A Reflection On My Journey Across Nations in the Wake of the US Presidential Election Results

A perspective on how life across borders reveals the stakes of political decisions and the value of civic engagement

As an immigrant to Canada, having also lived in the US, the results of the US presidential election were deeply felt. I found myself at a loss: digging into poetry, reaching out to friends of mine in the US, and falling into a rabbit hole of Youtube videos analyzing the implications for not just America, but also Canada.

My family is currently in the process of immigrating to Canada through the temporary policy imposed in response to the 2020 National Security Law and deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong. But four years ago, amidst fast-growing concerns about the limiting of free speech and the worsening educational landscape of Hong Kong, my parents had hurriedly sent me to an overseas boarding school, where I found myself in New Mexico, a Southwestern state in the US, where I became intimately entangled with the issues facing contemporary America. Now that I have found myself in a completely different country, one step removed from these pressing issues, I still find myself reflecting on my personal experiences in America as a foreigner, and how my future as a Canadian will be shaped by this.

Immigration and Border Control

One of the most highlighted points of contention in Trump’s campaign was his attitude towards immigration and border control, as well as how he wants to manage the Southern border it shares with Mexico—which borders New Mexico, as the names would suggest.

What I want to write is not political, but merely of my own contemplations after having lived in New Mexico. I find myself thinking about people: how on my weekly runs, I would run into 3 kids playing on the dirt road, and how they once gave me a homemade tortilla fresh off the stove. A couple of times, a friend and I had walked into town, 2 hours on foot, and  we stopped by a food truck for tacos and horchata, and it was the best thing we had ever tasted. One of my closest friends at school was Venezuelan, and she is currently studying in the US as an international student hoping to obtain citizenship. At that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder how this might affect her—and as I did so, I remembered all the times we made doing laundry into a fun activity, the nights when we would put on hoodies and sneak into the cafeteria for a midnight snack, or the many late-night conversations we had.

I have no idea what the next four years would do to the people and places I had once encountered. How the border towns I had visited would change, or how a state where half of its population is Hispanic would be impacted. I think of the reddish-brown pueblo houses that lined roadsides and of the lush pine forests all around, and I think about those that continue to call this place home. I wonder what this next chapter of American politics would mean for them.

Abortion

Another major concern that many, particularly women, harbored about Trump’s second term was what it  would mean for reproductive rights. Although throughout his political career, Trump had often changed his stance on abortion bans, many are fearful that Trump’s second term in office would bring about more restrictions to reproductive choice. In a March interview, he indicated support for a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and as president, he backed a House Bill that proposed banning abortion nationwide after 20 weeks, and appointed Supreme Court justices who were instrumental in overturning Roe v. Wade— revoking the right to an abortion as a constitutional right.

In 2022, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, I was still living at a makeshift evacuation camp in New Mexico during the Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak Fires, but the devastating news of this still drew out many women, men, and children to a rally outside of New Mexico State Legislature in support of reproductive rights. I found myself among this crowd of passionate New Mexicans, and listened intently to speakers who spoke about what this would mean for their communities: Black, Indigenous, women, and queer communities. I became aware of how a sweeping policy that limited access to abortions would have more dire ramifications for those within marginalized communities. 

 Abortion remained legal in New Mexico. It is private and protected, just like other medical services, and there is no limit set based on how far along a  pregnancy is. However, the neighboring state of Texas enacted a law that prohibits almost all abortions, and this meant that  many Texans would come to New Mexico to get this medical procedure. However, women without means of travel, mainly poor women, found themselves unable to access those resources.

The intricacies of how abortion law has both structural and personal effects on individual Americans was one that stuck with me. Now, living in Canada, where the political context is not nearly as dire, I still find myself thinking about all the people I had met at that rally in June. Together, we stood shoulder to shoulder under the blazing New Mexican sun, united with one purpose. Today, many of them are facing yet another attack on their rights.

Canada on the World Stage

From Hong Kong to New Mexico,  I continue to grapple with how my experiences in places I have lived intersect with the changing realities of those places. In the wake of shifting political trends, I contemplate the complex questions regarding my positionality in Canada as well as the ramifications of overseas politics on where I currently reside. Moreover, I find myself thinking often of the people I had once shared meals with, went to school with, and stood shoulder to shoulder with.

As I wrap up my reflections, what I would emphasize is that voter turnout in Canada remains low. Looking at the events unfolding across the world, it is more important than ever for people to have their voices heard, and this trend of political disengagement among Canadians is concerning. Canadians who have the right to vote should make use of it, especially considering the ways in which the US election results will impact Canadian politics, diplomacy, and the economy. As the global political landscape undergoes extensive changes, the ability for your vote to make a difference is a right that many are denied— and one that Canadians should value and leverage.