[By Guancha Observer Columnist Han Xiaopeng]

"Trump's policies have exposed America's racism. The United States boasts of freedom and equality but is unwilling to truly welcome non-white immigrants," said Pablo (a pseudonym), a Mexican immigrant, to me.

In June, the streets of California once again echoed with the sounds of protests and riots. From Los Angeles to Oxnard, large numbers of immigrant workers and ordinary citizens took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction and protest against the large-scale indiscriminate arrest operations. This protest was not only a direct reaction to the current Trump deportation policy but also a collective cry against a structural contradiction deeply rooted in American history and reality.

To clarify the underlying dynamics and essence behind this turmoil, I interviewed several Mexican immigrants to attempt to restore that long-suppressed voice.

Historical Dimension: "It’s Not Us Who Crossed the Border, It’s the Border That Crossed Us"

Pablo (a pseudonym) pointed out that many Mexican immigrants have worked hard and contributed to society in the United States for years, yet they face the constant threat of being deported due to identity issues, leading to family separations. Such experiences make them feel deeply unjust: if it weren't for the historical power grabs and territorial divisions, they would have belonged to this land all along. There is no "illegal" on land that has been taken away.

Mexicans often say, "It’s not us who crossed the border; it’s the border that crossed us." This statement highlights a logic: before the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, their ancestors were local natives; now they are labeled as "illegal," which is humiliating.

A map from 1794 showing yellow as Mexican territory and dark brown as American territory.

Alex (a pseudonym), a Mexican-American, provided me with this map from 1794: "This is why when Trump tried to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the American Gulf, Mexicans became so angry." California, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, all of New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma were originally Mexican territories.

"At that time, the Gulf of Mexico was basically an inland sea of Mexico, surrounded by Mexican territory." After independence, Mexico's rulers were preoccupied with civil wars, leaving the political and economic situation in chaos, and they paid no attention to the vast frontier regions to the north; they did not develop these areas themselves but allowed American immigrants to do so.

When the American immigrants in Texas initiated a separatist movement, declaring independence from Mexico and forming the so-called "Lone Star Republic," the Mexican government sent a corrupt general to suppress it. The corrupt general was defeated and captured, allowing the "Lone Star Republic" to be established in 1836.

The "Lone Star Republic" existed independently for the first ten years and was not merged into the United States until 1845. To seize more Mexican territory, the United States waged the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848, and after signing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico lost large tracts of land including California to the United States. Mexico lost more than half of its territory, which remains a permanent scar in Mexican history.

When the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, about 75,000 Mexican citizens lived in these areas, and according to the terms, they were "granted the right to retain Mexican nationality or become American citizens." However, when the U.S. Senate approved the treaty, it deleted the tenth clause guaranteeing Mexican property rights, leaving these new citizens without true land ownership or voting rights.

As scholars have pointed out, the mainstream white narrative in the United States often overlooks this historical wound, while the Mexican-American community knows well: if it weren’t for the 1848 invasion and territorial grabs, their ancestors would not have been forced to become "immigrants"; their roots lie in this land.

"I think most Mexicans believe this land belongs to Mexico, and there is strong historical resentment within Mexican society over this matter. Perhaps only about 30% of people think it’s just something in the past and must accept the current reality," Alex said. Therefore, labeling Mexican residents as "illegal immigrants" seems absurd to them: historically, all this began because of U.S. expansion; today, the borders are "crossed."

Current Reality: Who Supports California's Operation?

California, one of the largest economies in the United States, heavily relies on labor-intensive industries, and behind it all is the hard work of countless Mexican and Latin American workers. Data shows that undocumented immigrant families pay nearly $90 billion in taxes annually, with California's undocumented immigrants paying approximately $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022.

The above image shows busy farmworkers in California fields who often start work at dawn, supporting the key parts of the agricultural supply chain. According to a report by the nonprofit organization FWD.us, approximately 73% of U.S. agricultural workers are foreign-born immigrants, and these farms often suffer severe labor shortages: 56% of California farmers reported difficulty finding enough labor over the past five years. If these laborers were completely removed, livestock and vegetable production would drop significantly (estimated loss of $3 to $6 billion), causing massive disruptions in the supply chain.

Meanwhile, these workers face numerous injustices: despite paying taxes year after year, they cannot enjoy basic benefits such as healthcare and workers' compensation insurance. As reported by FWD.us, undocumented farmworkers often labor in harsh weather conditions, merely through driver's licenses or tax IDs, without enjoying labor protections.

A survey by the same organization found that these workers have lived in the U.S. for extended periods (most exceeding ten years), becoming an integral part of local life. Statistical data shows that the Hispanic population in the U.S. exceeds 63 million, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the total population. Many of them are native-born citizens, but their parents lack legal status; some families have lived in the U.S. for generations. Even so, these workers are often derogatorily referred to as "illegal," yet they obey laws like legal residents, pay taxes for public services, but consistently lack voting rights and political representation.

As Carlos (a pseudonym), a Mexican worker in California's farm fields, said: "I nurture this land with my sweat, yet I can't even ensure basic medical care."

This disconnect also manifests during crises. Monica (a pseudonym), who works in cleaning, said: "During the pandemic, the U.S. classified cleaning workers, construction workers, etc., as 'essential personnel,' but we were often overlooked in vaccine and protective equipment distribution. We sustain the normal operation of cities, yet we are placed last in social resource allocation."

This contradiction makes immigrant groups both the "invisible pillars" of California's economy and the first to bear the brunt of policy enforcement.

