I’m first gonna do a long thread about my #prop187 project, then get to your comments/questions/love/hate. COMMENCE THE DESMADRE
For the past two montsh, I've been working a project about #Prop187, the landmark 1994 ballot initiative that transformed California forever — and led to Trump in the White House. Here's the landing page latimes.com/california/sto…
The big one is a one-hour, three-episode podcast produced with @LatinoUSA that tells you the history of #Prop187. You hear from its creators, its opponents, and where they are now. Listen here and subscribe: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thi…
@LatinoUSA Want the TL;DR version of #Prop187? Here's a timeline of all the key dates in its history. It's not just 1994; it goes from 1986 to 2015. That's how important 187 was. Link here: latimes.com/california/sto…
@LatinoUSA Here's a long essay I did about #Prop187 that will appear in the Sunday edition of @latimes. The title says it all: Prop. 187 forced a generation to put fear aside and fight. It transformed California, and me latimes.com/california/sto…
There will be more stories to come by me on #prop187 in the coming weeks. This is me now:
Don’t want to read all the #Prop187 stories? Here’s a short summary of the whole brouhaha over it
#Prop187 was the creation of a mix of Orange County suburbanites and former immigration officials who felt illegal immigration was ruining California. They were brought together by Ron Prince, a Tustin accountant with no previous political experience. That's Ron at left: 
The group met in fall of 1993, and decided to create a ballot initiative that would make life miserable for undocumented immigrants in California. They called their campaign "Save Our State." The inspiration for the name? 4 margaritas at an El Torito in Orange #Prop187
At the same time, Gov. Pete Wilson was trailing badly in the polls for reelection. California legislators (both Dem and GOP) had submitted over 80 bills against undocumented immigrants. On illegal immigration, everyone had found a perfect political piñata
In May, Pete Wilson debuts a campaign ad remembered as "They Keep Coming." Critics immediately deem it racist—including 187's creators—for showing grainy footage of people crossing the US-Mexico border. See a version of it here.:
On June 23, #Prop187 officially qualifies for the California ballot. Liberal activists never thought it would happen. Now that it does, they're freaking out.
One of them was Gerardo Correa. Today, he's an assistant principal; then, he was 15. He says when he learned about #Prop187, he thought: "I’m a threat to you? Like, I’m a law-abiding citizen. I’m gonna try to go to school. I’m trying to better myself. Like, how am I the threat?”
Hundreds of high school and college students from across California meet in July in Fresno to plot actions. They feel Democratic leaders are too blah in their resistance to #Prop187. Here’s rare footage from the time:
But #prop187 leads big in the polls—even Latino voters initially go for it. Even @DianneFeinstein talks tough on border issues. So Chicano students and activists resort to something that had worked in the 1960s: walkouts and marches.
@DianneFeinstein Biggest one happens Oct. 16, from East LA to City Hall—at least 70,000 marching against #Prop187. Here's a photo from that march
@DianneFeinstein Students walk out of class by the tens of thousands against #Prop187. But there's a problem for the anti-187 campaign: A lot of folks carrying Mexican flags.
@DianneFeinstein LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina said she was "horrified" at the sight of all the Mexican flags, because it sent the wrong message. #Prop187 consultant Bob Kiley, here with his wife Barbara? "It was a gift. ‘Thank you very much. I don’t have to do any more. It’s over.’”
In the end, Pete Wilson wins his reelection campaign. #prop187 wins even bigger—59-41 percent. Here’s the pro-187 side on Election Night
And here’s the anti-187 campaign on Election Night
And that’s when our #prop187 story begins, which you can read and listen in its entirety at latimes.com/Prop-187
One more time, with feeling: Here's my #prop187 podcast that I did with @LatinoUSA. Download NOW podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thi…
@LatinoUSA Here's the longform essay I did about the significance of #prop187 in California and American history: latimes.com/california/sto…
@LatinoUSA Wait, this is the essay haha; previous tweet was the timeline about #Prop187 latimes.com/california/sto…
@LatinoUSA And here's the landing page for all my #Prop187 stories, along with a comprehensive archive of our coverage in 1993 and 1994 latimes.com/california/sto…
I’m going take a 5-minute break so ustedes (that’s “y’all” in Spanish) can ask me questions about #Prop187. This is a family paper, so if you have especially picante ones, get at me on my personal account @GustavoArellano and I’ll get to you later. Ask away!
AAAAAND I’m back to answer your questions on #prop187
Latinos tend to be conservative...except when it comes to immigration. So remember how #Prop187 once led in the polls for Latino voters? Latinos ended up voting against it by nearly 80-20 margin
Orange County, birthplace of #prop187, has an all-Dem Congressional delegation for 1st time EVER. Yet nearly 70 percent of OC's local offices remain GOP. That's because local Dems never planned for the day that GOP would be in peril. Also, who's Gus?
I'll be writing about Thai-Viet-Italo-Korexican feijão, 'cause America will be as mixed then as my Halloween candy bowl is now #Prop187
No, the anger Californians felt in late 1980s toward immigration, legal and not, was real. When my family moved to new big house in Anaheim in 1989, we were one of three Mexican families. Within three years, there was 1 white family left #Prop187
Appreciate it! #Prop187 also explains a lot of the partisan divide on immigration today that you see in Washington and in state capitols
In Episode 3 of my #Prop187 podcast, we talk about this. The initiative sparked similar bills across the United States — but it also sparked similar Latino activism. In Arizona, it's nearly purple now when it used to be redder than Tapatío
#Prop187 is newsier now than has been for years. Trump in the White House because of it; California super-majority Dem because of it. As for our coverage, pro-187 people at time praised it, especially our endorsement of Pete Wilson. All in the podcast!
