12 Women Reveal Their Experiences As Minority Republicans

The more stereotypes put on the Republican Party, the more and more those stereotypes are defied. The Republican Party is diverse. Unfortunately, the media doesn’t show that diversity because it doesn’t fit their narrative. However, Future Female Leaders want to highlight some of the best activists who are Republican women of color. They share their experiences with racism, why they don’t vote Democrat, what they wish they could say to the Democratic Party, and whether or not they feel accepted by the Republican Party. Here are the responses we received: 

What are your experiences with racism?

Name: Olivia T.

Age: 25

“When I was younger, I was told the only way to be pretty was by having blue/green eyes, blonde/light colored hair, and having fair skin. Being a mixed girl between being Mexican/Italian/Jewish, I was none of that. As I got older, I did have a person on Twitter who commented on my photo with Trump saying “I hope you’re on the right side of the wall when he forces you to build it.”

Name: Malia S.

Age: 24

Ethnicity: Native Hawaiian

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that , growing up, anyone was ever overtly racist towards me.

However, in grade school, I did attend a primarily white school in a very affluent part of town. The kids would always ask me “what I was” because I “didn’t look white” but it always seemed more out of curiosity than ill-intent. 

Often, after my peers found out I was Hawaiian, they thought it was the coolest thing. They wanted to know all about Hawaii and the culture and I was always more than happy to share.”

Name: Kyasia B.
Age: 25

Ethnicity: Black

“I have experienced racism from both sides, but mostly from the left. After I came out as a conservative it got worse. I remember being called the n word in 5th grade by a white girl at my school whose grandfather was black. I had someone in 9th grade go on my computer while I left class to go make a schedule for the next year to change my background to a member of the KKK with a burning cross behind him. I’ve had someone tell me that God left me in the oven too long and burnt me to a crisp because according to them I should have been born white. I get told on a daily basis that I am not black enough by people who don’t even know me. I had a white man tell me without flat out saying that I should be a socialist for the pure fact that I am black. I have only dated white men and I get called a race traitor by random people and that I’m bowing down to master. I could go on and even send you screenshots of the things that have been said to me in recent years.”

Name: Shreetika S.

Age: 22

Ethnicity: Indian

“I have experienced racism primarily in the form of stereotyping. For example, people constantly believe there is a mentality that Indians need to excel at math and science and can only hold IT jobs. I have been told to “go back to my own country” and “work at a 7/11 where I belong.” I distinctly remember a time in Middle School where I was not given the starring role in a school musical (despite being ranked at the top in auditions) simply because I did not “look the part”. I know others have experienced racism that is much worse than this in our country, but we get nowhere by discrediting each other’s experiences with race. Invalidation and comparison do not solve the problem.” 

Name: Marisa

Age: 25

Ethnicity: Hispanic

“Overall I have not really experienced racism directly at me other than being called a derogatory name by a person that really didn’t like me. I have seen it in the workplace with a minority against another minority and I called it out immediately. The matter was promptly taken care of.”

Name: Hannah L.

Age: 21

Ethnicity: Indian

“I’ve never had to truly deal with it like many of my minority friends or family have. There have been instances I dealt with it, like in high school when one of the guys (who was “joking”) said the school would take his side over mine because he’s white, which angered me. Another time, when I went to hear Donald Trump Jr. speak at my school, this guy and I were speaking, and he said that I’m lucky I’m a minority and woman, because nobody can criticize me.”

Name: Christina H.

Age: 24

Ethnicity: Latina/Hispanic

“I’ve had a few instances while shopping- one particular memory comes to mind. An employee at a university bookstore made a comment that I couldn’t possibly afford to buy something so expensive after looking me up and down 3 times. In which case I bought 2, just to prove a point. While I was an intern on the Hill, I experienced several backhanded racist comments. Also, one day when I was in the gift shop on the House Side I was searching for an ID holder and a White man came up to me and asked about a price of an item. I was clearly in professional-business clothing. When I said I didn’t work in the store and that I was an intern for a Member, he said “Oh really. Sorry.” Looked around and then said “You just looked like you work here.”  While it was something I could shake off in the moment, it  is something that you still think about.” 

