Texas

Immigrant-bashing and right-wing talking heads talking about “illegal aliens” have been right-wing dog-whistle terms for Hispanics here in Texas, citizen or not, native-born or not. It’s been that way for decades. I assumed that Texas Hispanics were just alert enough to know that.

Well, the 2024 elections disabused me. I guess that the Hispanic voters assumed that the “illegal aliens” that the national Republican and Texas state Republican organizations were talking about were just undocumented folks.

Judging from the results, I’d guess that some voters might have been forcibly re-acquainted with the racism and attitudes that their forebears might have talked about but assumed were dead and gone.

And another thing. I don’t think that the Trumpies have given much thought about Texas demographics. I don’t think that Donald or Stephen or Kristi have considered the consequences of baiting a group estimated to consist of 40 percent of the state’s population. Texas Latinos might have been passive about dog-whistle speeches, but letting the sort of LA, Portland, and Minneapolis goon shows pile up isn’t going to make them think kindly thoughts about the Donald, his minions, or Texas Republicans falling over themselves to be seen as the Donald’s besties.

Texas Republicans have badly served their Latino constituents for decades. They got away with it in part because while they ignored their concerns, they didn’t go out of their way to be hateful. Donnie and Stephen, on the other hand, have amped up dog-whistle to megaphone. Maybe Texas Latinos are being re-awakened to the fact that the bad old days were bad for good reasons.