By: Nathaniel J. Greene, Community & Culture Reporter

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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He recounted the bullying faced by migrant children during Trump’s previous administration, noting, “Many of the kids in this town suffered bullying because in schools they said, ‘Once Donald Trump is here, you will be deported.'”

Gustavo Gasca Gomez, speaking from personal experience as a DACA recipient, highlighted the pervasive fear and anxiety among undocumented individuals.

“I am deeply affected and impacted by what is being said by the Republican Presidential nominee and other politicians. They are perpetuating stereotypes that demean not just me, but other people from my community,” Gomez stated.

He stressed the importance of education and strategic coordination among immigrant communities to counteract hate speech.

“We need to empower our immigrant communities that have been affected either directly or whose families have been affected by discrimination. It’s going to take a lot of education and strategic coordination to mobilize in a meaningful way,” Gomez asserted.

Arcenio Lopez spoke about the unique challenges faced by indigenous migrant workers.

“We recognize that we, as indigenous people of these Americas, are not immigrants to this continent. We are from this continent,” Lopez said, advocating for the use of the term ‘migrants’ instead of ‘immigrants’.

He underscored the intentionality behind the current hate speech, describing it as a tool for oppression.

“These mental weapons have been used for quite a long time to continue the invasion of our lands, taking away our resources, languages, cultures, and beliefs,” he stated.

Lopez also highlighted the daily discrimination faced by indigenous workers. “We hear it every day, being called ‘indios,’ ‘short,’ ‘ugly,’ or told that we speak a ‘dialect’ instead of a language. This hate speech gives people the green light to continue their discriminatory actions against us,” Lopez explained.

As the political climate heats up, the voices of these workers serve as a powerful reminder of the human cost of divisive rhetoric. Their stories call for solidarity, education, and strategic action to counteract the damaging effects of political hate speech and to support the communities that are vital to the nation’s fabric.