Profoundly changed California forever. I originally wrote that it ranked alongside the Gold Rush and Prop. 13 as one of the most titanic shifts in the Golden State, but I guess my homie editor @hbecerraLATimes took it out haha
@hbecerraLATimes This is true. Indeed, #Prop187 was a long-term project—but that story will have to wait for next week! Here's a reminder of where all my 187 stories will be: latimes.com/prop-187
@hbecerraLATimes But let's take a short musical break with Tupac Shakur's legendary "2 Live and Die in L.A.", where he does a diss track on California Gov. Pete Wilson, who championed #prop187. Back when it's over!
And we’re back with #prop187 questions. I’m @GustavoArellano and I’ll be taking them about California’s infamous ballot initiative for next 40 minutes!
@GustavoArellano Hundreds, if not thousands, of Latinos who marched as students against #prop187 in 1994 went on to become professors, teachers, businesspeople, politicians, and much more. And they all credit their awakening to 187
@GustavoArellano Ain't just white folks. I get it: People sometimes don't want to hear about the past. But whether you love or hate California, or love or hate Donald Trump, both can be explained by #Prop187—hence, we tweet
@GustavoArellano Yep. @latimes endorsed Pete Wilson for governor, which sparked a furious dissenting editorial the next day by the late, great Frank Del Olmo. I talk about it in Episode 3 of my #Prop187 podcast--take a listen!
@GustavoArellano . @GringoBHotSauce by Dexter Holland of @offspring is GOOD. But best hot sauce in the world is Poblano Hot Sauce out of Tucson. What does this have to do with #Prop187? Its founders loved Mexican food haha
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring Gracias for the kind words! I only talked; the audio whizzes were my jefa @dearabbie and co-writer @MarloniousThunk over at @LatinoUSA!
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA In Ep. 3 of my #prop187 podcast, I also note that the mid-1990s uncorked a slew of initiatives targeting PoC. Prop. 209 in 1996 banned affirmative action; Prop. 227 in 1998 banned bilingual education
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA Univisión contributed $100,000 to the anti-#prop187 campaign in 1994, but folks were angry at Televisa for allegedly being in favor of 187. Pete Wilson supported Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial campaign but hasn't said anything about Donald Trump
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA The hot sauce I'm eating is Infinity Hot Sauce — good stuff, funny packaging. Check them out here infinitysauces.com Good fuel for this #prop187 Twitter thread!
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA California Latino Legislative Caucus alone has about 32 members—they all credit Pete Wilson for getting them there. My classmates who walked out for #prop187 is at least 500. I'll let others do the rest of the math!
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA Reese's, Reese's Pieces, but not those stupid Reese's made out of white chocolate, which is gross. And I'll give out exactly 187 candies tomorrow night, because the promotional tour for my #prop187 podcast will NEVER end
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA Too kind! Everyone please do pass along my #prop187 project. I don't care if you like it or hate it as long as you read and listen! Here's the landing page again for all of it latimes.com/california/sto…
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA It's definitely getting there. Notorious Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio lost his last race; so did Russel Pearce. Both were icons of immigration restrictionists. Latinos now a big swing vote in AZ, in reaction to SB1070, the Copper State's #prop187
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA #respect Dianna does great work out there in Arizona--one day, Latino reporters there will write about effect of SB1070 way I did about #Prop187
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA Dual immersion is a whole other thing, but it's a thing definitely pushed by people forged in the wars over #Prop187 and Prop. 227. Laws of unintended consequences, fam
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA Praise from a LA TV news legend! Next week, expect all the SoCal media outlets to do similar #Prop187 25th anniversary coverage—can't wait!
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA A LOT of books/articles written over the years about the legacy of #prop187. And not just by libs! No less of conservative icons than Jack Kemp and William Bennett were against 187
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA I talk about this in my #prop187 podcast at length. Dems were so conservative on immigration back then that an assemblymember from East LA was the guy who submitted the bill that prohibited driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants!
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA Most younger folks have no idea about #prop187, but when they're told about it, they say "HWUT" — can't believe it. Best way to teach is probably the podcast, but also to have them hear from people who were once young like them and got transformed
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA Many stories like this! #prop187
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA Legendary cartoonista @laloalcaraz estimates he drew Pete Wilson at least 40 times during the #Prop187 days. Here's one! Buy his books NOW!
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA @laloalcaraz Some scholars/activists say "enormous" and "rampant"; others say "negligible" and "non-existent." You can look it up! #Prop187
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA @laloalcaraz AAAAND that's a wrap for my Twitter takeover of @latimes! I'm @GustavoArellano and just some final plugs! Landing page for my #prop187 project: latimes.com/california/sto…
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA @laloalcaraz My #prop187 essay about how it transformed California and me: latimes.com/california/sto…
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA @laloalcaraz A comprehensive timeline of #prop187 latimes.com/california/sto…
@GustavoArellano @GringoBHotSauce @offspring @dearabbie @MarloniousThunk @LatinoUSA @laloalcaraz And, most importantly, my #prop187 podcast done alongside @LatinoUSA podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thi…
Gracias all for sticking with me for my #Prop187 takeover of @latinegras Twitter! Follow me on @GustavoArellano for more fun. Until next time!
