Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ When President Trump began speaking about U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar tonight, the crowd responded with a chant: "Send her back."

Earlier this week, we spoke to Texans who have heard people tell them to "go back" all their lives. This is what they told us. bit.ly/2YXcb3M

2/ John De Leon was 7 years old the first time he heard it.

“And you ... go back to Mexico.”

49 years later, he can hardly forget it.

bit.ly/2YXcb3M

3/ State @RepWalle heard it at high school track meets and on the football field.

Years later, he heard it while block walking.

“Go back to your country.”

bit.ly/2YXcb3M

4/ Growing up in the Dallas suburbs, Erika heard it so often that it “all kind of blends” together now that she’s 29.

“Why don’t you just go back?”

“Go back to Mexico.”

“You don’t belong here. You need to go back.” bit.ly/2YXcb3M

5/ Erika was born here, but she has spent her entire life questioning whether she was American enough.

Was she listening to the right music? Was her Spanish accent creeping into her English? bit.ly/2YXcb3M

6/ “I’m always going to be seen as those congresswomen,” Erika said. “I’m always going to be seen as an other.” bit.ly/2YXcb3M

7/ For State Rep. Armando Walle, Trump’s words dimmed his hopes that his young children would not face a world in which people are made to feel less American because of the color of their skin. bit.ly/2YXcb3M

8/8 And Trump's words shocked John De Leon, who tried to reason that “we’ve come too far and my parents have done too many of the right things.” bit.ly/2YXcb3M