FEAR AND LOATHING OF LATIN IMMIGRANTSBY: ROCKY HERNANDEZ
THEY SAY THAT THOSE WHO DON'T STUDY HISTORY ARE BOUND TO REPEAT IT. PERSONALLY I SEE MUCH HATE IN HISTORY, AND LATELY I AM FEELING SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE FULL OF HATE. HATE FOR LATINS. MORE SPECIFICALLY IMMIGRANT LATINS, BUT THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH HATE TO GO AROUND FOR ALL OF THE “DIFFERENT” RACES AND GROUPS. REAGAN LET A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO THIS COUNTRY AND MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE BROUGHT CHILDREN. THOSE CHILDREN ARE NOW BEING ASKED TO LEAVE. IF THEY DON’T, THEY’LL BE ARRESTED AND PUT INTO PRIVATE JAILS IN ARIZONA, AND THEN SHIPPED BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. MANY OF THESE PEOPLE DO NOT SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY THEY ARE SHIPPED BACK TO. THEY SPEAK WHAT YOU SPEAK IF YOU ARE READING THIS, ENGLISH. IMAGINE BEING ARRESTED, THROWN IN JAIL, BUSSED TO AN AIRPORT, AND SHIPPED TO WHEREVER. LIKE UNWANTED GARBAGE. YOU BECOME A NUMBER. A BEAST IN A CAGE. A HATED ENEMY OF SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE YOU HUNG WITH IN HIGH SCHOOL, DATED, WENT TO CHURCH WITH. AN ENEMY OF THE ONLY COUNTRY YOU KNOW. THE COUNTRY YOU LOVE. IMAGINE THAT. AND THAT COUNTRY HATES YOU FOR IT. NOW IMAGINE LANDING IN SOME FOREIGN COUNTRY WHERE ALL THE SIGNS ARE USELESS AND IMPATIENT LOCALS ARE LOOKING AT YOU LIKE A FOREIGNER. THEY DON’T LIKE YOU EITHER. THEY TREAT YOU THE WAY YOU PROBABLY WOULD TREAT SOMEONE WHO WALKED UP TO YOU AND STARTED BABBLING AWAY IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE. SO THERE YOU ARE, IN EXILE. HOMELESS, HUNGRY, ALONE. WHAT WAS YOUR CRIME FOR THIS AMAZINGLY CRUEL ANGUISH? YOU WERE THE WRONGS GUY’S SPERM. YOU WERE BORN ON THE WRONG SIDE OF A LINE. IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY WITH MONEY, MAYBE THEY CAN HELP YOU GET AN APARTMENT WHILE YOU TRY TO FIND A JOB AND START A WHOLE NEW LIFE. NEW CUSTOMS, NEW LANGUAGE. AND NEW PAIN. SO MUCH PAIN FOR THE LOSS IN YOUR HEART. YOU WANT TO GO HOME. BUT HOME IS JUST A WORD TO YOU. A FANTASY. IT DOES NOT EXIST. BUT WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY? THEN WHAT? WHERE DO YOU GO? WHAT DO YOU DO? WHERE DO YOU WALK TO? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HOMELESS? I HAVE. THE SIDEWALKS SEEM HARD AND UNWELCOMING. WALKING ANYWHERE SEEMS TO TAKE FOREVER WHEN YOU ARE TIRED. YOUR FIRST MEAL IN YOUR NEW HOME MAY WELL COME FROM A TRASH CAN. PROBABLY NOT SOME WONDERFUL CLEAN AMERICAN TRASH CAN EITHER. HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO SURVIVE? CAN YOU FIGHT? ARE YOU RESOURCEFUL? YOU’D HAVE TO BE. CHANCES ARE, WITHOUT OUTSIDE HELP, MOST OF YOU WOULD DIE IN A MATTER OF WEEKS, POSSIBLY EVEN DAYS. YOU’RE JUST TOO IGNORANT TO REALIZE WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON. WHAT IS IT THESE FOOLS SAY? THE IMMIGRANTS NEED TO GO BACK TO THEIR COUNTRIES AND THEN IF THEY CHOOSE TO RETURN TO AMERICA, THEY NEED TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. I WOULD ASK ANYONE WHO FEELS THIS WAY TO RESEARCH THE “RIGHT WAY” THEY ARE REFERRING TO AND DO THE MATH ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WOULD TAKE. COULD YOU SURVIVE THAT LONG? LET EMPATHY GUIDE YOU. IMAGINE HATING SOMEONE FOR FLEEING. FLEEING A BAD SITUATION. ISN’T THAT THE RATIONAL THING TO DO? WHAT WOULD