Name: Jessica Josefchuk

Age: 24

Ethnicity: Hispanic (born in Mexico, immigrated to the US at 5 years old)

“I was raised in a small town in rural North Carolina. I think I’ve experienced too much racism to fit into one article. However, I often tell a story that sums up that town very well: I was always very smart growing up; top of my class, all honors and AP courses in high school. However, on my first day of Honors Earth Science, I tried to walk into the classroom only to be met at the door by the teacher. She stopped me and redirected me to the ESL classroom down the hall. When I looked at her confused and said, “Excuse me?”, she replied in a slow, condescending tone. Once I began to explain that I was in the right classroom, she shut the door and walked away. I sat in the bathroom that day and cried; not because I was sad or hurt, but because an educated adult refused to believe I was intelligent simply because of the color of my skin.”

Name: Hannah B.

Age: 30

Ethnicity: Mixed race/African-American

“I’ve experienced all types of racism. I’m actually adopted and my parents are both white. My older brother is their bio child so he’s white and my younger brother is adopted as well and he’s Chinese. The racism I’ve experienced has been everything from being called racial slurs to references about my parents, being unwanted or tainted by association via adoption. “Bootlicker” “Coon” “Aunt Jemima”, the occasional monkey reference,  ect. It’s very very clear that as I’ve become more vocal in political discussion that “bootlicker” “uncle tom/aunt jemima” and “coon” are the favorite terms tossed at me. A lot of the time, the actual color of my skin-I’m light skinned-is pointed out by both black people and white people. Black people say I’m too light to “truly be black” and white people say I’m “white in passing.” I get it from both sides.”

Name: Cecillia

Age: 27

Ethnicity: Latina 

“I have been very lucky in my lifetime to have had almost no experience with racism. I grew up in California and have moved back and forth between CA and TX for most of my adult life.

The only instance that stands out in my mind is one in middle school. It was a rainy day (a rare happening in southern California) and all students were forced into the cafeteria for lunch. Ordinarily students could be on the courtyard or in the cafeteria during lunch time, so rainy days were VERY crowded in the cafeteria. There were few places left to sit when my 2 friends and I emerged from the lunch line. We sat at the far end of the last remaining empty table, leaving plenty of room for another group to sit down. Shortly after we sat down a group of girls who ordinarily sat at the table approached us and told us we needed to move. I pointed out there was plenty of room for them to sit at the table and that there were no remaining tables in the cafeteria. The group’s leader rolled her eyes at me and turned to her friend and said “Damn Mexicans think they own the world.”

Name: Seijah D.

Age: 26

Ethnicity: Black

“My high school had issues with racism; nothing crazy and people had friends of all different races but I think in a city with a history like Boston’s, where people’s parents came of age during race riots, being better is going to take time. One time at an event at the Trump hotel me and my friends met someone and when I went to introduce myself, he completely ignored me after acknowledging my 2 friends. The only thing I could think of that differentiated us was race. But by and large, the actual vitriolic racism I’ve been subjected to in recent memory, insulting my hair texture or calling me the N word or something like that has all been from leftists. Black, white, Hispanic, you name it.”

Name: Catherine W.

Age: 24

Ethnicity: Chinese/European

“I’ve experienced some racism in more rural parts of the state, but for the most part I haven’t had this as an issue.”

Democrats claim to be the party for minorities, why is this not true for you?

Olivia:

“I believe in hard work, support for businesses/entrepreneurs, and I’m highly against the welfare state. When my grandfather immigrated from Mexico, he refused to go on any government assistance and taught my dad and brothers to work instead of being spoon fed by Uncle Sam.”

Malia:

“It’s not true for me because growing up, I was always taught that we should love people as individuals. This is the best way for all people of all races and creeds to get along — however, all I’ve ever seen from Democrats is the ideas that minorities need them to be successful. I completely reject that notion. Democrats have been failing minority communities for decades, yet always assume they own the minority vote. Republicans are the party of individualism.”

Kyasia:

“99% of the racism I have experienced has been at the hands of the left. Someone actually called my nephew ugly because I support Trump.”

Shreetika:

“I believe the Republican Party is the Party of voice, opportunity, and ambition. Everyone is viewed as equal and given the opportunity to excel in their own right. No one demographic is favored over another and there is a strong culture of respect for the legal immigrants who helped build up our country. Democrats are not the party for minorities because they believe that exerting widespread control over minority populations will help them, when in reality it reduces their upward social mobility more than anything.”

