What It's Like Being a Millennial Minority at the Republican National Convention

Elizabeth Berecin, a 21-year-old Mexican-Taiwanese woman from Saint Marcos, TX.

Finding millennials who are minorities at the Republican National Convention is similar to playing a game of Where's Waldo?: they're difficult to spot, but once you do see them, they definitely stand out. (You're probably not surprised to hear this, though, if you saw Paul Ryan's selfie with GOP interns that went viral for its lack of diversity.)

At the GOP's big week in Cleveland, young minorities discussed how they felt about being an anomaly among throngs of mostly older white people — and while some saw it as an opportunity, others said it was a major sign things needed to change within the party. It also made some feel downright uncomfortable.

For Eugene Craig III, a 25-year-old black man who serves as vice chair of the Maryland Republican party, the recent killings of black men by police were top of mind and he couldn't help wondering how the people at the RNC would respond if something similar happened at the convention.

"I feel as though, even with my stellar résumé and the folks that know me, if I was to be gunned down right here at this convention, somebody would find some way to justify it," he said. "I'm in a party that quite frankly is at war with my culture. And until that's reconciled, there's going to be some tension and it's going to be awkward."

In 2012, after Mitt Romney lost to President Obama, the GOP put together an "autopsy" review to see where it went wrong. One of its key findings? The party needed to be more inclusive of minorities. Throughout this election, Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims and build a "very tall" and "beautiful" border wall has not helped advance those efforts — and neither did the speeches on Monday night at the RNC.

The fear-based rhetoric of the night included many references to "illegal aliens" who had committed egregious crimes and a speech by David Clarke, the black sheriff of Milwaukee County, who shouted that "blue lives matter," a clear dig at the Black Lives Matter movement that has surged in recent weeks after the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

"He was playing to the worst sensibilities and anxieties of people on that stage," Craig said. "It was horrible."

Eugene Craig III, a 25-year-old black man who serves as vice chair of the Maryland Republican party.

Further evidence that the GOP has a problem with race? A 2015 report by the Pew Research center that analyzed long-term trends in party affiliation among the public found that Democrats hold advantages among blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and millennials. Republicans are winning among whites — particularly white men.

"Democrats hold an 80 to 11 percent advantage among blacks, lead by close to three-to-one among Asian Americans (65 percent to 23 percent) and by more than two-to-one among Hispanics (56 percent to 26 percent)," concluded the report. "Millennials continue to be the most Democratic age cohort; 51 percent identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, compared with 35 percent who identify with the GOP or lean Republican."

Some of the young minorities we spoke to were well aware of this issue. "Republicans have a bit of a challenge reaching minority voters — that's not a surprise," said Parson Hicks, a 34-year-old black woman and a Trump supporter. "But I think that's not unique to Trump."

As for why the Democratic party attracts more minorities than the Republican party does, many blamed the presumptions that the blue party gives handouts. "The Democrat party supports a lot of food stamps and different programs like that, which helps a lot of poor people," said Austin Paolino, an 18-year-old Armenian-Italian from Rhode Island. And many minorities were poor, he said.

Others agreed. "A lot of minorities do vote Democrat and the problem with that is, is the Democrats I believe are more for social welfare and when you're in the slums and you don't have a lot of money, getting a paycheck sounds really nice," said Elizabeth Berecin, a 21-year-old from Saint Marcos, TX, who identifies as Mexican, Taiwanese, and European.

Berecin is a college senior who wants to hold public office one day, so she's at the RNC to make connections. Everyone she's met has been open and welcoming, she says, but she can't help noticing that she stands out from the crowd.

"It does make you feel like an outsider," Berecin said. "It does make you feel like you're not in the general consensus."

But she said the contrast is just physically apparent; she doesn't feel any different in her interactions. "To the media looking inside, it's 'Wow there's no millennials, no minorities.' But on the inside, we don't really see that. You're the same person to me — it plays no role in how you're treated within the party."

For Craig, Monday night's fervid speeches were enough to make him feel shunned. "There have been times where I felt uncomfortable here," he said. "I look at the stage and I see speaker after speaker after speaker after speaker saying, 'Oh, criminal justice is a farce, police brutality is a farce.' You literally have people dying.'"

He's not the only one who thinks the face and messaging of the GOP need to change. Jorge Villarreal, a 19-year-old from Houston, says the difference in race and age is more apparent in the leadership of the GOP.

"Of course with both parties, people tend to be older and white, but there is a sizable chunk of minority Republicans," said Villarreal, who is of mixed race (black, white, Latino, and Native American), but identifies foremost as Mexican. "We tend to be a bit younger and newer and haven't had a chance to be in leadership — few of us had to have a good enough reputation to be leaders."