YOU DO? DO YOU THINK THESE PEOPLE CAN SOMEHOW INFLUENCE THEIR GOVERNMENT TO MAKE THEIR HOME COUNTRY BETTER.? CAN YOU? COULD YOU DO IT THERE? GET REAL. THESE PEOPLE ARE BASICALLY ON A SINKING SHIP. WOULD YOU STAY ON A SINKING SHIP BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T HAVE PERMISSION TO FLEE? BEFORE YOU JUDGE AND CONDEMN, WALK IN THEIR SHOES. LUCKILY, YOU ONLY HAVE TO DO IT MENTALLY. THEN YOU’LL THINK WOW THAT WOULD SUCK, BEFORE YOU THROW A HOT POCKET IN THE MICROWAVE AND STARE AT THE TV LIKE AN IDIOT FOR A FEW HOURS. RIGHT NOW, THIS HORRIBLE STORY IS SOMEONES REALITY. AND IT WILL BE TOMORROW, AND THE NEXT DAY. UNTIL ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHTEOUS ACTIONS THEY ARE ALWAYS PROCLAIMING TO HAVE IN THEIR SILLY CHURCHES. THEY ARE IN THERE LISTENING TO STORIES ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING AND HELPING OTHERS AND BEING COMPASSIONATE. BUT THEY ALWAYS SEE THEMSELVES AS THE ONE THEIR GODS WANT TO HELP. SCREW EVERYONE ELSE. I ONCE PASSED A PROCESSION OF CARS LEAVING A CHURCH IN THE TOWN WHERE I LIVE. I SAW THEY WERE ALL GOING AROUND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A BROKEN DOWN CAR. BUT IT WASN’T. IT WAS A GUY PUSHING HIS CAR WHILE A GIRL STEERED. I PULLED UP AND ASKED IF HE NEEDED HELP AND HE SAID “NAH” I GOT IT. SO I GOT OUT AND HELPED HIM PUSH. PEOPLE KEPT GOING BY AND ASKING IF WE NEEDED HELP BUT HE KEPT SAYING NO. SO NO ONE HELPED. WASN’T IT OBVIOUS HE NEEDED HELP? HE WAS PUSHING A CAR DOWN THE STREET. HOW IS IT THAT PEOPLE CAN BE SO DAMN BLIND TO WHAT IS RIGHT IN THEIR FACE. BECAUSE THEY ARE CHOOSING TO BE. IT DOESN’T TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO SEE WHEN SOMEONE NEEDS A HAND. IMAGINE BEING A MOM, SEPARATED FROM YOUR KIDS AND SENT TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY. I SWEAR ON ALL THAT I HOLD DEAR TO ME, I WOULD RATHER BE BEATEN UP EVERY DAY WITH RUBBER HOSES, THEN SEPARATED FROM MY KIDS. SENDING ME TO ANOTHER COUNTRY WOULD SUCK, BUT I’M TOUGH AND I KNOW I WOULD SURVIVE. BUT I WOULD NEVER WANT TO TAKE MY AMERICAN BORN KIDS WITH ME TO THAT HELL. THEY WOULD HAVE TO STAY HERE. WHATEVER THE COST TO ME EMOTIONALLY. BUT IT WOULD HURT. BAD. I CANNOT IMAGINE MISSING MY CHILDREN EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY. DREAMING ABOUT THEM EVERY TIME YOU CLOSED YOUR EYES, EVEN FOR A SECOND. KNOWING THAT ACROSS AN IMAGINARY LINE, A SET OF RULES, THEY ARE SOMEWHERE WITHOUT YOU, GROWING UP. THERE MUST BE A LINE SOMEWHERE FOR ALL OF THESE PEOPLE TO GET IN. BUT THERE ISN’T. THERE NEEDS TO BE A NEW “SET OF RULES”, RULES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT LIFE. REALITY. HUMANITY. I KNOW THAT THIS PROFILE DOES NOT FIT ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO COME HERE. BUT THERE ARE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WHERE THE STANDARD ANTIQUATED RULES NO LONGER APPLY. LIKE RULES THAT ARE STILL ON THE BOOKS ABOUT HANGING SOMEONE FOR STEALING A HORSE. WHEN THE RULE WAS WRITTEN I’M SURE LOTS OF PEOPLE AGREED IT MADE SENSE, BUT IT DOESN’T ANYMORE. NEITHER DO OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS. EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY CAN TRACE THEIR LINEAGE BEYOND OUR CURRENT BORDERS IF THEY TRY HARD ENOUGH. BUT THEY SEE THOSE AS GOOD IMMIGRANTS. NOT LIKE THE DIRTY SCUMBAG LATINS FLOODING OUR STATES. LOOK AT NEWSPAPERS FROM NEW YORK IN THE 1800S, AND SEE FOR