Marisa:

“I find that Democrats use minorities for a vote and that is it. When you look closely at what they have actually done for minorities, they haven’t done much or their policies actually hurt our communities rather than help them. They often campaign on and sell the idea of a handout that the government is going to help them. Being a granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, let me tell you, the government is not your friend and I don’t want a handout from the government, I just want a fair chance and an opportunity to work hard and provide an honest living as do many others in the Hispanic community. Also, almost every democrat supports abortion and this is something that goes completely against my values and the values of many Hispanics as well and therefore I will not support any candidate that is pro abortion.”

Hannah L.:

“The Democrats claim to care about minorities, but it isn’t true. If they did, they wouldn’t advocate for policies that hurt the minority community. Take for example affirmative action. Latino Americans and African Americans are the ones who “need” affirmative action, yet Asian Americans are exempt from this (despite making up less of the population than Latino Americans and African Americans). The reason? Because Asian Americans are more like Caucasian Americans, and will make more money because they’re more intelligent. It’s insulting, not only to Asian Americans, but Latino and African Americans by saying they could never be smart or thrive on their own, that they need a “hand,” so to say. There are numerous other examples that could describe how Democrats aren’t for minorities. They only care about minorities when it’s an election. They won’t do anything to help criminal reform, crime, abortion rates, or unemployment/welfare of minorities. They will just give empty promises of free stuff to make us dependent on the government, so they continue to get rich.”

Christina:

“Because Democrats would rather support groupthink and victimhood than celebrate freedom of thought and hard work. The Democrats have become active supporters of socialism, a corrupt system of government that many of our family members fought hard to escape. Democrats claim that Republicans are racist but the ultimate form of prejudice is believing that we all have to vote the same due to our skin color.”

Jessica:

“So many reasons! First and foremost, Democrats have created this cycle of dependency for black and brown individuals in an attempt to retain votes. For instance, we will help you as a single mother, but only if you vote for us. My favorite example is the groups of individuals known as “Dreamers.” Barack Obama had the opportunity to create a permanent path to citizenship for these students. He had the opportunity to give them the education they were asking for and to KEEP those educated individuals in the United States. Instead, he created this program that put a bandaid over a bleeding artery. He did not create a path to citizenship. He did not create a permanent solution. He created another dependency program where he has forced Hispanic Americans to believe that their immigrant family will be granted rights if and only if they vote for Democrats.”

Hannah B.:

“I do not feel that the Democrat party is the party for minorities because mainly I always want to better myself and my life. I want to get a better education so I can have a better job so I can have a better life ect. I want to see my surroundings improved so that where I live, it will be better as well. I feel like the Democrats want to constantly give handouts and keep minorities grateful that they’re receiving all of these things and if they aren’t getting these handouts, welfare, ect, they’re stuck in bad situations and bad lives. I don’t want or need a handout, I need and I have the opportunity to have a good life because I went out, found it and worked for it.”

Cecillia:

“I feel the Democrat platform runs on the basis that minorities can’t be successful without government intervention. Programs like Affirmative Action are the prime example of this. I feel Affirmative Action implies minorities will never be able to compete with white students on merit alone and minorities need “help” from the government to be competitive. I think minorities are more than capable of performing on the same level as their white peers. I also personally do not like feeling like my successes are just part of meeting a quota.”

Seijah:

“My race isn’t something I think about when voting or choosing candidates. I honestly think pandering to different demographic groups is pointless; if you do what’s best for the country you’ll benefit everyone.”

Catherine:

“No person should be put on a pedestal above another simply because they are a minority of some form. Unfortunately a lot of Asian Americans have seen discrimination in the university system because of some statistics that indicate they may overperform other minority communities. If you believe in being successful because of the work that you put in, the Democratic party is not for you.”

How have you been treated by the left?

Olivia:

“I was treated badly by the left when I was in college. I was called a self hating Hispanic for voting for Trump multiple times. Some of my best friends are Democrats but once explaining why I’m not one of them, they understood.”

