What is your name?
Rachel
Where is your favorite place to spend time?
My hometown in Connecticut. It's a tiny town in the country, by the Berkshire Mountains.
What are some of your interests or hobbies?
I love to read, cook, and go on long hikes.
Are you currently in school or working or both? What are you studying in school? What do you do for work?
I'm in school and also working. I'm studying environmental science and working as a bartender.
What do you hope to do career wise, if you don’t already have one? If you do have one, is it fulfilling? What are some barriers to that fulfillment?
I'm not sure what specific profession I'd like to pursue, but I know I want to be researching and teaching - maybe a university professor. I've had a lot of encouragement from my family and teachers but my academic path has been a long one. I've had to financially support myself since I was 18 and that made going to school difficult when I was working minimum wage for the first years of my early adulthood. Now that I'm financially stable, I can go to school without having to worry about paying rent but I still have to work to support myself so I only go to school part time.
To what degree do you consider yourself politically engaged? Has the outcome of the election changed this in any way?
I consider myself to be politically aware but minimally engaged. I've gone to some rallies and marches in my lifetime and I've donated to and volunteered at organizations that I believed represented my values, but those instances have been few and far between. I had always thought there would be a better time for me, down the road, to be more politically engaged. I thought that I if I focused on school I would be more prepared to contribute after graduation. That way of thinking has definitely changed for me after this election. By the time I graduate, Trump will have completed his term. His presidency is a threat to everything I value and I believe it would be unethical for me to stand by and not fight for those values.
What did it feel like when it became clear that Trump had secured a path to victory?
It felt unreal.
Why do you think that Trump’s message appealed to so many people? Do you think that those who voted for Trump had valid concerns?
First is the obvious, which was Trump's racist, xenophobic, misogynist and bigoted rhetoric appealing to those who hold the same views. That has become glaringly evident in the days after the election as we have seen hundreds of attacks on women and ethnic and religious minorities, as well demonstrations by hate groups and hateful individuals. Second, I think there was a large portion of the participating electorate who voted for Trump as retaliation against what they saw as a 'closed-door" elitist culture of Washington, a culture they feel does not represent them nor wants to. Trump presented himself as the outsider who could "shake things up". While many of us saw his total lack of political experience and departure from diplomatic norms as ludicrous, many also saw it as a promising indication of change.
I do believe that there are people who voted for him who had valid concerns. I believe that many of those who voted for him based on his racist agenda face economic challenges that their ignorance and fear has interpreted as racial ones. I also understand Trump supporters' frustrations with our political system. I wish I could blame all of its current inefficacies on the Republican party but the Democrats have not pushed a progressive agenda for decades and have alienated many by moving to the right.
If you had the opportunity to sit down and have lunch with a die-hard Trump supporter, would you? If so, what are some of the things you’d like to discuss with them?
I would on the condition that both of us be willing to listen to each other and treat one another with mutual respect. I would like to hear the reasons why they supported him and push for substantive answers. I don't think my goal would be to change their mind, necessary, but rather to engage in a meaningful, thoughtful discussion based on critical thinking and empathy.
Are you a part of a demographic group that Trump has attacked or threatened? Can you speak about how his words have affected you personally?
I am. I am a multiracial woman. 3 out of 4 of my grandparents were/are immigrants, all from different countries. My fourth grandparent is black and our ancestors were brought to the U.S. as slaves. I have the privilege to not fear my citizenship or my marriage challenged in the next 4 years but I worry about the future of my reproductive rights, my rights as a woman, and my rights to a healthy environment. Both of my parents are feminists and I was brought up to believe that my gender was irrelevant when it came to ambition and opportunity. I feel personally insulted when Trump verbally degrades women, when he boasts about sexually assaulting women. It makes me very afraid to think that he's setting a new cultural precedent in which women are viewed as second-class citizens without ownership of their own bodies.
What do you think about the fact that Trump has dismissed the science behind human-caused climate change? Why do you think climate change has become so politicized? What do you think a Trump presidency means for the environment?
First off, I don't think Donald Trump is an intelligent man and I think he's completely uninterested in learning basic scientific concepts. He has never taken a consistent stand on climate change (he's gone form claiming that climate change is a hoax perpetuated by China to claiming that global temperatures may be warmer but that it's perfectly natural and safe) which indicates that he doesn't even understand his own opinions.
Climate change has become politicized for a couple of reasons. One is that by acknowledging that climate change is human- caused, mainly by burning fossil fuels, it follows that in order to address climate change we need to completely reshape our energy and economic paradigms. Such a monumental change is threatening to those who benefit in those sectors and many of them have financed organizations that seek to discredit climate scientists by spreading misinformation to the public. Another reason, I believe, is the public's lack of trust in and familiarity with science and the scientific process. In addition, science-related news is barely featured in our major news outlets, but politics nowadays takes front and center. People may be evaluating climate change through a political lens because that's how they're used to framing issues.
I think a Trump presidency means that we will be seeing a complete reverse of the long-term sustainability-based energy program our government was initiating. Trump wants to expand coal, oil and gas production and back out of the Paris Agreement. All efforts to promote sustainability in this country will be delayed and redirected towards mitigating the damage that his presidency will do to our environment. I do not see any hopeful scenario for our environment in the next 4 years.
Do you feel compelled to act in response to the outcome of the election, both senatorial, presidential, and the now likelihood of a conservative-leaning supreme court? Why or why not? What course of action will you take to achieve your intended goal?
Like I said, I feel it is now my responsibility to take action and fight for my values. I'm planning on creating a club for City College students from all fields of study to focus on climate change. I'd like the club not just to focus on how climate change impacts each student's field but also how climate change interrelates to all of our studies. I'd like the club to serve as a mobilizing force in which students with different backgrounds work together towards a common goal while both teaching and learning from each other.
Do you have any family members or close friends who voted for Trump? How has this affected your relationship with them, if it has?
I don't think i have any family members who voted for Trump
Is voting an obligation? Please Explain.
I believe a moral one, yes. I understand people's frustration and decision to not vote and I could talk at length about the flaws and corrupt nature of our political system. But the vote is the most important tool we have that gives power to our voice and when we refuse to participate we send the message that we are not interested in having that power.
Of the many areas of life that Trump’s presidency will likely affect, what issues are most dear to you?
I don't know if I can say that one issue is more important to me than another. I'm choosing to focus on climate change not just because it interests me as a budding scientist, but also because it connects to so many other issues - economics, social justice, women's rights, and education, to name a few.
What message would you like to send those who are feeling disparaged or socially isolated in light of the election?
I know. I'm also afraid. I'm also angry. Reach out, ask for help, offer help. Together we can show him what people power really looks like, after all, a Trump presidency can not remake the world if we won't let it.