YOURSELF WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT OF YOUR ANCESTORS COMING HERE. HOW EASY WE CAN NOT SEE WHAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. BLINDED BY NOTHING MORE THAN CONVENIENCE. HOW IS IT I SAW A KID WITH AN IRISH FLAG TATTOOD ON HIS CALF, SCREAMING FOR LATINS TO GET OUT. WHY CAN HE BE PROUD OF HIS ANCESTORS? ONE DAY THE PEOPLE HE IS HATING WILL BE SOMEONES ANCESTORS, TOO. NOBODY GETS TO CHOOSE WHERE, WHEN, OR TO WHOM THEY ARE BORN. IF WE COULD, I WOULD HAVE JUST MARRIED KATE MIDDLETON. I DID NOT CHOOSE TO BE BORN AN AMERICAN, NOR DID I DO ANYTHING TO DESERVE IT. I JUST WAS. SO I JUST AM, AMERICAN. JUST AS A GUATEMALAN DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG TO BE BROUGHT INTO A WORLD OF HUNGER. HOW DOES PLACE OF BIRTH MAKE ME, THE INDIVIDUAL, NOT THE AMERICAN, BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. OR YOU? IN THE CAVES OF FRANCE THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL, ADVANCED PAINTINGS ON THE WALLS DONE BY CAVEMEN. IT SIMPLY TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY TO SEE THESE PAINTINGS AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE PERSON WHO PAINTED THEM, SO LONG AGO, HAD THE SAME BRAIN AS ME. HE UNDERSTOOD THINGS. HOW CAN SOMEONE SEPARATED FROM ME BY SO MUCH TIME AND SPACE BE SO MUCH LIKE ME, HOW CAN HE HAVE BEEN SO INTELLIGENT? IF YOU TOOK HIS CHILD FROM HIM IN THAT TIME AND BROUGHT IT HERE, IT WOULD WANT A CELL PHONE AND BUG YOU FOR A NEW RING TONE EVERY TWO SECONDS. THEY WERE JUST LIKE US. IF YOU TAKE A NATIVE FROM THE AMAZON. A BABY, WHO'S TRIBE HAS BEEN ISOLATED FOR CENTURIES, DUE TO THE VILLAGES REMOTE LOCATION. THEY LIVE LIKE HUMANS DID HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. IF YOU TAKE ONE OF THEIR KIDS AND RAISE HIM IN NEWPORT BEACH, HE’S GOING TO WANT EXACTLY WHAT ANY AMERICAN KID WOULD. WE ARE ALL THE SAME. WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. HOW CAN YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO FALL INTO SUCH AN OPEN SORE OF IGNORANCE.SUCH A PUTRID VIOLENT HATE. WITH EVERY JAB THE ANIMOSITY BUILDS. LISTEN TO THE WORDS BEING THROWN AROUND TODAY. THE DEHUMANIZATION OF SO MANY. HITLER WAS A MASTER OF DEHUMANIZING THROUGH MANY OF THE SAME TACTICS BEING EMPLOYED NOW, AGAINST LATINS, MUSLIMS, GAYS AND OTHERS FOR THAT MATTER. I AM A PROUD AMERICAN. AN AMERICAN THAT BELIEVES THAT RULES AND LAWS MAKE US BETTER THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY. BUT OUR CITIZENS ARE NOT SOMEHOW SUPERIOR, SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO BE BORN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LINE, WE ARE ALL HUMAN. RULES AND LAWS MAKE US BETTER, THEY ARE NOT A PEDESTAL ON WHICH TO STAND AND LOOK DOWN UPON OTHERS WITH. OR USED AS A CLUB TO BASH THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOU. THE WORDING OF LAWS IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN THEIR ORIGINAL INTENT. BE TRUE TO YOURSELF. SEPARATE YOUR THINKING FROM THIS MOB MENTALITY THAT RISES UP EVERY TIME TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE OCCUPY THE SAME AREAS. THEY SAY THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT STUDY HISTORY ARE BOUND TO REPEAT IT, I SAY ONLY IF WE LET THEM. DON’T LET SENTIMENTS THAT YOU KNOW ARE WRONG AND EVIL AT THEIR CORE GROW INTO THE FRUIT OF HATRED. STAND ON YOUR OWN MORALS. LET EMPATHY GUIDE YOU.






























