It has been five days since the debate and I have yet to see a single working journalist or columnist even remark upon how almost every answer Trump gave at the debate was openly racist towards Hispanics/Latinos. We, apparently, are a demographic not worth defending. (NOTE: not a comment on Brooke)
Something real bad is happening over on Twitter holy shit. I just saw some real bad tweets about immigrants from folks I had previously thought were anti-racist progressives
People (rightly) hit on the “Black jobs” comment, but ignored the context of it: a shameless attempt to position Latinos/Hispanics as something Black voters should also have racial anxiety over. He attempted to repurpose the ugly old “Black crime” canards as “migrant crime” for Black people.
I live in a Mexican-American neighbourhood. At least 80% Mexican with lots of Spanish-speaking households. And guess what? Most of the Edgars are for tRump. I don't know... maybe they think they are better than the migrants trying to do the same thing their parents did maybe a decade or two ago.
Young Latinos who wear the Edgar haircut and wave the Mexican flag without even knowing the significance of Sept 15 (or May 5 for that matter). In my nbhd, they are called "Edgars" or "No Sabo Kids". A bit older, and they support tRump despite all logic and reason. Being radicalized by social media?
Now, I'm an old gringo. So everything I know on this subject I learned from my wife (who is from Guatemala) and folks from my neighbourhood (which is > 80% Mexican-American). I listen and I learn.
Yes, and it’s not just Trump. As Brooke discussed elsewhere (and why I was thinking of it), a whole lot of supposed allies are not even blinking at casual racism towards us; were just an “immigrant” Other (actual citizenship status be damned), upon whom that treatment is natural.
I grew up in LA, I spoke more Spanish than some Latino fourth generation folks I know. It's this casual racism that is not just ignorant on it's face, but ignorant in it's hatred. Why Sikhs were attacked after 9/11. It's tribal, ugly and just so so stupid.
And ahistorical! Good chunks of the southwestern USA were part of Mexico 180 or so years ago. Plenty of our families never migrated at all, the borders just changed around us.
They don't have to. I already know everything he says is bullshit. The more attention Biden (or whomever takes his place should he suspend his campaign) gets, the more likely voters will resolve this issue, if the Biden (or replacement) messaging team can kick it into gear.
