Thread by @Carrasquillo

A year ago, in the aftermath of the El Paso hate crime, I couldn’t sit still w/ myself, my mind scattered about what it meant and what came next. I wrote a few pieces on the shooting and how Latinos across the country were feeling. I received 160 messages and shared many below 👇🏽

https://twitter.com/Carrasquillo/status/1158788367418560512

The first piece I wrote looked at the immigration debate and what we tell ourselves it’s about.

For @newrepublic I also tracked down Trump’s invasion language everyone was citing. He called immigration along the southern border an “invasion” six times in seven months:

At a rally in May, Trump asked, “How do you stop these people?” A follower in the crowd responded, “shoot them.” Trump laughed and pointed. newrepublic.com/article/154655…

My @POLITICOMag piece that followed told the stories the 160 Latinos across the country sent me, but also looked at how a well-meaning desire by the media to erase the shooter and his hateful ideology had instead erased the victims and their community. politico.com/magazine/amp/s…

The messages “were from people in red states and blue states, the united states of hating immigrants and people who just look like they might be.”

Then for @TexasMonthly I wrote about how the Houston primary debate wasn’t just like any other.

texasmonthly.com/politics/texas…

For @CesarJBlanco a TX House rep and Navy veteran, the shooting was personal. It took place in his district; many of those killed were his constituents; his family shops at the targeted Walmart; and the vigil took place on the same baseball field where he played Little League.

A year later: “What led to El Paso was the constant rhetoric from the administration and his allies that equate Latinos to being non-Americans and say immigrants are the problem that we face in America” - @CEO_JackieJo of @MALCTx, the oldest Latino caucus

newsweek.com/year-after-el-…

I have to write but I’ve already seen two critical pieces by Latino reporters. The Dallas Morning News Star trio @cassandrajar @ajcorchado and @James_Barragan with this heartbreaking story

https://twitter.com/rosental/status/1290139840084762624?s=21

https://t.co/1azuuAUqPF

And this invaluable context from @SuzGamboa. The two poles of the last year for Latinos: A brutal, terrible hate crime and now covid-19 disproportionately affecting the community. A story I wanted to write but Suzanne did an excellent job with

nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1…