Malia:

“I mentioned I never experienced much racism throughout my childhood. After entering into young adulthood and getting more involved in conservative politics — that changed entirely. I’ve constantly been vilified, targeted, and torn down by people on the left. They call me a “race traitor” — even though being a Native Hawaiian isn’t technically a “race”. They try to paint and label me as a “White Supremacist”, writing articles about me, trying to get me expelled from my university, and even trying to get my Congressman to denounce me. I’ve received death threats and had people try to “cyber-bully” me online. The people on the left are truly some of the biggest racists I’ve ever encountered, pushing the narrative that minorities and POC are oppressed and need their help to succeed — as if we can’t be successful on our own.”

Kyasia:

“Horribly but strangers. I have friends and family who are Democrats who treat me wonderfully. It’s the people I’ve never met who treat me like I’m less than and that are racist towards me.”

Shreetika:

”Mostly well, until a few people learn that I am an Indian Republican. Usually we can have healthy discussions and I am open to new perspectives, as are they. However, sometimes I face backlash for my “non-millennial” views.”

Marisa:

“Overall I’ve been treated fine but I am not one to voice my political views very much. I did happen to take a stance against abortion once and I will say, the friends I had on the left were not kind at all and rather than having a civil debate, it was quickly turned into an ugly personal attack on me. That is something I will never forget because many things that were said were by those friends that were just uncalled for.“

Hannah L.:

“I’ve never been treated horribly by the Left. I’ve had the occasional comment on Twitter of “How can you be Indian and be a Trump supporter?” In cases like that, I ignore it because that person is willfully ignorant and uneducated into thinking minorities are brain-dead, who can only make decisions when the puppetmaster (the Democrats) tell them what to do.” 

Christina:

“I’ve been called a traitor, “fake Mexican”, that I want to be white but I’ll never be one of them, that I am a lost sheep trying to fit in In my experience, they love to name call as an intimidation tactic but it will never work. One side sticks to policy and the other sticks to verbal harassment if you don’t agree with their mob mentality.”

Jessica:

“I am often ostracized for being “not liberal.” Most individuals do not attack my actual beliefs, but merely the fact that I didn’t vote for Hillary or that I refuse to vote for Biden. I’m often called a traitor, a white-wannabe, white-washed, or I’m told my husband, who is white, makes my decisions for me. Ironically, my husband and I rarely agree on politics!”

Hannah B.:

“I feel the Democrat party openly panders to get the minority vote and they fall for it all the time. It’s really frustrating to watch. Over the last 5 or 6 years though, I’ve gone from just being frustrated at the Democrat party to being furious at the way they use minorities-especially black people-as props and I’m stunned that more black Americans aren’t angry about it. And when I say this, the people in the party of minorities call me a “bootlicker” or something else unimaginative because I’m not falling in line like they want. Most of the racism I experience is directly from the left and more often than not, from people with some type of social justice hashtag on their social media. In my personal experience, the left love creating spaces where they say everyone is welcome, they want to hear from POC but when I say something that they don’t want to hear, they tell me to get out, that Im racist, that I don’t speak for all POC ect. All because I’m not saying what they want to hear. I have seen some of the most appalling things said by the left including that yes a woman should be able to abort a baby based solely on race or sex-thats how far theyre willing to go and its absolutely chilling to me.”

Cecillia:

“I have yet to be shouted down by a left winger. I have however been shocked by some of the things people say to me. Like when I have mentioned I support law enforcement, I’ve been asked how I could support a group who victimizes my people. I didn’t know “my people” were apparently all criminals having run-ins with the cops.

I have been also dismissed as “privileged” despite my ethnicity because I grew up in a middle class household. I now joke I am not the “right kind of brown” for the left.”

Seijah:

“I have a few friends and acquaintances on the left that can look past politics or have intelligent, civil discussion but like I said most of racism I’ve been subjected to has come from the left. Most of them are dismissive and abandon everything they claim to stand for when it comes to people like me that look one way but vote another.”

Catherine:

“I have for the most part always had respectful dialogue with people on the left.”

What is something you wish the Left would understand?

Olivia:

“I wish the left would move away from identity politics and just because you’re of a specific heritage, that doesn’t mean they automatically deserve your vote.”

