Thread by @piescarcega

This past week, my employer, @latimes, sent this statement to various news outlets.

Imagine telling the first Latinx food critic @latimes that that they deserve to make less than their co-critic because they are not experienced or prestigious enough to write about Los Angeles food culture.

Imagine having to call your mother to translate this statement over the phone: Dicen que no tengo experiencia. Dicen que no traigo prestigio 💔

This statement is cruel and destructive. It devalues my culture, my mother tongue, and millions of others just like me.

It says, implicitly: Sit down and be grateful you are here.

It says: We expect you to do all the same work as your white male co-critic, but we will not pay you the same to do it.

This is how bylines fade away.

This is how news corporations ground down women and journalists of color, and how voices get shuttled into the margins.

It’s painful and scary to stand up to a powerful news organization. That pain has been compounded by this statement.

I want to thank everyone who honored me this past week with your support, time and courage.

Thank you @JulianCastro for immediately noting the seriousness of my case and taking a firm stance against pay discrimination at the Los Angeles Times.

Thank you to President Nora López (@nlopez10) of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (@NAJH) for penning a powerful letter to @DrPatSoonShiong.

Thank you to the board members of the @NAJH for standing up for the fair treatment of Latinx journalists.

Thank you to Los Angeles @NAJH President @cristymsilva for standing by my side.

Thank you to my colleagues at @latimes who have sent messages of support, and who put your names on the line in support of pay equity. It's not easy to take a stand.

This week, the @latimes essentially told me, "It's not me, it's you."

Nah, LAT. It's you.

I appreciate any RTs or signal boosts.