the presidential election was the last thing on my mind on nov. 8. i had essays to write and italian vocabulary to learn. sure, i kept new york times and wall street journal tabs open on my laptop, but i was uninterested in indulging in conversation about an election that most everyone could agree was a time bomb. as a student at new york university and the daughter of a civil servant at the united states department of state, i am familiar with political unrest and its potentially disastrous outcomes in the arms of ignorance and hysteria. i did not hold any particularly strong opinions about donald trump or hillary clinton. if i had voted, however, i would have picked mr. trump. i was focused on school. i had no idea that a few days later i would be dismissed as a <u+201c>trump supporter<u+201d> and a person of <u+201c>privilege<u+201d> who <u+201c>reflected an us versus them mind-set<u+201d> in an essay by my college roommate in this publication <u+2014> an essay that would go viral and change my life. i did not feel that i should lie to my new college friends, especially at n.y.u., where we are supposed to be open to hearing opposing views, able to discuss them and put any bias aside. i never tried to persuade my roommate to accept my side, my choice or my views. i even agreed with some of her opinions about mr. trump, who has said divisive things about muslims and other minority groups. as an independent, my feelings toward the campaign were very mixed. i felt strongly that as a country we needed to focus on domestic issues, and for me, the republicans were more prepared to do that. my roommate has since apologized to me, but in the meantime i have felt the glare of her friends and been heckled on campus by other students. i have been labeled <u+201c>racist,<u+201d> <u+201c>sexist<u+201d> and <u+201c>xenophobic<u+201d> on facebook. i have been called a <u+201c>white without a conscious,<u+201d> a <u+201c>misogynist,<u+201d> a <u+201c>bigot<u+201d> and a <u+201c>barbarian<u+201d> online by people all over the country. here<u+2019>s my story. my father is hispanic. my extended family lives in southern california and new mexico. many of my family members are not native english speakers. my maternal grandmother is an italian immigrant who holds a green card. her husband died after struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism; she had to work two jobs to make ends meet. my mother was raised by her stepfather, who is african-american and the only maternal grandfather i have known. he is a kind, devout man whom i love dearly. my family and friends come from all ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations. attending new york university was my dream. my dad grew up in a trailer home, and my mom was homeless for a period of time. my parents were the first in their families to graduate from college. they have struggled to provide the best for me and my brother. they have sacrificed financially and worked hard to give us a good life. i came to n.y.u. partly on scholarship and am accruing debt to pay my tuition. as minorities, my mother, father, grandparents and i have experienced racial hate. my skin may be light, but i understand discrimination. i may not know each person<u+2019>s individual experience, but am able to empathize with others. on election day, as it became clear that mr. trump would be the next president, i tried to reassure my roommate that i was sensitive to her politics and personal concerns about a trump administration. i sent her lengthy texts trying to express my hope for reconciliation. i know the fear that the election has inflicted. i comprehend the hurt that people feel. we all have reasons for casting our votes. what i do not understand is hatred toward one another. supporters of both parties have misunderstood and fueled hate out of reckless emotion and ignorance. the answer is not to further the divide by labeling and dehumanizing one another. we should fight the <u+201c>us versus them<u+201d> mind-set. we have spent too much time in our own bubbles, and we need to begin a dialogue that will allow us to understand one another. blind fear and hatred are far more powerful than any candidate. how can we assume we know someone based on the color of their skin, their religion, or their political choices? why should we be afraid to express our opinions? if we see one another not as a clinton supporter or a trump supporter, but as human, perhaps we can discover empathy in the troubled nation in which we exist. the narrative should be one of inclusiveness, openness, respect and love. it is not only about making <u+201c>america great again,<u+201d> it is about making america home again. k.n. pineda is a freshman at new york university. follow the new york times opinion section on facebook and twitter , and sign up for the opinion today newsletter .
divisions in my dorm room
k.n. pineda