MAKE AMERICA GREAT FOR MEXICANS AGAIN
Frustrated by the mistreatment of Mexicans by the Trump administration, coupled with the uncertainty of the upcoming election, Mexican born, Sullivan County resident, and registered Democrat, Mariana Ridgell decided to take matters into her own hands by volunteering as a pollster in the eleventh hour at her home base in the conservative town of Rockland, New York. Here, she discusses with Nhi Nguyen the issues she faced while working the polls in Livingston Manor, her disappointment in the Latin American communities, Trump’s anti-brown immigrant campaign, and the importance of being vocal, no matter who the president.
Tired, anxious, and nervous, Marianna Ridgell shown here in her apartment in Livingston Manor, New York, is optimistic that Biden will win. Photo: Nhi Nguyen
Interview and Photography by Nhi Nguyen
Nhi: Tell me why you decided to become a pollster.
Mariana: I've been following the election, and this year, I didn't get as involved as when Obama was running. When I went to early voting in Monticello, New York, I saw so many people working. It was a little bit last minute, but I asked if they needed poll workers, and they did, so I signed up for it. I thought it was crucial for me to get involved.
Nhi: And what was the experience like?
Mariana: As it turns out, they did need people there. Some of the things that I observed is that a lot of older people have been doing this for many years and they're very dedicated. One of the woman who was working at the polls said she'd been voting in every single election since she was 18. She's 79 now. She's very dedicated. However, she was not up to date with her technology. More and more, elections are going to be technology-oriented. And a lot of people don't know how to use computers. So it was really good that there were some young people there and we were able to help out with the computer setup. I feel that had a couple of other people and I not been there, we would not have been able to open the polls on time.
Nhi: Jesus, that's crazy.
Mariana: They were having a tough time setting up the computing machine, which is not computer-based, but iPad based. We were able to look at the manual, make it work quickly, and opened the polls three minutes late. We were there an hour before the polls were open, running around, setting everything up. There's a lot of work that goes into it. It was an amazing experience to see how much goes into working the polls, even a small poll like this.
Nhi: What was the crowd like?
The Livingston Manor fire station at the end of Main Street was the official polling center for the town of Rockland, New York.
Mariana Ridgell, at the last minute, decided to volunteer as a pollster in Livingston Manor, New York. Photo: Nhi Nguyen
Mariana: The crowd was very interesting because the town of Rockland has a lot of conservatives. Some showed up with their MAGA hats. There was one democratic pollster that was asking them not to come in with them.
Nhi: Really? Why can't you come in with your MAGA hat?
Mariana: Well, legally, when you go vote, you cannot wear party affiliation t-shirts or hats. Traditionally, this has changed in the last few years, but you keep your vote secret.
Nhi: So do you think the majority of Rockland residents are conservatives or liberals?
Mariana: I could see that the people that have been living here for a long time were conservative Republicans — the older people and some of the younger people. Many families came in, like residents that have been in the area for many years. But there's also been a shift, especially in Livingston Manor, where there's a lot of people moving in from other regions of New York or the city. And, not to stereotype, but clearly, they're liberals or Democrats.
Nhi: And they're registered up here?
Mariana: Yes, they're registered up here, and they voted here. So I did see a lot of people that I know from the area that have opened businesses in the recent years, that I know are Democrat, coming into the poll. Everyone is very polite, very civilized.
Mariana Ridgell stands in front of the high school in Livingston Manor, New York, a burgeoning village with a population of 1,200 in the Western Catskills that has seen an influx of new and liberal residents in recent years. Photo: Nhi Nguyen
Nhi: You know, the media sort of painted this chaotic reality the weeks coming up to the election. I talked to a few people, and they're all freaking out that it's going to be dangerous to vote and things are going to happen. Did you see any of that?
Mariana: No, not at all. Not here. I don't feel that there was ever a threat to that here. However, that is part of the reason why I volunteered. Just because I consider myself to be a person who can manage conflict relatively well. I know that groups were threatening to do that in other areas of the country, to go to the polls and threaten and intimidate people, which is so anti-democratic. But here, no, people were very polite.