Malia:

“I wish the left would understand that to be racist, you inherently have to believe in collectivism. I, along with so many people on the “right”, and even in the middle, are vehemently opposed to collectivist ideology. I judge people based upon who they are as an individual and the content of their character. I wish the left would try to view people through that lens, instead of the “critical race theory” lens that has saturated our political dialogue. Often, we have the same goals, we just have very different ways of achieving them. I think we would all be better off if we understood and tried to think critically instead of emotionally, and we’re able to engage in dialogue with each other, in an effort to understand and learn, rather than just respond. Just because you disagree politically with someone doesn’t make them a bad person.”

Kyasia:

“That my ethnicity and race has nothing to do with what I believe in. Just because I’m black does not mean I have to be a Democrat.”

Shreetika:

“I wish the left would understand that the Republican party is not just one big old boys club! There are so many ambitious, conservative women who have the drive to run this country and support all the demographics in it. It is not the party of the “wealthy” or “elite” as the media often portrays. It is the party of equality.”

Marisa:

“That not all minorities think alike or how the media says we should think and there is such a thing as agreeing to disagree. Also do your research and base your opinions on facts not emotion. This is how I have come to form my political stance and if they did the same, they might start to see things differently as well.”

Hannah L.:

“That you shouldn’t judge people based on our skin color. Martin Luther King Jr. said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Democrats continuously use skin color or race to make you vote for them. Kamala Harris only got the role of VP because it would make Biden look good, considering his racist past. Biden even said in an interview, when asked about his VP nomination, that he would choose someone who was a minority and woman (Google it!). I want to know people are looking at me because of who I am as a person, not the color of my skin. I want Leftists to know that minorities don’t have to conform to the standards of the Left. We are unique people, and should be treated as such.”

Christina:

“We don’t vote the way we do because we hate ourselves, our skin color, our ethnicities, or our “countries.” We do so because we believe these policies are the best and will ultimately benefit us and this country. Calling me a traitor won’t make me change my political party, it’ll only make me criticize yours.”

Jessica:

“I want them to understand the damage that the Democratic party has done to black and brown individuals around the US. I want them to understand the damage that socialism has done to all our Latin American neighbors. More than anything, I want them to know how much they’ve damaged low socio-economic groups with their government-expanding policies.”

Hannah:

“I think the left-as it stands right now-will never be able to understand how they are viewed. I look at them and I see violent children, throwing temper tantrums literally in the street, screaming in the faces of people, burning down small businesses and ruining lives because they didn’t get their way. What can I even say to that? Why would I ever want to be a part of that? Why would I want to give them my vote or support it in any way? It’s either their way or you’re a racist-the leader of their party Joe Biden directly stood there and said “If you don’t vote for me, you aint black.”

Cecillia:

”I wish the left understood the negative impact the victim mentality is having on the minority community. I heard plenty of times in school the odds were stacked against me because I was a minority and a woman. I think too many people buy the lie that the world is working against them and it ends with people giving up on their dreams because they are “impossible”.

I believe my unwillingness to accept that outlook gave me the courage and strength to push through college and go on to law school.”

Seijah:

“Everything they’re doing to combat racism is creating more of it. And there’s more to people than their immutable characteristics.”

Catherine:

“Most Chinese people truly value a hard work ethic and believe that through hard work one can create a better life for oneself. My grandparents lived in communist China, then in Hong Kong, and then later immigrated to Houston, Texas when my mom was 16 years old. They built themselves up from nothing, working service jobs as waiters and cashiers. My grandfather, when my family first immigrated to the United States, did not know how to drive. As a result he rode a bicycle, often in the rain, to and from his job at McDonald’s to provide for his family. If he (and my family) did not strongly believe in “equality of opportunity, not of outcomes” there wouldn’t have been the same incentive to work hard and improve our families station in life. My grandparents laid the groundwork for me to have better opportunities in life. Their sacrifices have allowed me to be the success I am today.”

Do you feel welcome in the Republican Party?

Olivia:

“I’ve always felt welcome. My skin tone never once affected anything with my engagements with other Republicans. It’s a breath of fresh air!”

