Fear, but also hope among Bangladeshis

With Election Day on Tuesday, being just three days away, campaign signs for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are appearing on the autumn leaf covered lawns of American homes and bumper stickers can be found on almost any car.

The 2016 Presidential election has seen an increase in voters of Asian descent since 2012, according to Pew Research Center, a fact tank in the US. Among the Asian population, Bangladeshis are anticipating a pivotal moment which can either make them or break them in their pursuit of the American Dream.

On Wednesay, President Obama warned a rally in Florida the fate of the world is teetering on the result of this election.

 Ms Begum, a 54-year-old Bangladeshi-American teacher is mentally preparing herself for the big reveal of the next President of the United States. Ms Begum expresses her apprehension about the election results, with doubt in her voice. “I'm afraid. I don't want Trump to win. If he wins there will be civil war in this country because he has no knowledge of leading a country.”

She is not alone in fearing a Donald Trump presidency. The republican's constant verbal attack on the immigrant populations and islamophobic comments when discussing issues of national security has kept many Bangladeshis worried about their future in the United States.

Twenty-eight-year-old Bangladeshi-American Melissa Nuruzzaman, a New York City attorney, is also voting this election and feeling uneasy about how people will vote.

“In my county (a political subdivision of a state), I don't foresee a lot of Trump support; the voters here are die hard democrats” she begins assuredly, “I am scared of people who vote for Sanders and third party candidates. We can only hope for the candidate that gets elected to be a true representation of what America is and Donald Trump wouldn't embody that.” Many like Melissa are holding their breath, hoping Trump does not become America's next leader.

Although many Bangladeshis like Mrs. Begum and Melissa are wrapped up in the fervor of the election, others are taking the situation in stride.

Salima Rahim, a U.S. citizen for 18 years is neither excited nor nervous about Election Day but she feels sure Clinton will win.

Some individuals are still holding out hope for a better future. For a young Bangladeshi-American high school students from the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy in the Bronx, who wanted to remain anonymous, a belief in the US political system overrides any concern.

The teenager noted that although citizens are feeling tense he is not going to worry about who becomes president because “no matter who wins, we're a democracy and the president doesn't get to do whatever he wants. We have congress, we have a legislative branch, and judicial branch. If they make a law you don't like, the house of representatives and other political authorities can take care of that.”

Trump is not the only candidate that is being criticized by the Bangladeshi community. Amid her email scandals and past involvement in Benghazi, Clinton's campaign has not been received favorably.

Reflecting on the 2016 Presidential election Ms Begum replied in a pensive tone, “If Trump wins then hate crimes will increase and it will be difficult to live in this country for people like us.

There have been several attacks on Bangladeshis, some resulting in deaths, in the recent past, sending ripples of fear through the community in the city. Some of them have been termed hate crimes by police and the relatives of the victims.

In one incident where an Imam and his assistant were shot dead, some of his followers pointed to the republican candidate's inflammatory speech. “Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia.”

Begum is not sure about Hillary Clinton, the Democrat hopeful, as well. She lied about so many things which she wasn't supposed to do,” she said.

Melissa felt the US election had similarities with Bangladesh elections.

“This election resonates with Bangladeshis because we are used to two parties, two leaders and we're forced to choose one, come election time. Now we have Trump and Clinton so it's like the Bangladeshi election; we have to pick the lesser of two evils.

I think the Bangladeshi community and America on a whole need to reflect on our values because a country that is so young such as Bangladesh is stuck between two candidates and America is over 200 years old and faces the same issue.”

The final candidates of the 2016 Presidential race have been met with reluctant acceptance by Bangladeshis in America, a feeling not foreign to this particular community.