interview: what americans think about the presidential election 2016? / 大統領選挙結果についてアメリカ人に聞いてみた

Hello world! Today's topic is the biggest topic in over the world right now....the result of US presidential election of 2016! There has been a lot of coverage about it on the internet and the news. Today, I asked one of my American friends, Jordan, who is pursuing a Master's Degree in Japan.

PS. This interview does not represent what all Americans feel or what opinion is right. I just asked a friend of mine and this is what he thinks about it.

こんにちは！今日は今世界中で一番タイムリーであろうアメリカ大統領選結果について。ニュースやメディアで色々な意見が見られるけど実際にアメリカ人はどう感じてるんだろう？ということで、今日は私の友達で現在早稲田大学の大学院でアメリカ人のジョーダンにインタビューしてみました。

もちろんこれは私の友達の１人の意見でアメリカ人代表の意見ではないし、どの意見が正しい、正しくないと話してるものではないので、参考として読んでくれたら嬉しいです。

Q1. So... how do feel about the result now？I remember you said you don't like either of Trump and Clinton. But did you prefer Clinton than Trump if you needed to choose？

大統領選の結果だけど、、、今どう感じてる？選挙前に話した時はヒラリーもトランプも両方あまり好きではないって言いてたけど、選ぶとしたらヒラリーが良かった？

A. I feel very upset about the result. I think Trump is a very divisive and dangerous figure, but I am ready to calm down now and hope for the best. I think some good **MAY** actually be able to come from this presidency, but ultimately I am just very upset that someone so obviously racist and sexist was able to get elected despite obvious and abundant controversy and scandal. It's very disheartening to know as an American that even after things came out such as the soundbites where you can hear Donald trump talking about being able to "grab [women] by the pussies" because he's rich and famous, he was still elected. Many will say this sort of thing has no relevance to the election and his worthiness of becoming president. I disagree. I think judges of individual character are still very relevant and the things he's said and done to characterize himself as such a bigot and problematic person are vastly consequential for the US social sphere, but yanow what? Let's just hope for the best. The election is over now. We can only wait and see for now what he will actually do. Though the matter of his first-100-days plan is something to worry about already.

この結果にはとてもショックを受けてる。ドナルドトランプは攻撃的で危ない人間だと思う、でも今は落ち着いて今後いい方向に行くようにと願ってるよ。もし（考え尽くせば）トランプが大統領になったことで起こるいいこともあるかもしれないけど、でもやっぱりこんなに明らかに人種差別、性差別をする人で明らかに問題なのに選ばれたという事実にはショックなか。

彼がお金があるから女性なら誰でも関係を持てる（実際はこの和訳よりもっと汚い言い方だけど）と言った発言もしていたのに彼が選ばれのはアメリカ人としてとても悲しくなる。

多くの人がそう言った発言は大統領にふさわしいかや選挙には関係ないと言っているけど、そうは思はない。大統領になる人の人柄や、今まで何をしたのかは大統領になるにあたって大事だと思うし、トランプのような偏った考え方はアメリカの社会にも影響すると思う。でも、今は今後を願うしかないよね、選挙は終わったんだし。これから彼が実際に何かをするまで待ってみるしかない。まあすでに彼の最初の１００日のプランも心配だけど。

A. I preferred Clinton because, in short, I preferred another neoliberal warhawk to someone so obviously and unabashedly problematic for the social sphere and civil relations in the US. Donald Trump has represented the worst mentalities evident in our nation and validated the voices of those who are fueled by hate, albeit being entitled to their own certain gripes related to their socioeconomic disenfranchisement. I wanted to have a president who wouldn't embarrass us internationally, as a nation, and wouldn't be remembered as having campaigned on a platform which I perceived to be operating on belligerence and deception. Hilary is very bad in her own regard, for many reasons. She has been involved in many heinous things. But still I preferred her to Trump if only for the reason that what it says about America, what it means about America, that Trump got elected is very fucking worrisome.

トランプとヒラリーならヒラリーが良かった。彼女はもっと自由主義でトランプのように明らかにためらいもなくアメリカ社会や人々に問題を起こす人間じゃないから。トランプはアメリカの差別主義者たちを代表している。アメリカの大統領にはアメリカっていう国が世界で恥をかかないような人になってもらいたかった。ヒラリーも今まで悪いことに関与していたし、よくないのも事実だけどそれでもアメリカを代表する大統領に選ぶのならトランプよりは良かったと思う。トランプが選ばれたのは本気でアメリカが心配。

Q2. Personally, I only know Clinton or Sanders supporters. I've never met a Trump supporter nor seen Trump supporters' comments on online. Do you know anyone who are his supporters and voted for him？(american)

私は知り合いや周りを見る限り、ネットでもトランプサポーターは見たことがないんだけど実際に知り合いに彼に投票した人はいる？

A.I know many people who voted for him. They are there. Trust me.

トランプに投票した人はたくさん知ってるよ、彼らは実際にいるんだ。

Q3, So you know people who voted to him: Did they do so because they wanted the current US situation to change? Or just because they are racist and sexist?

