Politics isn't a topic of conversation at the dinner table.
Jace Fuller, a senior studying anthropology, is too afraid to talk about politics with her family, so much so that she doesn't know her own dad's political affiliation.
Political tensions within families are prevalent amongst young people, but the upcoming general election in November has made it clear that familial divides are making college students more aware of a fear of expressing political beliefs.
Minnesota Governor and Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walz has family members who were shown on the internet supporting former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
A photo posted by Charles Herbester on X, formerly known as Twitter, featured eight people wearing blue shirts with the words "Nebraska Walz’s For Trump."
Charles Herbester ran for Nebraska governor in 2022, and he was endorsed by Trump during his candidacy.
It has since been revealed that the people in the image are blood-related to Walz, but they do not have a personal relationship with him or his immediate family, according to the Associated Press. However, the divide does represent a group of people who share separate political beliefs from those they're related to.
"A lot of people can relate to that, being kind of an outsider and outcast in the family," Fuller said. "But considering that, in his situation, he's actively doing something that he believes in while his family is sitting back. I support that for him."
According to Fuller, if the political atmosphere was more tame, she might be likely to feel more comfortable having political discussions with her family.
However, she also said that those actively in politics, even if their families disagree with their beliefs, should "go for it."
Anahi Zagaste, a junior studying nursing, said, when referring to Walz and his familial divide, that he is a strong person for his ability to continue "to do what he believes that is right."
Zagaste also said she feels compelled to hold her political ideas close during family events to avoid arguments. She said holidays can be a little awkward.
"When people find out you're different from them, they want to just argue about it," Zagaste said.
Denise Bodman, a teaching professor of human development and family processes, said that families should embrace their political beliefs and make a more transparent environment to stay accurately informed.
"Everything we see is going to be through a lens," Bodman said. "But if we recognize that we have that lens, it can help us to be a little bit more understanding."
Bodman sees a lot of the political divides not just in the general public, but in reaching families as well.
Stella Rouse, a professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies, credits a large part of the divisiveness of the political atmosphere to the extreme ideas of the Republican Party.
"Not everybody in the party, but certainly the party base has become much more isolationist and nationalistic in its approach," Rouse said.
She also said it is the people's responsibility to "lower the temperature" of strained rhetoric in the political world.
A 2024 study from the Pew Research Center found that the political affiliation is divided with 49% of registered voters identifying as Democrats and 48% of registered voters identifying as Republicans. It also shows in the study that generations differ in affiliations, making separation of political values between age groups inevitable.
The study highlighted in 2023 showed that 48% of people born in the 1970s lean more Democrat, while 49% lean more Republican. For people born in the 1990s, it is flipped — 62% lean more Democrat, and 35% lean more Republican.
"If we ever come to a point in this country where we all have the exact same idea, we'll be worse off for it," Bodman said. "We need people with diverse skills and different ways of looking at things because that's how we've been able to move forward."
Madelyne Robles, a graduate student studying international health management, feels like she can’t express her politics around her friends due to the fear of getting "canceled." She said she tends to stay reserved when expressing her opinion.
Robles, while still not completely comfortable with political talk around her friends, is also an example of someone who has not had open conversations with her family.
"At the end of the day, decide on whatever you want," Robles said. "It doesn’t really determine our relationship in the family."
According to Bodman, parents should accept it if their children think for themselves and have different ideas from the family because political ideas are just one aspect of a person.
"It's okay that your parents might not agree with you," Bodman said. "And your parents will need to understand that it's okay that you don't agree with them."
Edited by George Headley, Sophia Ramirez and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at ehprest1@asu.edu and follow @ellis_reports on X
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Ellis is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication. This is her first semester with The State Press. She has also worked at Arizona PBS and Blaze Radio.