Being a woman on top of being young and diverse is also cause for attention. "I call myself a triple minority," Hicks said. "I'm young, I'm a woman, and I'm black. I do feel that it's rare and I wish there were more people like me but I feel like in order for people like me — in order for people our age, of different races, and women — to have a seat at the table, we can't all be in one party."

She said the people of the GOP party have welcomed her and have a "genuine curiosity on how to reach people who look like me."

One 22-year-old Muslim woman, whose parents are from Turkey and Pakistan but who didn't want to be named, said she doesn't feel rejected by the party when Trump and his supporters call for a ban on Muslims entering the country. "It doesn't bother me because he's just saying people from that part of the world who happen to be Muslim shouldn't be here — at the end of the day, it's about safety." Her parents, however, are voting liberal.

Jobs. Opportunity. Safety. Those we talked to said these issues mattered most to them and they liked the GOP's positions. Donald Trump would bring the jobs Americans need, they said.

"I think the GOP is the right platform for young minorities because we really believe in giving people the opportunities to make something of themselves not just by saying, 'Here's this handout without an incentive,'" Berecin said.

Many also like Trump's supposed tough stance on security. "I believe he's a strong candidate and he's going to do a lot for our safety and I don't trust Hillary Clinton," said Mariah Paolino, a 20-year-old, who is the sister of Austin Paolino. The two were there with their 24-year-old brother and their parents.

The Paolino family from Rhode Island.

"I think there are a lot of security issues going on and he's worried about it. We want to make sure people are coming here legally, we want to make sure they're the right people. His wife is an immigrant herself and she did it the right way," said Mariah, referring to Melania Trump.

Villarreal is the only person we spoke to who definitively isn't supporting Trump because of his controversial comments. "Honestly, I think there's a faction in the Republican party that has taken over it — like the faction of Trump that spews the harmful and racist rhetoric — and then there are people like me, who some call moderates, who don't agree with that faction."

Instead, he's voting for libertarian Gary Johnson, but he still believes in the party's core. "The part of the party that really attracts me is that compared to the Democratic party, it's a party of opportunity. If you're willing to work hard and play by the rules and hopefully have some luck and faith, you'll be able to move up the chain to the middle class."

If the people we talked to think the GOP is getting it right on the economy, it's failing on social issues like abortion and gay marriage, especially considering the party recently passed one of the most socially conservative platforms in recent history.

"Overall I have more conservative values. That being said, as a millennial, I am a lot more open-minded to differences. I understand abortion and the pros and cons of it and being very realistic," Berecin said. "Roe v. Wade won't be overturned anytime soon. I saw that when I got into college and experienced different things."

Opposing gay marriage wasn't even an option for many of them. "I feel like gays should get married — that goes against my religion but I think they should get married," Mariah Paolino said. Villarreal agreed. "When I talk to young people, they say the GOP is against abortions and against gay marriage, so I think we need to ease up on that a bit." Hicks thought it was a detriment to the future of the party: "On social issues, I don't feel that's something that can take us into the 21st century."

Social issues aside, some think the GOP doesn't do enough to attract a diverse voting block. "He doesn't reach out to us," Craig said about Trump. "He doesn't care. His base is old white folks. Even if you look at our convention — it's geared towards folks that are aging and longing for an America that has long been gone," he said, using Monday's speeches from Scott Baio and Antonio Sabato Jr. as examples. Craig said he still isn't sure if he's voting for Trump but supports the party for its belief in small government and might support the real estate mogul if he does more to appeal to black voters.

"Let's be real about this. There hasn't been one act of entertainment, one act of messaging, there hasn't been one act of party platform that has been geared to reach out to millennial voters," Craig added. "Within the next years, we'll be the largest voting bloc. The issue with the Republican party is that every four years we lose out on a new wave of voters because of the way we cater and form our message. It comes down to a point where the party has to look at itself and say, 'Do you want to grow or do you want to die off?'"

At what point is being a young minority in the GOP a good thing?

"To be a minority is refreshing because I'm able to stand out and put forth my views not only from my perspective as a Republican but as a black, young woman," Hicks said. She and every other person we spoke to believe their voices will be heard.

Jorge Villarreal, a 19-year-old from Houston.

Villarreal believes the possibility of leadership is enough to be proud of the Republican party. "I'm given an opportunity by being young and a minority because you stand out, people thank you for being here and I think it gives you an opportunity to network with people and show them we're the future of the party," he said.

Even Craig, the most critical of the GOP, is optimistic about its possibility for change and acceptance. "You can't affect change from the outside in. You have to do it from the inside out," he said. "And part of that is having a seat at the table."

Hopefully the party is sincerely listening to these voices and that next time around, minority millennials won't be so hard to find.