Mariana: Some people who did come in to vote were already kind of on the defensive. We were very polite and they took down their guard quickly. They were assuming that we were not going to be effective and they were frustrated by how the system had changed. Many people complained that they used to vote here, and that it all used to be in the same room, or that they didn't have iPads. People were shocked by the iPads. And a couple of times, I was like, well, it's the future.
“I know that groups were threatening to do that in other areas of the country, to go to the polls and threaten and intimidate people, which is so anti-democratic.”
Nhi: You're Mexican American. How does it feel to be in this particular election and engaging in it so directly, knowing that this administration has been so opposed to your former country?
Mariana: That's been the biggest thing for me, on many levels. One of the things that I observed is that the news in the US is very insular, so many people are not informed of how other governments work. And I have had the privilege of watching elections in Mexico and the US. I've always been interested in elections since I was very little. And to see the signs of the lack of democracy -- that I can recognize from Mexican elections -- showing up in US elections.
Adamantly a social smoker, Mariana Ridgell admits ‘liberally’ smoking this week because of how stressful the election has been for her. Photo: Nhi Nguyen
Mariana: It's been shocking to see the naiveness in people, not recognizing corruption, or not recognizing when things are rigged both ways, to not easily vote, which have been happening in Mexico for a long time. This election also did touch a nerve because the US and Mexico have always had a very complicated relationship. But we've always been friends. We've still managed. And we, as Mexicans, had never been so openly attacked by the US government on such a personal level. It was important for me to be involved in that sense.
Nhi: Now that you've voted and taken part in the whole election process, how do you see yourself moving forward in the next four years if Trump is reelected?
Mariana: I feel that I need to be more involved. Just moving forward in general, I feel people need to if they want a democracy. It takes work.
Nhi: The race is so tight that even if one candidate wins and the other doesn't, it's a clear indication that this country is split. Knowing that, if Biden does win, do you sense a victory for America, or is there more work to be done?
“We, as Mexicans, had never been so openly attacked by the US government on such a personal level. It was important for me to be involved...”
Mariana: I think a lot of issues came to the surface, a lot of stereotypes towards Mexicans, and they have to be fixed. But I feel that whoever wins, as a Mexican, I've always had a desire to be a good representative of both Mexico and the US. Often when I go to Mexico, I have defended Americans. But not Trump. Absolutely not. I think it's frustrating to see the stereotypes of Mexicans and the hatred growing recently.
Nhi: So for you, it's personal.
Mariana: There's a personal aspect to it. It hurts me to hear these things. I've had really interesting experiences over the last few years, where I had to sit down and say, when Trump is attacking Mexicans, he is attacking me, because I am Mexican. Whereas before, I could separate and be like, he's just talking about these immigrants or that the rhetoric is against these kinds of Mexicans. And I wasn't getting as emotionally involved. Now, I feel like many Mexicans are suffering the consequences of what's happening.
The presidential race is too close for comfort, signaling a truly divided country. Photo: Nhi Nguyen
Nhi: Why do you feel that now versus then? What was the shift?
Mariana: The shift was that there was a dialogue defending Mexican immigrants. And there were still possibilities of saying, Mexican immigrants can come in and do the work that a lot of people don't want to do. And there are many people still standing up and defending the economic benefits that Mexican or other immigrants bring to the US, which they do. It's not being spoken about us openly anymore or acknowledged. It is also a little painful to see that my fellow Mexicans who can and have a voice are not speaking as loudly against some of the injustices that are happening.
Nhi: By the way, I believe Trump did get a lot of Latin American voters in Florida. How do you feel about that?
“I’ve always had a desire to be a good representative of both Mexico and the US. Often when I go to Mexico, I have defended Americans.”
