Both parents immigrants to the United States. Mom from Columbia her fathers family was caught in the civil war between religious/political factions he lost something like 12 or 13 of his siblings during the war. They came through Puerto Rico after waiting 10 years to leave Columbia and another 8 to go from Puerto Rico to Florida. My grandfather spent his entire life planning to migrate his family here for a better future. Very traditional conservative family, very religious family, very pro America is the city on the hill family.

My father is family came from Canada specifically New Foundland. His dad was a runaway from an abusive house. After spending his childhood as a fishermen in New Foundland he left to Montreal to follow my grandmother a progressive to college. They both found religion in Montreal and he became a minister. Took up a church in WaWa and worked the mines for money. Was told by the controlling political party he was not going to past the physical because he belonged to the wrong church. After having a metal plate put in his stomach to force them to pass him he looked for ways to come to America. After 5 years was approved for a work visa in Tampa. My dad was born in wawa but only remembers America he was a toddler when they came. His dad's experience with the doctors and church controlling the medical treatments makes him very untrusting of authority. In the 70s Grandpa and Grandma had to break union lines to work in the factories, car was vandalized, house had bricks tossed through windows, Grandma was spit on and assaulted crossing the picket line. They almost went back to New Foundland but stayed when Grandpa got cancer. He died two years before I was born in the 80s. Very anti government family, very religious family, very anti union and anti socialist family.

Needless to say I grew up in a republican house. Hard republican house but more religious and conservative then anything the social issues drive the political values in my house growing up. I didn't even meet a democrats until highschool, I was shocked when this Spanish guy told me he was a Democrat. He said and I quote "my family's poor and Spanish of course I'm democrat". It rocked my world what did he mean? I was poor and my mom was Spanish but I thought democrats where people from a far away land that hated poor people and and religious people. Before going to a public high school I was either homeschooled or went to church schools. Everyone I knew was associated with my father's church.

Today 20-30 years later I'm much more libertarian then republican. Oddly enough my dad is leaning more libertarian as the party moves more towards trump's populism and away from conservatism. My kids are much more exposed to the outside world then I was but I do try and shelter them some. I want them to be loyal to an ideal not a party. Im still evolving in my political beliefs as I learn more and meet new people. My sister just married a very religious black guy from Boston and he is a strong democrat she's an active republican. I love her husband my new brother in law we've really bonded over the last year. I hope eventually he feels comfortable enough we can dig into some of our different experiences and viewpoints. Right now we keep it very superficial he relocated down here to marry her so our only goal is to make him feel accepted and loved.

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