そっか、彼らが何でトランプに投票したかは知ってる？差別主義者かそれ以外に理由があるのかな？

A, I think it's hard to say why people voted for him, because of course there can be multiple reasons, and different people vote for different reasons, and sometimes people don't even know the real reasons or implications of voting for someone. I think many people voted for him because they genuinely wanted to see the state of the US change and thought he would do that, but I think many people also voted for him simply because they felt that he hated the same things and people that they did, and wanted to see him persecute groups that they felt were evil or un-American, etc... Because they're racists. Or xenophobes. Or nationalists. Or all of the above

理由を一ついうのは難しいかな、だってやっぱり人それぞれ色んな理由があるから。中には投票してて何でトランプに（もしくは他の人に）投票するっていう明確な理由がない人もいるだろうし。多くのトランプに投票した人は本当にアメリカの状況を変えたくて彼が大統領なら変わると思ったんだと思う。でも中にはただ単にトランプのような人種差別的な考えを持って彼に投票した人もいる。外国人を怖がってたりする人もいるかもね。

Q4. I feel that Japanese media says only small amount of information of both of Clinton and Trump. Trump is a racist and sexist and Clinton supports females, LGBTs, and immigrants. I've also heard bad things about Clinton so I'm honestly not sure if I wanted her to become President. Do you think there are better things about Trump than Clinton？

日本のメディアではヒラリーにもトランプについても決まった少しの情報しか報道されてない気がする。トランプはレイシストでセクシスト、ヒラリーは女性やLGBT、移民の味方。私はトランプサポーターではないけどヒラリーも実際悪いニュースも聞いたり（お金に関してだったり）するから正直ヒラリーがいい！とも思ってなかった。トランプができることでヒラリーより良い点はあると思う？

A. There are some things that honestly may be reasonably hoped for with Trump that may not have been able to happen with Clinton (and they may still not happen with Trump, so we have to see). For example, Trump took a harder stance than Clinton, or took a stance in opposition of here on issues such as the following: jobs being kept in America and refortification of the domestic economy and workforce, imposing term limits on members of congress and trying to reduce corruption and collusion within the government in general, and trying to keep America out of foreign wars. However, there is also much troubling about what he has proposed, and the potential effects of his proposals are ambiguous, and we also just have no idea yet what he will actually get done nor what he was truly serious about. So it's all still a big question mark. Trump may be able to get some good things done which Clinton would not have been able to or would not have wanted to. He also may fuck things up immensely. Maybe both will happen. We just have to see.

正直に言えばいくつかヒラリーには無理でトランプならできるかも（可能かはまだわからないけど）あると思う。例えば、アメリカ人の雇用問題とか経済状況、アメリカが海外の戦争には関わらないようにしたりとか。でもそれらの問題よりも彼が作る問題は多いだろうし、彼は言ってるだけでまだ曖昧だから、今後彼が実際にそれらをするつもりなのかはまだ全然わからない。だから本当に今は何も言えないかな。もしかしたら今後ヒラリーではできなかったことをやり遂げるかもしれないし、もしくは完全に失敗して滅茶苦茶にするかもね。

Q5. You live in Japan and have lots of Japanese friends. What do you think about the Japanese reaction to the presidential election？Are they interested in it or no idea？

あなたは今は日本に住んでて、日本人の友達も沢山いるだろうけど日本の友達と選挙結果の話はした？どう感じてるのかな？

A. So far, I haven't heard many Japanese reactions to the election yet but personally, my friends who I have talked to are very shocked and/ or upset and I kind of expected that because I'm sure I live in a relatively liberal bubble in Japan. I'm sure there are some Japanese who don't think negatively of Trump or even like him somehow, but personally my friends and acquaintances by and large are aware of how stupid/ problematic he comes off to many Americans and tend to agree with such a characterization.

今のところはあまり多くの人からの話は聞いてないかな、でもなん人か話した友達たちはみんな驚いてショックを受けてるみたいだった。でも僕の知り合いは日本人の中でもリベラルな考え方を持った人たちがほとんどだから驚かないかな。日本人の中にはきっとトランプに対してネガティブでないイメージや理由はわからないけど彼が好きな人もいるんじゃないかな。でも僕の周りの人たちはトランプがどれだけバカで問題かを知ってる人が多いかな。

Thoughts by Ruru / 私の考え

I decided to do this interview because I didn't think all people who voted for Trump were simply just racists and sexists. I've read articles that there are people who desperately wanted the current US situation to change, especially very poor people. There are lots people who are upset and criticise all people who voted Trump but we need to remember that everyone has their own opinions. I am not American, and I don't even live in America but since America is the country that has the biggest power in the world and Japan has been very close to America, we Japanese also need to think about this as well. but now, as Jordan says, let's hope for the best now and we will see soon.

今回の大統領選後に気になったのは多くの意見がヒラリーが大統領になれたかったのは女性だからでトランプに投票した人はみんな人種、性差別主義者だと言うような意見。もちろんそれはあると思うますが、今の自分の生活に本当に困ってる貧困層の人たちやヒラリーのメールサーバー問題などで彼女は信用できないと不信感を抱いてる人も多いと思うのでそれだけが理由ではないのかなと思ってインタビューしてみようと思うました。私はアメリカ人じゃないしアメリカに住んでるわけでもないけど、実質世界的に一番力のある国の大統領、しかも日本とは近い国ということで日本人も考えるべきかなと思います。でもジョーダンの言う通り、今は何もわからないので今後よくなると希望を持って待つしか今はないかなと思っています。

Thank you so much to Jourdan for letting me interview him.

Jordan Roth.

Master's degree student at Waseda University in Tokyo. 22 years old.

Instagram : positiv_enrgy

Other interesting resources

article -

The humble safety pin makes an anti-racism point

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36661097

全米各地で「安全ピン」をつけるムーブメント広がる、その意味とは？

http://www.fashionsnap.com/news/2016-11-12/saftypin/（日本語）