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Migrants speak out against growing political hate speech: ‘We didn’t come here to cause harm’

By Ethnic Media
PHOTO COURTESY: Manuel Ortiz, Ethnic Media Services Many of the migrants are women, children, mother and fathers. According to Ortiz, they arrive full of hope, after arduous journeys, believing that once on US soil they will find refuge, which is often not a given as many are detained and deported within 24 hours, while others face arrest on charges of trespassing, are imprisoned for up to two weeks and then sent back across the border.

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By: Nathaniel J. Greene, Bayou Beat News

As the 2024 elections approach, the rhetoric surrounding immigration has intensified, with many political figures fueling divisive and harmful narratives. In a recent briefing titled “We didn’t come here to cause harm: Migrant workers respond to political hate speech,” hosted by Ethnic Media Services on Aug. 2, migrant workers, organizers, and sociologists discussed the profound impact of anti-immigrant speech on their communities. The conversation highlighted the struggles and resilience of migrant workers, particularly in California, the state with the largest population of migrant workers in the U.S.

The briefing brought together several key speakers who shed light on the real-world consequences of political hate speech targeting migrants. The speakers included Manuel Ortiz Escámez, a sociologist and co-founder of Peninsula 360; Arcenio Lopez, Executive Director of Mixtec Indigenous Community Organizing Project; and Gustavo Gasca Gomez, Coordinator of the Stop the Hate Project and Immigration Outreach Specialist with the Education and Leadership Foundation.

Manuel Ortiz Escámez emphasized the historical context of the current anti-immigrant rhetoric, drawing parallels with past political movements.

“We are breaking what we built during so many years. This idea that it’s not okay to be directly racist,” Ortiz said. He warned of the dangerous implications of normalizing hate speech, stating, “I believe a second Trump administration could lead us to a fascist period where it’s okay to be racist.”

Ortiz also shared insights from his recent fieldwork with migrant women in Tulare, California.

“Migrants are experiencing a feeling of anxiety and fear. This is affecting even their health because some people are not seeking medical help for fear of being seen as a public charge,” he explained.

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