American politics driving young people from U.S.
- U.S. elections have created a climate where young people feel unnerved
- Some say they will not accept the election result should Trump win
- Emigration from the United States has almost doubled in 20 years
Young Americans have said that the political and social climate in the United States is driving them away from the country.
Many young people from across the United States have been speaking about the affect of American politics on their lives.
Across America increased polarisation between Republican and Democrats is having a negative impact on the everyday lives of its citizens.
Allison O’Malley Graham, a Texan currently studying Politics in Cambridge, is getting tired of having to explain her political stances.
“It does bother me quite a bit when people go around in Donald Trump costumes for Halloween,” she said. “It’s annoying to have a President that is quite genuinely scaring a lot of marginalised Americans.
“If Trump wins, I think it would change the mental maths about how likely I am to return to the United States.”
Allison is not alone in her anxiety about the current divisions in her home country.
Nora Madaras, a biology student and Democrat canvaser in Georgia, said she and others are already questioning the legitimacy of the vote.
“Biden is way ahead in the polls with a 90% chance of winning, so if Trump was to win – I do not think it would be legitimate,” she said.
“If the Republicans try to power grab, by legal means or voter suppression – I’m not willing to accept that.”
Thomas Leach, from New Jersey, believes Trump’s foreign policy has been “incredibly disruptive”, citing Trump’s approach to Russia, as well as his policies banning travel from some majority-Muslim countries such as Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, as well as citizens from North Korea, and political officials from Venezuela.
He said: “In some ways, we are the biggest power in the world so we need to balance things correctly, and Trump doesn’t know how to do that.”
Emigration from the United States was estimated at 9 million in 2016 – an increase of over 4 million since 1999 – according to figures from the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Young people were more likely to travel abroad for work as a result of the 2008 financial crisis, and potentitally now because of the tense political and social landscape of America today.