Malia:

”I have never felt more welcome than I do by the Republican Party. I think it helps that my local county party truly tries to epitomize what it means to be a “Big Tent”. We have Republicans from all walks of life, races, and religion. Even some of my closest friends, who were apolitical prior to 2020, and don’t fit your “typical republican stereotype” of the old, straight, white, cis-gendered male, have said they feel more welcomed by the Republican Party than they could’ve ever imagined. And those same friends have also expressed how disenfranchised they feel by the current Democratic Party. I hope that in coming years, the Republican Party is able to move away from its former stereotype, and really step into the role of being a welcoming, inclusive, diverse Party for all Americans that believe in individualism and the ideals of America.”

Kyasia:

“Absolutely. I remember my first YWLS [Young Women’s Leadership Summit hosted by Turning Point USA] and feeling nothing but support and welcomed by everyone there.”

Shreetika:

“Absolutely!”

Marisa:

“Absolutely! I am able to hold actual conversations and discussions with other republicans. The respect of opinions within the party is so much more welcoming and civil.”

Hannah L.:

“Absolutely. I’ve been involved with Republicans on campus, through campaigns, and political events. I’ve never been judged for how I look. Only on what I am capable of doing. Many treat me with respect, and love to chat with me. To be quite honest, there’s more minorities who are Republicans than the left will acknowledge. But I love the people I’ve met. They are all interesting, unique people, and have different life experiences which they pass onto me. When Republicans tell me that I give them hope for the future, I feel honored.”

Christina:

“I often do but I wish more Republicans would acknowledge how influential Latino Republicans are for the party. There are so many Latinos who align with conservatism but feel unsure because of such poor rhetoric. Ex: Talking about Mexicans, the border, farm workers, etc. Illegal immigration is wrong but we can still maintain decorum when talking about these human beings. Ultimately, I always feel such support and encouragement within other people in the Republican Party. This party welcomes people of all backgrounds and experiences while focusing on policy and facts. The party is becoming more diverse every single day and it’s so important that it continues!”

Jessica:

“I do! While a few people are taken by surprise, I’ve never felt unwelcome or discriminated against. More than that, I am never forced to feel less-than because I do not agree with certain Republican policies, which is much more than I can say for Democrats.”

Hannah B.:

“As for feeling welcome in the Republican Party, I’ve never received the racial hatred from anyone in the GOP like I’ve experienced from the left. As a republican I can have a difference of opinion and not get slammed or attacked for it. I can say I don’t agree with something and instead of being called a racist or some type of slur, I’m listened to. We can disagree but do it without the awfulness of the left. The Republican Party is the party of free speech and opportunity and as a woman in America, that makes it the party for me.”

Cecillia:

“I do feel welcome in the Republican Party. I have never been made to feel unwelcome by any person I’ve met who is an “out” Republican. I feel like my ideas and morals are more accurately reflected in the Republican Party platform than elsewhere.”

Seijah:

“Yes. Ignorance, stupidity and bigotry aren’t exclusive to a political party, but my experience with the Republican Party and the conservative movement has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Catherine:

“I feel more welcomed in the Republican party for being a minority female, and I have always felt that way. On the other hand, I would say I have a differing opinion than some of the older generations on certain issues I have sometimes been made to feel less welcome. For instance, limited government is at the core of what I believe so I’m ok with gay marriage from that perspective, this has caused a fair amount of friction. If a church (such as my own) chooses not to sanction a gay marriage they should not be forced to, but a church that chooses to sanction it should be allowed to do so. This doesn’t seem like a far-fetched or strange idea for someone who believes in limited government, but it has been quite controversial at times. I believe however, that if we start “cherry picking” where we want government intervention and where we do not, we are not truly believing in what we espouse when we say that as Republicans that we believe in limited government. Republicans, in my opinion, unlike Democrats, believe in diversity of thought and freedom of speech. The Democrats “cancel” those who even slightly go out of the lines, as we saw with Tulsi Gabbard. We are the party that welcomes those who have various things that make them a passionate Republican. So, while I have had some issues, I try to make sure I remind people in the party of it as often as I can so the problems I see can improve. Differences may arise on gun policy, environmental policy, or higher education reform but I believe there is a place for everyone who believes in the American Dream, and that place is the Republican Party.” 

The Republican Party is more diverse now than ever before. Identity politics is dead.