On March 28, citizens across N.H. came together to rally against President Donald Trump and his monarchical ways, like many states nationwide. Hundreds of people gathered in Concord, N.H. for the third nationwide No Kings protest, where New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) took the opportunity to speak to a few people and get their insight and opinions on what is going on throughout the country. NHPR spoke to a first-generation American from a family that immigrated from Colombia.
“I’m a first generation American, and I wanted to represent those who couldn’t represent themselves,” Acosta said when NHPR interviewed her. Acosta also spoke about her family members and their experiences. “We have family members who are documented and carry their documents with them constantly,” Acosta said, “We have one who is in the process of getting a green card, who has dropped out of the family text chain, who doesn’t feel like she can come to things like this because it might impact her greencard process negatively.”
There are millions of people across America just like Acosta’s family who are in the process of getting their green card, but are too scared to do or say anything that puts their cards in jeopardy. I don’t blame them. Just watching the news and listening to so many different families and their stories on the internet makes it clear that people who have legal American citizenship are being deported. Those who are in the courthouse getting their greencard’s or going in for their meetings are being taken without due process and without any questions, just based on the color of their skin and what language they speak. Nobody should be afraid to leave their homes and think they might not come back.
It’s not just people from immigrant families who showed up and protested, but also American citizens who have been here since the Vietnam War. NHPR interviewed Jante Douglass from Concord, who was attending a No Kings protest for the first time, but had protested the Vietnam War. “Gas prices, food prices, my health insurance, everything is just gone through the roof,” she said.
According to NHPR, “Douglas is retired, but now works the breakfast shift at a local hotel. She said she originally picked up the job for extra cash, but now that income is necessary to cover her bills.” Those who are retired should not have to come back to the workforce to pay their bills. They have done their time and deserve to live out the rest of their lives in peace. They should only pick up a job if they want to, not out of necessity.
Older generations are not the only ones using their voices and showing up for those who can’t. Even people as young as 15 years old know what is going on and what the government is doing is wrong. According to NHPR, “Fifteen-year-old Beatrice Messenger attended the rally with her family. She said she’s concerned about federal law enforcement denying people’s right to due process, whether they are in the country with or without legal status.” Everyone deserves the right to due process; it is illegal not to give them that. Trump and his administration do not care about the law, which they have shown time and time again. They do not care about their citizens, and they do not have a lick of empathy for those who are struggling in the current state of the country. They keep saying that they are “making America great again,” but it was never that great to begin with.
Remember, no one is illegal on stolen land, trans and queer rights are human rights, women’s bodies should be up to women, and America is built on immigrants. Your voice matters, your vote matters.
Arkayde Smith can be contacted at
