On June 16th, Donald Trump declared his candidacy for president of the United States and presented part of his presidential platform at the Trump Tower in NYC.
While discussing immigration as part of his platform, Trump (not one to be accused of basic human decency) kicked-off his campaign by appealing to racist and anti-immigrant voters alike when he proceeded to call Mexican immigrants “rapists”, “drug dealers” and “criminals” who frequently bring there “problems” to the U.S.
Fortunately, he has faced some significant financial backlash in response to his hateful rhetoric. TV networks NBC and Univision have cut ties with the billionaire magnate and have refused to air any of his programs such as the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageant. Numerous celebrities such as Roselyn Sanchez, Cheryl Burke, and Christian de la Fuente among many others, have decided not to continue either hosting or judging duties for either pageants, and even countries such as Mexico and Costa Rica, have pulled out of the Miss Universe competition. To top it all off, Macy’s has even cut ties with the billionaire magnate, and news reports suggest that other companies may follow suit.
Though Trump’s business ventures have suffered, his remarks haven’t even remotely spelled the end for his presidential campaign. Recent polls have indicated that he has become one of the top Republican contenders, and candidates such as Ted Cruz have even come to his defense. Though there isn’t much of a possibility that he could win, he has proven that he can garner a fan base of likeminded voters who share his anti-immigrant sentiments. The fact that there are plenty of people who find him an appealing candidate despite his positions on racism is proof that his views are shared by many.
While I’m relieved that some companies and people have had the good sense to distance themselves from Donald Trump and his blatantly disgusting remarks, I can’t help but sigh.
At this point in my life, I recognize that Trump’s comments do not exist in a vacuum, but rather are a manifestation of anti-Latino sentiment in American culture. Donald Trump isn’t a fringe voice. He is not merely a lone, wealthy white man shouting disgusting sentiments into the void. He is, rather, a very prominent representation of the anti-immigrant and anti-Latino sentiment that more than a few americans share.
It is always a fear of difference, of otherness, that characterizes the rhetoric against Latinos in America. Pundits like Ann Coulter make millions by claiming that immigrants will steal American jobs, language, traditions, everything Americans holds sacred. Despite studies and sources that prove that fewer immigrants are coming into America now than ever before, and that immigration has helped rather than hurt the American economy, fanatics love to point out how Latino immigrants have purportedly threatened American security. Yet whenever Latinos proceed to call out people on their racist views, their concerns are brushed off as “political correctness” and as attempts to “stifle free speech”.
Who can forget the brainless remarks thrown against Central American immigrant children during the 2014 immigration crisis? Who can ignore the social policies that make educational access and achievement for Hispanic students more difficult? Who can ignore off the library of media stereotypes of Latinos from everything to lazy, to uneducated to overly sexual to God knows what else? Even my island of Puerto Rico (a legal territory of the U.S whose residents are U.S citizens) faces racist attacks whenever a Puerto Rican wins the U.S lottery or sings a national anthem. It honestly gets tiring when people pretend this is some new kind of revelation, when this is in fact a lived reality for Latinos in the U.S.
I think what bothers me the most is that every time society is forced to confront prevalent racism, there is common thread where commentators will say we need a “discussion on race”, yet little is done. To be clear, there are plenty of discussions on racism throughout the internet, in public forums, and at universities. There are organizations and platforms everywhere that continuously provide excellent discussions and suggestions for what needs to be done. There is no lack of discussion. Rather, there is a lack of serious intent and action, of a genuine desire to actually listen to what marginalized groups have to say regarding racism in America.
Rather than say we need a discussion, just start by caring about the voices of marginalized groups, their experiences, and their ideas. Read a good blog, join an immigration reform campaign, and above all, listen to marginalized groups and pay attention to what they say. It will without a doubt benefit you in the end.
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