The setting: a two-story residence in Whittier prettied with vacation decorations, pet beds, American flags and a shelf of tchotchkes devoted to John Wayne.
The face-off: 63-year-old Gloria Valles and her daughter, 33-year-old Brittney Valles-Gordon.
The controversy: What else as of late? Politics. For 2 hours on a latest morning, the 2 went at it just like the philosophical equal of UFC fighters.
Trump. Abortion. The economic system. Democrats. Whether or not ICE brokers ought to put on masks. Trump. Trump. Brittney, a Democrat who works in L.A.’s eating scene, lobbed barbs from the consolation of a sofa with an elder shih tzu combine named Chuy by her facet; Gloria stood her Republican floor from a recliner lined in a large Dallas Cowboys blanket.
Quickly they have been going mano-a-mano over a problem roiling many Latinos: Trump’s unleashing of ICE and Border Patrol in lots of their communities.
“Grandma got here right here as an unlawful immigrant,” Brittney reminded her mom, referring to Gloria’s mom.
“However she made certain to make herself authorized.”
“ICE doesn’t care about that — they’d’ve netted Grandma.”
They’re considered one of many households throughout Southern California and the nation cut up proper now about what President Trump has wrought upon us in his second time period. The divisions are particularly pronounced amongst Latinos, a demographic that voted for him in file numbers final yr — Gloria and three of her brothers included.
Trump had made historic good points amongst Latinos within the final presidential election, solely to drop these good points sooner than Tommy “The Hit Man” Hearns did Pipino Cuevas.
Among the many seemingly causes, which embody the shaky economic system: His rancid, malevolent coverage towards immigrants, particularly these within the nation with out papers.
Too many Latino households I do know on this state of affairs aren’t speaking proper now due to these deep political divisions — together with some in my very own life.
Such situations sadden me. However so do the private and non-private shamings I’m seeing on social media and in my personal world of Trumper tíos or cousins who now remorse their alternative because the president has unleashed the canine of deportation on Latinos no matter citizenship standing.
Whereas it’s enjoyable to be proper, is schadenfreude actually the easiest way to wean them off Trumpism as soon as and for all?
The Valles household present an intriguing case examine that claims as a lot about how Latino politics have developed over the many years as in regards to the energy of endurance with these you’re keen on.
Born in El Paso, Gloria grew up in L.A.’s Eastside in a household the place John F. Kennedy was held in such esteem that considered one of her nieces was named Jacqueline.
“It was Democrat, Democrat, Democrat all the best way,” she mentioned, a celebration desire additional instilled in her by a mom who raised 5 kids on her personal with the assistance of welfare.
“However they [the federal government] instructed her, ‘You’ll want to go get skilled right into a job,’ and she or he did,” ultimately working for the Housing Authority of Los Angeles. “Now, we’re simply giving out welfare to anybody. ‘You’ve by no means been right here? Right here you go.’”
Brittney Valles-Gordon, left, and Gloria Valles at Gloria’s home in Whittier.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
Gloria’s politics modified in 1979, after she met her husband. They shared El Paso and Eastside roots — however, not like her on the time, Jaime Valles was a “straight up Republican.”
“He would get political pamphlets for us to learn and say, ‘Suppose for your self. Don’t vote a method simply because folks suppose Mexicans ought to vote a method.’”
For her first presidential election, she selected Ronald Reagan — “He was good-looking, and he believed in rehabilitation [for welfare recipients]. ‘You’re not going to get free cash should you’re not going to higher your life.’”
The couple raised their 4 kids on the values of laborious work and religion. Jaime specialised in satellites for Northrup Grumman; Gloria volunteered as a catechist on the San Gabriel Mission whereas employed as a college well being clerk, a job she nonetheless holds. Brittney remembers nights sitting alongside her late father watching Fox Information. At Gabrieleno Excessive Faculty in San Gabriel, she began a Republican Membership — “simply six members” — that largely amounted to “me telling everybody else, ‘You might be all idiots.’”
Brittney was such a dedicated Republican that her AOL Immediate Messenger deal with was a tribute to John McCain and Sarah Palin’s failed 2008 presidential run. However the first seeds of political doubt began at a affirmation retreat, the place she turned upset when somebody mentioned her brother wouldn’t get into heaven as a result of he was homosexual. Different relations mentioned homophobic issues about him — “the Venn diagram of being Catholic, Republican and Latino,” Brittney mentioned as Gloria shook her head in disagreement.
