On August 3rd, 2019, tragedy struck El Paso, Texas. With the shots of a semi-automatic rifle, 22 lives taken within mere minutes. The city, once tied by a vow to promote multiculturalism and diversity, is now torn by bigotry and hatred. But while the nation mourns, we must remind ourselves just how these situations come to fruition.
As has been a trend with many mass shooters in the past decade, the perpetrator left behind a manifesto clearly invoking white supremacist ideology. And as a white genocide conspiracy-peddler, the perpetrator stated that his sole intention was to eradicate America’s Mexican population- and that this was only the beginning. The act, which has since gained international attention, was “a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
In further analysis, similarities can be drawn between the manifesto of the El Paso shooter and that of the Christchurch shooter who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand. The same white supremacist rhetoric has been seen in violent mass murders. The same hatred and bigotry has been seen in the destructive behaviours that are tearing apart nations across the globe. The truth is, America is plagued by terrorism.
However, it is not the terrorism that the likes of Donald Trump have suggested. It is the kind that has culminated through centuries of American history. It is the effect of rampant nationalism, of the “America First” ideology. President Trump himself has echoed variations of the ideologies presented in the manifestos. In regard to Mexican immigrants, Trump claimed that “Mexico isn’t sending their best. They are sending criminals, rapists and drug dealers.” He also labeled the migrant caravan as an ‘invasion,’ ultimately dehumanizing immigrants.
Nationalism as a concept has proven to be detrimental in global perspectives. However, only now are people realizing how it affects the United States. Anti-Latinx rhetoric has been increasing in recent years. This is fitting, given that alt-right extremists are being given more prevalent platforms by means of social media. And in fact, the hatred doesn’t stop there- the nation’s very own leaders spout anti-Latinx rhetoric on a regular basis.
The El Paso massacre is characterized by the intense racial hate of the Latinx community. Period. While the alt-right is famed for their ability to find all sorts of euphemisms for the term ‘white supremacy’, it doesn’t change the fact of the matter. White nationalism is an issue and people need be on guard.
As a nation, we must do better. Immigrants make us a stronger nation. Ultimately, our country cannot progress until people acknowledge that this is an issue. Realizing that we have an issue with white nationalism is the first step towards progress. Realizing that our terrorism comes from within is the first step towards the reclaiming the the identities of foreigners and minorities.
COMMENTS
I was born in Victoria, Texas 60 years ago and raised in the Pasadena, Texas area but, in truth, lived in several Houston neighborhoods where Latinos lived side-by-side with whites. While in the Houston and Pasadena public school districts, I can remember having to learn all of Texas history and how it was settled by peoples of every ethnicity and can be seen in the names of the cities /towns in every corner of Texas vast state yet, the first thing any student of Texas history learns is that Mexicans and Indian tribes occupied the land that came to be known as the “State of Texas” before any others. There may be some folks who’ve kept that war between our countries alive but, during my time being raised up in Texas and taught its history, my peers & I weren’t taught to keep that hatred alive between our particular ethnic groups but rather we were taught that it was Texas’ diverse communities that made us so strong & productive, made us safe & prosperous. Folks who teach their young how to hate others pass on a kind of spiritual & moral weakness based on false belief system, basically a very un-American, un-Christian lie that teaches that the mere presence of their neighbors of a different color, religion, sexual orientation, etc, are a threat to their own lives and is based on fearfulness and selfishness not fellowship and community. “Red & yellow, black or white, they are precious….” I’ll let you and your readers finish the verse of that children’s hymn that’s still commonly taught, learned, sung and lived in vacation bible schools in Texas and elsewhere across our nation. #TeachLoveNotHate #ThisLandBelongsToUsAll