The Ideas of Donald Trump About Gender & Racial Identity

Gender and racial identity have long been subject to public opinions, morals, and beliefs. One person may express his or her feelings toward a certain group of people in one way while someone else may go about doing so in another. Visuals, music, and everyday communication are just a few of many ways in which messages can be conveyed. However, in many cases, such messages are often times sent indirectly to its consumer and therefore up to them to interpret the deeper meaning behind what is being stated. Multiple visual texts were used and interpreted to see what the narrator actually meant within his or her statements.

The indirect messages within the visual texts chosen are sending the ideas of Donald Trump that women are unprofessional, Mexicans in the U.S. are adverse to societies progression, and that European immigrants are preferred to that other races. Hidden messages are all around, while so very few can manage to actually catch them the first time around. Initially, the indirect messages within the visual texts chosen are sending the ideas of Donald Trump that women are unprofessional.

This serves as an example of a conflict with gender identity, indirectly sending messages about a group of people to the public, which is believed to set the tone for all who are subject to similar situations in the future. Donald Trump proceeds to call Rosie O’Donnell “disgusting both inside and out” and a “slob”, suggesting that the way she goes about presenting herself to the public and/or handling situations is inappropriate (CNN). Not only is Donald Trump making a general statement in which he feels justifies the tone for one particular women, but he is also affiliating a whole gender with being generally unprofessional. Donald trump also proceeds to say Rosie O’Donnell speaks like a “truck driver”, hinting that she is not only unprofessional in the ways she goes about presenting herself but illiterate in one way or another (Parnass).

Although within the chosen visual texts Donald Trump appears to address an individual, he also attacks multiple other individuals under the same tone of the same gender on multiple other occasions about the same thing. Just one of many indirect messages being sent, these visual texts suggest that Donald Trump’s opinion on women are not to favorable among other things. Secondly, these visual texts chosen suggest that Mexicans in the U.S. are adverse to societies progression. This claim attacks racial / ethnic identity, condemning one whole ethnic group of people due to the inappropriate acts of very few. Donald Trump blames Mexicans for “bringing drug and crime, and all being killers and rapists” (Reilly).

Echoing the term frequently during his border addresses, Donald Trump has created a negative ideology in the minds of many people in regards to an entire racial / ethnic group’s identity. Donald Trump also goes on to say “that there are many issues going on at the southern border”, implying that Mexicans are causing constant conflict with U.S. officials down there (Reilly). As shown some indirect messages can lie right on the surface, however, proceeding to put two and two together can reveal the ever so often bigger picture.

Finally, the visual texts of choice are suggesting that Europeans immigrants are preferred to other races. Of the previous indirect ideas of the visual texts chosen, this idea happens to be the most indirect and controversial. Donald Trump has reportedly said he “prefers more immigrants from Norway, than African and Haitian countries” (Sharmon). This idea has a lot to do with racial identity, being overly hypocritical about one ethnic group in relation to the general U.S. population. Donald trump also proceeds to state his reason on the matter by stating “because africans and Haitians come countries similar to that of a dump” (Sharmon). Not only is this showing a sign of racial identity preference but also a hint of being biased towards other racial groups due to country conditions.

Sometimes the puzzle pieces are not as general as they seem. To draw to a close, many messages are sent through the public every day while their true meanings remain a blur. Initially, the indirect messages within the visual texts chosen are sending the ideas that women are unprofessional. Within them, Donald Trump has made many statements in regard to women so much so that his words have created a sense of unprofessionalism. Secondly, these visual texts chosen suggest that Mexicans are non-compliant with regulations. The visuals show that Donald Trump truly believes all Mexicans are potential culprits. Finally, the visual texts of choice are suggesting that European immigrants are preferred to other races. In a statement made by Donald Trump in reference to whom he wants to see more of come to the U.S., it can be determined what direction he was going in. Every so often someone is presented with indirect messages, however, it is when exactly the concealed gets revealed that makes all the difference.