What I just watched made me gag. I wanted to throw chancletas (flip flops) at the television.
National Hispanic Heritage Month here in the U.S. began on Saturday, Sept. 15 and ends on Monday, Oct. 15. It was originally celebrated as one week, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, and was expanded to a month during President Ronald Reagan’s tenure. Since its inception the sitting president has issued a proclamation, made remarks, and hosted an event.
At last year’s event, Donald Trump had just returned from a paper towel tossing trip to Puerto Rico. Kerry Eleveld posted this tweet in this story covering it.
This year, Trump gathered a cheering group of supporters in the East Room of the White House to give it another go. I guess those of us in the public who are not comatose, brain dead, or brainwashed are supposed to forget that Trump has torn families apart, put kidnapped children in cages, and mocked, denied, and lied about the more than 3,000 dead in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, which he now claims is a Democratic Party conspiracy to make him look bad.
He said this as an aside, and you can be sure he wasn’t joking:
“I better win the Hispanics next time,” he said at the event, while the audience chanted, "four more years," during President Trump's speech on Sept. 17.
“And I want to thank all of our incredible representatives that are here, and a very good friend of mine who’s done a fantastic job, Vice President Mike Pence.”
“Today we come together to honor the incredible contributions Hispanic Americans make to our communities”
“...Puerto Rico’s Lieutenant Governor, Luis Marín. (Applause.) Where’s Luis? Luis — come up here, Luis. Great job. (Applause.) That’s a great job. You did a great job. Well, I didn’t mean the stage, but that’s okay. Come on up here anyway. Hey, Luis. Why don’t you all come on up? Come on, you’ve been so incredible.”
“I want to thank Luis for his partnership with our agencies during the unprecedented disaster that you saw what happened, and everybody saw what happened — the recovery and all of the efforts we made in Puerto Rico. It’s been an incredible, tough situation. But we fought, and we are winning that one big.”
“As we speak, our fellow citizens are being affected by the devastating impact of Hurricane Florence. Nearly 20,000 federal and military personnel are deployed to support response efforts along the Southeast Coast. These are incredible people that are going through a lot right now.”
“Hispanic Americans make our country flourish and prosper. These are incredible people. You know you’re incredible people, don’t you? Huh? “
“Hispanic-owned businesses now make up more than 10 percent of all businesses in the United States. That’s an incredible number.”
“The growth in Hispanic-owned businesses is over twice the national average. That’s something. That’s really — these are amazing statistics, when you think. Right? These are amazing statistics. Be proud of yourselves. That’s incredible. Of course, I’d like to take full credit. Can I take full?”
Hispanic Americans are not only living the American Dream, but their incredible efforts are unlocking the American Dream for citizens all across our land.”
What I found to be “incredible” is that this “event” was reported on and broadcast live with no commentary or analysis by most major media outlets.
I have a rant handy for each of his incredibly insufferable comments, lies, and distortions. I’m sure you do, too.
The Los Angeles Times did write an article titled “Trump hosts Hispanic Heritage event as his administration begins phasing out DACA protections for young immigrants”:
In rambling remarks, Trump said the United States remains "a beacon" to people of other nations and lauded young attendees for the contributions they would make to the nation -- notes at odds with his restrictive immigration talk and policies, including the phase-out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Trump did not mention his decision, which took effect at midnight, to shut down DACA. Since 2012, the Obama-era program has given temporary legal status, for two years at a time, to some 800,000 people brought to the country illegally as children. Nearly 90% of DACA beneficiaries are Latino.
Twitter responded:
I liked this graphic response:
And this comment:
The head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus responded by rejecting an invitation to the Hispanic Heritage Month reception.
“We are not a nation of fear, cruelty, division, or prejudice," wrote Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The Hispanic Caucus declined an invitation to attend the White House’s Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) reception in light of President Donald Trump’s harmful rhetoric and policies against Latinx and Hispanic people. Trump administration polices, like attempting to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); cancelling Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from several countries, including El Salvador and Honduras; and creating the family separation crisis took center stage.
Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat representing New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District and chair of the Hispanic Caucus, sent the commander-in-chief the letter explaining why attending the event would be hypocritical. The congresswoman really didn’t hold back.
For starters, Rep. Lujan Grisham acknowledged that the celebration is supposed to honor the contributions of immigrants of Mexican, Spanish, Caribbean, and Central and South American descent — groups Trump has repeatedly spoken ill of and impacted with policy. In fact, much of Trump’s immigration policy stances in effect ostracize Latinx people in the immigration system.
Gabe Ortiz wrote about it in an article titled “'Thanks, but no thanks': Hispanic Caucus leader rejects Trump's Hispanic Heritage Month invite:”
Donald Trump despises Latinos, period, and a pendejo who throws brown children into cages one day and then panders the next doesn’t deserve one second of our time, and no amount of Trump Tower taco bowls, paper towels, or fake White House celebrations will ever change that. “The hypocrisy of attending a reception,” Lujan Grisham continued, “that is supposed to honor their contributions and heritage after your administration has threatened their safety and uprooted their lives is glaring.”
There was, however, a great kickoff to Hispanic Heritage Month in New York City:
A reminder: to be Hispanic or Latinx is an ethnic identity. It crosses racial and national categories, classes, and genders. It is not homogeneous, nor does it mandate a specific political identity.
I always have to remind people of this when someone remarks, “I don’t understand how any Hispanic person could be a Republican, given how racist the GOP is.”
I usually comment back: “I don’t understand how any white woman could be a Republican given how sexist they are—yet look at how many are and how many voted for Trump.”
The response to that is often, “But, but, but … Latinos are people of color.” Not really. It’s true for many—but not all, especially middle- and upper-class Hispanics who consider themselves (or are aspiring to be) white, with all the perks and privileges of “whiteness.”
See Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
See Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
See Gov. Ricardo Rosselló of Puerto Rico (who claims to be a Democrat but embraces Trump).
See Puerto Rico’s non-voting Congressional Rep. Jenniffer González, who is a Republican
Don’t assume. Instead, work harder to get more Latinx people registered and to the polls—to vote for Democrats.
That’s the best way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
