Throughout his years as a public figure, former President Donald Trump has been nothing if not controversial. From telling a reporter that he could get away with “grabbing [any woman] by the p—-” in an interview years before announcing his candidacy, to more recently calling vice president Kamala Harris an offensive slur used against people with disabilities, his lack of censorship has become a common source of discourse.
Despite this, his comments have not seemed to cause significant damage to his campaign. In fact, many of his supporters say that Trump’s lack of political correctness is part of the reason he appeals to them. This has been, however, until his rally on Sunday, Oct. 27, at Madison Square Garden.
Although he was not the person who uttered the statement that would shake up an already eventful election cycle, it has shown the complete disrespect and lack of care that should not be present in the commander-in-chief’s disposition.
At this rally, several speakers took the stage to represent Trump’s cause and appeal to his audience. The stand-out comment came from roast comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who joked that he heard that there was ‘an island of garbage’ in the middle of the ocean called Puerto Rico.
He said this in New York, a state where 1.1 million Puerto Ricans live in community with their fellow American citizens. The following outcry from Puerto Ricans on and off the island is teaching Trump a lesson that most people who are familiar with Puerto Rico and its proud people already know: a Puerto Rico se respeta, “Puerto Rico is to be respected”.
As a born and raised Puerto Rican, the comments Hinchcliffe made about my home were abhorrent. Puerto Rico, colloquially dubbed the ‘island of enchantment,’ is a diverse place with some of the most beautiful sights, rich history and authentic people.
It houses natural wonders that are visited by millions every year, such as El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the US parks system and the bioluminescent bays that light up as you traverse them at night. The tiny island has birthed world renowned musicians and actors, political players and accomplished athletes. Above all of this, it is also a part of the United States, with all residents being awarded US citizenship at birth since 1941.
The comments made by Trump’s guest might have been brief, but they have undoubtedly finished tearing away at Puerto Ricans’ patience for the former president’s bigotry. When the island was hit with one of the worst hurricanes in modern times, Trump showed up, threw paper towels at crowds and left the same day while trying to block FEMA funds that its residents needed.
During his presidency, he tried to sell Puerto Rico to Denmark in exchange for Greenland. He refers to all us Latin-Americans as rapists and criminals, and now he is paying for others to call us baby-making machines that all ‘real’ Americans should cower away from.
The island of Puerto Rico has been a part of the United States, without its residents consent, since 1898. Over a hundred thousand Puerto Rican nationals have served in the United States Army. Trump has even brought local rappers Anuel AA and Nicky Jam to his rallies.
He knows the political power that the second largest Hispanic population in the country can bring. However, his associate’s statements illustrate much more than a disregard for what Americans consider ‘foreign.’ Trump is not simply ‘hard on immigration’ or ‘America first.’
The small quip made about Puerto Rico was some of Hinchcliffe’s calmest material, as he went on to denigrate a Black audience member and laugh about how he’s scared of migrants and how they are unable to practice safe sex.
Although the presidential candidate wasn’t the one who made these remarks, the fact that he did not see anything wrong with them until he noticed the general reaction of the public shows that he does not care about the huge subset of the population that was ridiculed. Trump’s dislike of diversity and inclusion is not just based on xenophobia or a fear of losing the American way. The former president has instead proven that his bigotry extends to all those who he deems as too unlike him.
This is why Puerto Ricans in particular need to understand the political power they possess. People are questioning their beliefs and evaluating how their votes reflect their character. This needs to translate into political actions such as voting, encouraging those around you to vote and becoming aware of local and national politics. Historically, Puerto Ricans have been a population that has not been able to have autonomy over itself.
Now, that very fact might make us the most capable of overcoming the hatred that is pervading through the Trump campaign.
This story was written by Clara Lebrón. She can be reached at [email protected].