Working within the meals trade uncovered Brittney to anti-Latino discrimination. Then she went to Rio Hondo School — “You’re taking one Chicano Research class, and wow. … My dad all the time mentioned he regretted letting me go to larger ed,” Brittney mentioned, as Gloria laughed.
Brittney however voted for Mitt Romney in 2012 for her first presidential vote and admitted that Trump initially intrigued her when he introduced his candidacy in 2015.
“I learn ‘The Artwork of the Deal’ and thought, ‘Perhaps that is what we want.’ However then you definately rapidly noticed his cruelty on show,” mentioning his notorious comment secretly recorded about grabbing ladies “by the pussy.”
“There was occasions I used to be offended, however generally he mentioned the reality and the reality hurts,” her mom responded. “How can I say it…”
“Simply say it, lady!” Brittney exclaimed.
“We wanted new blood.”
Brittney went with Hillary Clinton in 2016 and has voted for each Democratic presidential candidate since. However she turned pissed off as progressives saved dismissing Latino Trump supporters like her mother and father as assimilated anomalies whilst extra Latinos drifted towards Trump each time he ran. The tip outcome: 48% of them selected him in 2024 — the very best share of the Latino vote by any Republican presidential candidate.
“Liberals might be illiberal,” mentioned Brittney, a flash of her outdated GOP days rising. “You don’t change somebody’s opinion by being a bully to them. You do it with empathy. And don’t count on somebody to flip in a single day. It makes them maintain on to their beliefs extra whenever you inform them that they’re dumb.”
Gloria voted for Trump a 3rd time in 2024 as a result of she felt Kamala Harris was “going to proceed [Joe Biden’s] bulls—” but additionally as a result of Trump’s promise to deport violent criminals resonated along with her. She remembered procuring journeys in Ciudad Juarez with relations that needed to finish due to cartel violence within the Mexican border city.
“Sure, that is what we want — clear it up,” she thought. “We would like him to take out everybody who’s breaking legal guidelines and never attempting to do issues proper.”
Then for the primary time all afternoon, her tone turned severe in a type of self-correct.
“That’s not taking place.”
“Deporting people who find themselves making an trustworthy dwelling — that’s flawed. Or people who find themselves attempting to legalize themselves. They’re doing it the best manner and what we wish them to do, however you’re killing their hope” by grabbing them throughout court docket appointments,” she mentioned. “That upsets me slightly.”
Gloria sounded just like the dwelling incarnation of a latest Pew Analysis Heart ballot that confirmed an 11% drop in help for Trump amongst Latinos who voted for him and that 47% of Latino Republicans suppose the Trump administration “is doing an excessive amount of” on the deportation entrance — up from 28% in March.
Then, simply as rapidly, the Republican in her roared as soon as extra.
She mentioned Trump didn’t deserve the blame for the cruelty of immigration brokers (“His rhetoric is what inflames them,” Brittney countered) and blasted pro-immigrant activists for his or her protest ways. She described how a member of the family earlier this yr was almost pulled out of their automotive when highschool college students protesting Trump marched on the 101 Freeway waving the flags of Mexico and different Latin American international locations.
“They need to be chill,” Gloria mentioned.
“Mom! What ICE is doing could be very violent!” Brittney replied. “It’s insane to say we [pro-immigrant activists] must be those to relax out.”
“High quality,” her mom agreed. “Each side must be chill.”
Brittney shrugged. “No lie on that one.”
Individuals rally in February at Alameda Avenue and the 101 Freeway in L.A. to protest President Trump’s deportation insurance policies.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Occasions)
I concluded my go to with the Valles women by asking why it’s necessary for politically cut up households to not reject one another. Gloria pointed to the wall beside her. Highschool commencement portraits of her, Jaime and their 4 kids held on the wall.
“If we had a world the place everybody agreed on every part, it will be boring. I don’t count on my youngsters to be like me and my husband. My youngsters, we belief them.”
She then checked out Brittney.
“You shouldn’t lose out in your youngster’s life since you’re not the identical politics. You’ll miss out and remorse it.”
