In an El Paso Times op-ed, Mario Carrillo, America’s Voice Texas Director, reveals the source of inspiration for the recent cases of racism and harassment against Spanish-speaking immigrants: President Donald J. Trump.
Read excerpts from Mario Carrillo’s op-ed below and find the entire piece here:
…Imagine life for immigrants, whether undocumented or not, along the border, where Spanish is as common as Border Patrol presence. The fear is palpable, and in their quest to terrorize all immigrants in Texas, our state’s leaders also will ensure that racial profiling runs rampant and U.S. citizens will have their rights stripped as well. It’s only a matter of time.
Harassment and racial profiling is not new in America, unfortunately, but Trump’s campaign and now administration have emboldened racists and nativists to attack people who might look different or speak a different language.
The idea that somehow language is what defines America goes against the ideals of this country. There are more than 350 languages spoken in homes across the country, and there remains no official language in the U.S.Instead of attacking those who might speak a different language from us, we should welcome it. We should be teaching our children to learn different languages and to embrace cultures different than our own, understanding that it’s this very diversity that has made Texas welcoming for so long.