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Many immigrants are pushing back against President Trump's crackdown on migrants in the country without legal status, and a new song has become something of a rallying cry. This song, "Donaltron," is sung by a group of Venezuelans, as NPR's Sergio Mart矛nez-Beltr谩n brings us the story.
SERGIO MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N, BYLINE: OK, you need to listen to this sick beat.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DONALTRON")
JUNIOR CALDERA AND DAVICITO59 AND LUXOR: (Singing in Spanish).
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: The song is called "Donaltron." That's how many Spanish-language speakers call President Donald Trump. The artists go by Junior Caldera, Davicito (speaking Spanish) and Luxor - all Venezuelans. And the song has many powerful lyrics.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DONALTRON")
CALDERA AND DAVICITO59 AND LUXOR: (Singing in Spanish).
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: "I contribute to this nation. I follow the law," the song goes. "I work in construction. I don't deserve to be deported."
Luxor, a 23-year-old artist who just moved to Orlando, is the creator of the song. He tells me "Donaltron" is the product of his side hustle. Luxor went to wait outside a California Home Depot to find work as a day laborer, but after waiting and waiting, no one picked him up.
LUXOR: (Speaking Spanish).
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: "I couldn't find work and I got this idea in my head that I had to create a song," he says. He was hoping to become famous and live off his music. Part of the song mirrors his immigration journey.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DONALTRON")
CALDERA AND DAVICITO59 AND LUXOR: (Singing in Spanish).
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: "God, guide Donald Trump so he doesn't (speaking Spanish)." He's referring to CBP One, a mobile app used by asylum-seekers to schedule entry into the U.S. while they wait for their asylum claim to be heard. That's how Luxor got into the country, but Trump shut down the app on his first day in office.
The music video of "Donaltron" is crazy. There's a mock arrest by immigration officers. There's booty shaking, and there's a guy wearing a mask of President Trump dancing dembow like a pro.
LUXOR: (Speaking Spanish).
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: "The song is a comedy with a conscience," Luxor says, adding immigrants relate to it because the lyrics express a reality many of them have lived. Here's Davicito 59, one of the singers.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DONALTRON")
DAVICITO59: (Singing in Spanish).
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: "I went through the (speaking Spanish) and was not eaten by jaguars," he sings. "I fought crocodiles and escaped from the military."
Venezuelans are one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the U.S., and now the ones with a viral song. Luxor, the main writer of the song, may now have a viral TikTok hit, but he's not quitting his day job at a hot dog stand. He still has to get WiFi from a parking lot hot spot.
LUXOR: (Speaking Spanish).
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: He says everything is possible. "I'm still looking for WiFi and making all of my dreams a reality, spreading a message."
So let's end this story with how Donaltron ends.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DONALTRON")
CALDERA AND DAVICITO59 AND LUXOR: (Singing in Spanish)
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: "Donald Trump, please, let's love each other." More of a plea than a hope, as the president continues to promise mass deportations.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DONALTRON")
CALDERA AND DAVICITO59 AND LUXOR: (Singing in Spanish).
MART脥NEZ BELTR脕N: Sergio Mart铆nez-Beltr谩n, NPR 瓜神app, Austin.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DONALTRON")
CALDERA AND DAVICITO59 AND LUXOR: (Singing in Spanish). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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