We need to focus on building our own community before we move into another. Graphic by Reece Butler. 

SADIA KHATRI | OPINION COLUMNIST | sskhatri@butler.edu 

“I’m moving to Canada!”

Following Donald Trump’s presidential victory, perhaps you have heard or seen sentiments about moving elsewhere and away from America. When conservative victories — particularly when Trump is involved — become prominent, this uniquely American phenomenon becomes more popular. Simply scroll through social media and you will find a number of individuals claiming that they are ready to move to various European countries.

This mindset of escapism is foolish at best, harmful at worst and undeniably privileged. Wanting to escape from the political stress that we are surrounded by is understandable. Actually leaving, however, is not something most have the ability to do. 

The sentiment of wanting to escape — typically to Canada or a European country — has been at an all-time high following recent conservative victories. The average person is not able to uproot their life and move, despite what social media posts might indicate. 

Zohal Atmar, a senior biology and Spanish double major, believes the rise in such attitude is a way for individuals to show their frustration. 

“[Those who make these posts] have no other means of controlling what has occurred or the outcome of the election,” Atmar said. “The only way they know how to show they’re feeling upset is to make comments that they’re gonna leave because they don’t agree with the [direction that]  the country is going in.”

However passionate these sentiments may seem, there is little evidence available that shows how many individuals genuinely make the move abroad because of American politics. These attitudes are a means of showing disappointment and frustration, especially on social media. 

Professor of English Ania Spyra provided some insight on why this type of escapism is popular on social media in particular. 

“I think social media is so uniquely positioned to allow people to have an outlet for gestures,” Spyra said. “I’m showing you that I’m opposed to this new regime coming in, and I’m showing you that I have enough privilege … to be able to think, ‘Oh, I don’t like this. So I’m going to isolate myself from it.’ … It is virtue signaling.”

Beyond the performativity of this uniquely American and social-media-based phenomenon, there is a considerable amount of privilege and ignorance involved as well. The process of moving and migrating is one that is difficult and long. 

Junior biology major Rida Jawad finds it important to also keep in mind why many people immigrate to the U.S. in the first place and the privilege that comes with that. 

“If you look at America in a general scope, there’s a reason people leave their home country to move here,” Jawad said. “I think [escapism] comes from a place of like we’ve come so far that there’s no fixing whatever issues are making you wanna leave the country. I think that kind of attitude brings a sense of doom … and helplessness, when instead you should be working on ‘Oh, how do we fix this? How do we reform this?’”

Immigration is a long and hard process that many undertake for the purpose of finding more opportunities or a better quality of life. There is a significant amount of ignorance surrounding how the immigration process works and the difficulties that come along with being an immigrant in a new and different country.

“I think that anyone who’s aware of international [labor] law would know that you can’t just move to a country and start working there legally,” Spyra said. “I think there’s a certain mythology of expatriate life for Americans … I think there are people who think of themselves as expats rather than as immigrants. Because being an immigrant is to … [go] through the process of becoming a citizen, to fully become embedded in the country that you’re in, where you can then care about its political systems and everything else. And expats just go and live somewhere else and are away from things.”

The idea of living life in a new country, not as an immigrant, but as an expatriate is certainly romanticized. Generally, the term expatriate is used to define someone who lives abroad and is an academic or an elite working professional. The term is heavily rooted in status and class, and it conveys a certain image of a wealthy, and typically white, professional.   

Expatriate life, however, is not something that is easily attainable. Moving away from conservative and extreme American politics does not guarantee that there is a country or place one can go that is free of political concerns. Trump, and American politics as a whole, have global impacts, and Atmar noted that there is often no legitimate way to escape.

“There is no running away from it,” Atmar said. “Whether you’re here or whether you’re somewhere else, it doesn’t really matter. Either way, he’s president.”

Political extremism is nothing unique to America. When major systems of oppression are still in place, there are no places that are going to be fully safe and perfect. In Europe, far-right extremism is becoming more and more common, with this past summer’s race riots in the UK being a prime example of this. In India, Hindu nationalism and the BJP are becoming more powerful. Israel has been relentlessly carrying out a genocide in Palestine. Brazilian politics have continued to shift further right. 

Globally, there has been a shift towards more right-wing and extremist politics. 

When faced with a troubling reality that is undoubtedly frightening, it becomes increasingly important to focus on fostering supportive communities and relationships with the people around us.

“Who gets to leave their problems really,” Spyra said. “I think that this sort of idea that, ‘Oh yes, there are difficulties that we can leave for others to deal with’ is very …  isolationist.”

There are undoubtedly going to be more troubling circumstances and situations that arise as this presidency takes off. Having the capacity to leave does not necessarily mean that one should. Building community, providing support and working toward change are important goals that we should at least try to commit ourselves to. 

“Staying is a venue or an avenue for possible change or resistance or just creation of community,” Spyra said. “It’s most necessary for people who can’t leave, and so many other people just can’t leave, and know that they can’t afford it, that it’s not that easy, that that there are no places to escape to, really, that the whole world is becoming more destabilized with a Trump win.”

Running away from our problems will not solve them. Escaping and leaving these problems for others, especially those who are more marginalized, is certainly not the answer. Building community, and ensuring that our loved ones and community members are safe and supported, is important during times of difficulty. 

Losing hope and turning to escapism is simply not viable.