Looking at me you would automatically assume I’m white… and you would be half correct. My mom is caucasian (Italian to be exact), while my biological father was Mexican & Puerto Rican. My stepdad? A proud Latino from Jalisco Mexico.
I grew up in a predominately Latino city in California. Besides my mom and my older sister who moved to Cali from the East Coast, I knew no other white people. Me and my little brother were raised in the projects and went to public schools. All I knew was the Latino culture. All my friends were Mexican, and even though I looked white, I identified as Latina.
Growing up in Cali, racism wasn’t something I ever saw or witnessed first hand. It wasn’t until the creation of the internet that I really got to see and understand how ugly this world really was. Im 100% positive the only reason I got away with never experiencing racial discrimination is because of my light skin.
All that changed when I moved to Utah.
Moving here, I understood this was a Red state, and that it was a predominately caucasian population which made me a little uncomfortable. But, Im not one to “judge a book by its cover”. I had heard stories of bigotry here in Utah, but never thought I would be a victim.
Working in Radio, there are a lot of politics involved. Alot of do’s & dont’s. A lot of “watch what you say, don’t offend people with your opinions”, or “don’t speak the truth about what the president is doing wrong because he has fans here” because Americans have become so offended by everything, even the truth is shunned. I have chosen to ignore those radio politics because I have a voice and I choose to use my platform to speak on the truth and injustices minorities face in todays America.
This has recently made me a target here in Utah by trump supporters and basically all the racist bigots that live here. I’be been verbally attacked, called a Spick, belittled and disrespected. Regardless, I refuse to allow that to stop me from standing up for what I believe in. Its not a Dem vs Rep thing. Its not a Right vs Left thing. Its just simply having basic human decency, knowing right from wrong, and respecting others regardless of our different views or the color of our skin.
Live with hate in your heart, and watch how God curses you. You reap what you sow, and the Universe always pays its debts.
