Why Are My Immigrant Grandparents Voting for Trump?

My grandfather, Thu Le, fled Vietnam five decades ago in 1974, seeking change and liberty in the United States of America. This November, at 83 years old, he is voting for Donald J. Trump—for the third time.

Thu is not alone in this choice. Despite Trump’s polarizing stance on immigration at the U.S. Southern border and the traditional belief that immigrants prefer liberal candidates when voting, many immigrant voters—especially those of an older or “grandparent” generation, and those who emigrated from countries with communist regimes—are supporting Trump in this coming election. The Paper Tiger interviewed four such grandparents originating from Vietnam, Uruguay and Russia.

This trend remains relevant as newly naturalized citizens, immigrants born outside the U.S. who obtain citizenship, register to vote in record numbers, potentially shaping the outcome of the 2024 election. There are currently 24 million naturalized citizens in the U.S., leading to one in ten U.S. voters in the election being naturalized immigrants, according to a study done by Pew Research Center.

Immigrant communities have historically played a pivotal role in tight elections due to their fast-growing numbers and diverse voting patterns. For instance, Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election was swung by Asian American and Latinx voters, whose overwhelming support influenced swing states, states where both political parties have similar levels of support, such as Florida and Colorado. With an increase of six million newly naturalized citizens since 2012 according to Pew Research Center, their impact could be more significant than ever, determining the outcome of this coming election

Though immigrant support for Trump may stand as a paradox to some, its origin encompasses a worldview foreign to most natural-born Americans. “Their [immigrants’] political beliefs and values often reflect a mix of what they experienced where they came from, and what they experienced as they assimilated in the United States,” said Laura Stoker, a Professor of the Graduate School in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

93% of Trump supporters express the economy as “very important” in impacting their vote, according to Pew Research Center. This sentiment extends to immigrant grandparents, who, having arrived in the U.S. with limited resources, have spent decades working hard to provide better opportunities for their families. To them, Trump’s economic policies are viewed as essential to preserving and enhancing that stability. Moreover, as immigrants grow older and gain upward mobility, the need to maintain this mobility becomes increasingly crucial to them. “I like my tax money take care of me as American, it’s not going to help other countries,” said Kim Le, Thu’s wife and my grandmother.

In parallel to the theme of economics, many immigrant grandparents, in particular those whose home countries were of communist or authoritarian regimes, have a deep-running fear of socialism. Originating from nations such as Vietnam, Venezuela or the former Soviet Union, Trump’s rhetoric in frequently framing Democrats as aligned with socialist ideologies profoundly resonates with their memories of oppression, government overreach and economic devastation.

For Siena Weisman’s ’25 grandfather Alex Feldman, a Jewish American who emigrated from communist Russia as a political refugee in 1981, a fear of socialism is firmly embedded.

“When they [Democratic politicians] start talking about equality, in a way, they are telling you and everybody else, ‘we have to redistribute resources and give some people more than another people’, to make everybody equal,” he said, “And this is, for me, this is scary stuff, because we were ‘equal’ for 70 years within Russia.”

 For him, any rhetoric mirroring communist values, such as redistribution of resources or enforcing equality, echoes the oppressive policies he left behind.

My grandparents, Vietnamese immigrants Kim Le and Thu Le, experience similar anxieties. Having spent years struggling with the division between Northern communism and the Southern parliamentary republic, they know first-hand the dangers of state control.

“I feel that I’m always be controlled by the government,” Kim said, “the communist control everyone, politically and socially. If you say something wrong, they can arrest you.” Though they were able to escape the country before the Northern takeover, both Kim and Thu fear the idea of the communism of their past inching toward the U.S.

Issues regarding immigration have also proven to be a key factor in swaying the immigrant vote for Trump, with 82% of Trump supporters considering immigration “very important” to their vote. Though they harbor conflicting emotions toward this issue, having navigated the challenges of assimilation in the U.S., many immigrants feel a sense of protectiveness over the system that allowed them to thrive. That said, Trump’s lock-down approach to immigration on the Southern border appeals to several immigrant grandparents. For these voters, discussions concerned with border security are not simply conceptual political issues; they represent a deep-seated concern for maintaining the integrity of the American Dream they spent their lives pursuing.

“I don’t understand why they have the right to get in way before people who wait in line somewhere else and waiting for opportunity to live in this country,” Feldman said. “I just don’t think that it’s fair, and I don’t think that it’s American.”

This concern regarding immigration also often correlates with a broader worry about national security. For immigrants from unstable or unsafe countries, maintaining security at the borders emerges as a top priority for preserving safety.

Daniel Espinosa, my friend’s grandfather, immigrated to the U.S. in 1972 from Uruguay during a period of political turmoil preceding the country’s civic-military dictatorship. “Your country’s like your house, you live in a neighborhood, and you like to be protected. You don’t want to have unwanted people stay in your patio. This is a free country, but this is my front yard,” he said.

 The political values of immigrant voters are also influenced by the historical relationship between the U.S. and their home countries. For Thu Le, U.S. Republican leadership played a crucial role in helping Vietnamese refugees like him.

“When I left Vietnam, it was the time when a Republican was president in the U.S., and they did a lot to help the Vietnamese refugees. So I only vote Republican since I became an American,” he said.

Likewise, some immigrant grandparents view U.S. policies through the lens of how they might benefit their countries of origin. For Sofia Susal’s ’26 grandmother, a Jewish American from Morocco, a parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy, the U.S. involvement and initiatives towards helping the current conflict in the Middle East is her key determinant in voting this year. Considering Israel to be her religious homeland, Trump’s pro-Israel stance has won her vote.

“She doesn’t really vote for the U.S.,” said Susal, “she votes for Israel.”

Above all, immigrant grandparents’ support for Trump in the 2024 election expresses a deep sense of patriotism for the U.S., the country that granted them opportunity and refuge, toward which they have a certain feeling of owing.

“I vote for whoever follows the rules of democracy. Respect the country, respect the flag, respect the Constitution, respect the police force, and respect the army,” said Espinosa.

Despite their fears and frustrations with American politics, many of these voters feel a sense of responsibility to defend the American dream-like qualities of the nation they now call home. “I’m probably too old to fight for America, but if I was in the right age, I would fight for this country,” said Feldman.

This fierce loyalty and patriotism underscores the genuine love and dedication immigrant grandparents feel for this country. Their vote for Trump, though often misunderstood, reflects a desire to preserve the principles that made America the beacon of safety and freedom it was for them decades ago.

“When we came to the U.S. I was very happy because it completely saved my life, I want that feeling to stay,” Kim said. As for why she endorses Trump, her response was simple: “He says he will take care of Americans first, and I like that.

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Celia Clark

Celia Clark is a senior and a writer for the Paper Tiger. In her free time, she loves swimming at China Beach, painting, camping, writing, and listening to music. Her favorite artists include TV Girl, Mac Miller, FKA Twigs, SZA, and Kendrick Lamar.

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