Mariana: Well, the thing is, all our experiences are very different. So what happens is that a lot of Spanish speaking voters get put together, but we're quite different. For example, in Miami, Cuban Americans would be very afraid of socialism because of their experience, ideas of communism and socialism. The Venezuelans too. But Mexicans that voted for Trump, I don't know how to justify it. How can they think about the economy or some of the things that Trump is selling but not consider that they're also being attacked on another level? So it's like holding on to one idea and not wanting to see the other situations.
Nhi: The same thing is happening with Asians too. There's a substantial Vietnamese community in California that are Republican, pro-Trump and precisely because of their past history with communism. Unlike you, I do group all Asians alike. We are all in the same boat. I understand your point of view as to why Cubans may support Trump, but for me, it just doesn't make any sense because his campaign is so anti-immigrant.
Though Mariana Ridgell was born and raised in Mexico City, she spent the better part of her teens and early adult life attending middle and high school in upstate New York and Las Vegas, Nevada. She finds herself often torn by her allegiance to her birth and adopted country. Photo: Nhi Nguyen
Mariana: Anti brown immigrant. So yes, in that sense, what you just said does trigger another thing that I've thought about a lot. Traditionally, Latin American countries have, as individuals, we always appreciate each other. Something has broken with this administration, where it's like, why don't you have our back? Like, we were all immigrants. We're all brown immigrants, and he's talking about this particular group of Mexicans. Why don't you defend us? And why are you voting against us? And especially, I think about the 500 kids in cages.
Nhi: Where the parents are missing now…
Mariana: They're missing, and they're from all over Latin America. They're not only Mexican. They're from Ecuador — countries that are in that situation, partly because of our intervention. They had to immigrate to the US because the US had meddled in their governments. Why are Americans of Latin descent not taking responsibility for how their decisions have affected Latin Americans who have had to immigrate to the US?
“But Mexicans that voted for Trump, I don’t know how to justify it. How can they think about the economy or some of the things that Trump is selling but not consider that they’re also being attacked on another level? ”
Nhi: It comes back to what you're saying about its anti-brown-immigration. And, more succinctly, it's a campaign that supports the Anglo ideas.
Mariana: But that's also what's happening in the Latin community. What's interesting about the Latin community is that many Cuban immigrants are generations of what used to be rich Cubans.
Nhi: So they identify as white.
Mariana Rigdell is uncertain of what she will do if Biden wins the election. For her, living through four years of Trump has been extremely traumatizing. Photo: Nhi Nguyen
Mariana: They identify as white, and they are racist. They were racist in Cuba. And they are racist here. So sometimes it's about communism, and very often it's about racism. And there is a lot of racism in the Latin community. Mexico is a highly racist country too.
Nhi: Many people who vote for Trump adamantly disagree and say that they're not racist. That they have friends who are Mexican and Black, and they appreciate all races. That they support Trump because he's good for the economy; he does things for Americans; he puts Americans first. You clearly disagree.
Mariana: How can you have ideas (especially a Christian country) where the economy is more important than people's lives? The economy might be healthy, but you do not see it in the people. You do not see it in the white people. You do not see it with Black people. Not a lot of people are doing that well in the US, and this pandemic showed it.
“The economy might be healthy, but you do not see it in the people. You do not see it in the white people. You do not see it with Black people. Not a lot of people are doing that well in the US, and this pandemic showed it. ”
Nhi: Last question. What's the first thing you're going to do if Biden wins? What about Trump?
Mariana: If Biden wins, I honestly don't know what I'll do. I feel like the trauma of having Trump as president has been deeply ingrained in my identity. If Trump wins, there is a project that I've been working on right now that I think would be more pertinent than ever. It's about trying to find a way to give voice to Mexicans because a lot of what's happening with racism is that people are not willing to look at individual immigrants and get to know them. So I have to find a way to open that up somehow. If Trump wins, I'd be way more outspoken about what's happening at the border. I think people should be outraged at how that's been handled. But even if Biden wins, it doesn't change the fact that we all still have blood on our hands.