million undocumented immigrants immediately upon taking office, who he claims are all criminals, but a claim that is categorically false. As Dara Lind of Vox breaks it down:
The Trump administration isn’t going to be able to deport 2 or 3 million “criminal illegal immigrants,” because there simply aren’t that many people who fit the description. If it wants to deport 2 to 3 million people, it’s going to have to scoop up a lot of people who don’t already have criminal convictions.
His policies will undoubtedly separate millions of families and deport countless immigrants who are not criminals, but instead hard-working people and who have made the U.S. their home for many years and that could be costly for our country.
The future of DACA also remains in question. DACA is a program that currently protects more than 700,000 young immigrants from deportation and has given many of them the opportunity to work legally for the first time.
The Center for American Progress estimates that ending DACA would wipe away at least $433.4 billion from the U.S. gross domestic product, or GDP, cumulatively over a decade.
A policy of mass deportation would immediately reduce the nation’s GDP by 1.4 percent, and ultimately by 2.6 percent, and reduce cumulative GDP over 10 years by $4.7 trillion.
Click here for other important questions on immigration.
There are nine million Latinas of reproductive age and many Latinas rely on Planned Parenthood every year for essential health care, like STD testing and treatment, birth control, cancer screening, and well-woman exams.
One in five American women has chosen Planned Parenthood for health care at least once in her life.
The heart of Planned Parenthood is in the local community.
Their health centers provide a wide range of safe, reliable health care — and the majority is preventive, primary care, which helps prevent unintended pregnancies through contraception, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections through testing and treatment, and screen for cervical and other cancers. Caring physicians, nurse practitioners, and other staff take time to talk with clients, encouraging them to ask questions in an environment that millions have grown to trust.
Environment:
The results of the presidential election don’t change the fact that the impacts of climate change are already upon us and that we as a country must continue to come together to address this crisis.
We need to defend President Obama’s tremendous progress in fighting climate change, protecting treasured public lands, and ensuring all communities have access to clean air and water.
If President-Elect Trump and his allies think the results of this election give them a mandate to roll back this progress they are sorely mistaken. To the contrary, polls demonstrate bipartisan support for action on climate change and protections for clean air and clean water, and we urge Donald Trump to respect that support.
Conclusion:
So as you gather around the dinner table during the holidays, we hope you use these handy guides to talk to your family about the issues that matter to you and how we can all collectively come together to address them.
We wish you all a happy holiday season with your family!