Policy Evolution: Trump Extends His Hand to Ordinary Laborers

The U.S. federal government has always had a deportation policy for undocumented immigrants. Under the Obama and Biden administrations, deportation targets primarily focused on individuals with criminal records.

What sets Trump's arrest operations apart from those of Obama and Biden is that he has extended his hand to ordinary laborers who have been working and living in the U.S. for years. Trump's team recently instructed ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to increase the daily arrest target from 1,000 to 3,000 people. As a former ICE official stated: "In Los Angeles, achieving such arrest numbers means virtually arresting all 'illegal' laborers in day labor markets."

To achieve such targets, ICE has been instructed to widely search for any suspicious individuals across the country, rather than focusing solely on "the most dangerous criminals."

"What is most unbearable is that in cities like Los Angeles, ICE even conducts sweeps in schools, Home Depot home improvement stores, construction sites, and churches; the majority of immigrants caught here are the hardest-working, most law-abiding, and most eager to integrate into American society," said Daniel (a pseudonym), a Mexican-American.

On June 8th, in Los Angeles, California, law enforcement officers face off with protesters during a demonstration. Visual China

An analyst from the Migration Policy Institute at the University of Michigan also pointed out that ICE's actions seem more like "arresting those they believe may be undocumented" rather than targeting specific criminals. Unlike the past focus on newcomers at the border, this wave of "indiscriminate arrests" covers immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years and have no prior offenses, intensifying community panic. As another report noted: Trump clearly indicated that he intended to conduct "family-style" mass arrests of immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years, which differs from previous border deportation strategies.

Language and Labels: From Insulting Terms to New Stigmas

"Since Trump took office, racial discrimination in the U.S. has become increasingly severe, especially against Mexican-Americans," Alex told me.

The U.S. society's terminology for the Mexican-American community has evolved over time. In the early 20th century, media referred to Mexican laborers crossing the river as "Wetbacks" (wetbacks), a derogatory term that was officially used in the "Operation Wetback" of 1954, when the U.S. deported over a million Mexican-Americans. Over time, mainstream media gradually avoided using such derogatory ethnic terms. However, recently, such insulting terms have reappeared frequently in everyday life, and even Black people who experience discrimination use "wetback" to refer to Mexican-Americans.

"This is unacceptable," Alex said.

Meanwhile, "illegal immigrant" has become a common label. However, "this is not a neutral expression but another form of stigmatization: labeling identity issues often conceals individual responsibility and contributions," Alex told me.

In response, immigration rights organizations launched the "Drop the I-Word" campaign, emphasizing that "illegal immigrant" is misleading in legal terms (illegal in most cases is an administrative issue rather than a criminal offense) and deeply harmful morally.

As the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project stated, the term "illegal immigrant" is often used to demonize minority groups and divert public anger. It not only strips individuals of their identities but also exacerbates group antagonism, creating a climate of hatred: once a group is broadly defined as "illegal," their human rights and dignity can easily be eroded in silence and invisibility.

In some states, even white residents openly use such language to insult Mexicans, blaming Mexicans for America's problems and implying that only "removing" these immigrants can bring peace.

Pablo (a pseudonym) said, "Such slogans and labels become the fuse for ethnic conflicts and further intensify the determination of the Mexican-American community to resist." Jenny (a pseudonym), who participated in the protest, said: "We should protect all immigrants; they are not animals, they cannot be chased around like animals. They shouldn't be kidnapped, deported, especially not have families torn apart, children separated from their parents. We should provide them education and let them become a part of national prosperity."

Protesters holding the Mexican flag in the streets of Los Angeles.

Mexican Hearts for the Future: Only Continuous Struggle Can Bring Rights and Dignity

For many Mexican immigrants, the existing political and social structures of the United States have never truly embraced them. Their labor is needed, their culture is consumed, but their identities remain marginalized. They pick fruits in California, build houses in Texas, and care for the elderly in Arizona, yet they often live under the shadow of deportation, existing in an "informal America," without the protection of citizenship or the ability to speak politically.

The unfairness of this world is that the more oppressed and exploited people are, the more they are often stigmatized and discriminated against. The mistakes and pressures of the upper echelons are often first transferred to them, making them pay the price for the greed and foolishness of the elite.

"Chinese and Mexicans should unite," Alex said. "The disaffected groups in America's globalization process are Trump's base; if China is the external scapegoat Trump found for them, then the broad immigrant groups represented by Mexican-Americans are the internal scapegoats Trump found for these people. For the bullying behavior of right-wing forces represented by Trump, compromise and appeasement are useless; there is only one path—resistance."

"Most participants in this protest have formal U.S. identities, including a large number of legally documented Mexican-Americans. This proves our unity. I am here to support my compatriots. When tyranny becomes law, resistance is our duty. On the land that once belonged to our ancestors, we have long understood that rights are never granted, and dignity does not come automatically—it can only be achieved through continuous struggle." Daniel (a pseudonym) said.

"Trump's xenophobia will not be the last wave, but we also believe that every counterattack is an accumulation: accumulating pressure for legal status, accumulating public opinion support, and accumulating political awareness among the next generation of Mexican-Americans."

In the eyes of many Mexicans, resistance is the bridge between history and reality, the only way to transform the desire to be seen into the reality of being guaranteed.

As a Latino immigration rights activist said: "We are not begging for Trump's goodwill but fighting for the positions we rightfully deserve. We are not guests but builders of this nation. Many people feel anxiety, stress, and fear, but you know yourself that you are the antidote to fear. Trump wants Americans to dismantle their original values and show loyalty to him personally, and silence is collusion with him. We will not submit to him."

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517127625198846499/

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