Let’s Talk About It: Discrimination

By Yvette Tello

I read a post this week that broke my heart. The reader was talking to a gentleman laying her Saltillo tile. Hard worker. Quiet. Respectful. The kind of man who takes pride in every detail. As they talked, he told her a story that hit her right in the gut. He was working a job across town when a woman across the street called the police on him—for simply existing in her neighborhood.Why? Because he has dark skin. Because he has an accent. Because in her eyes… he didn’t “belong.” When the police arrived, they didn’t approach him with respect. They questioned him like a criminal. He explained he was born in South Texas—a U.S. citizen—and even offered documentation. And do you know what the officer asked him? “Then why don’t you speak good English?” Instead of apologizing… they stalled. They kept him there until ICE showed up. And when ICE came, they didn’t just target him. They took the other workers on the job—undocumented men he’d worked with for years. Good men. Hard workers. A man from El Salvador who cried and BEGGED for help.They took them all. He never saw them again. He told me he used to spend $50,000 a month in materials at Home Depot because there was so much work. Today? He’s lucky if he spends $1,000. There is work. But there are no workers.He’s tried hiring U.S. citizens. They don’t stay. “It’s too hard,” they say. Let’s talk about THAT. We say “They’re taking our jobs.”

But the truth? Most won’t even do the work. We say “They’re criminals.”

But these men were building our homes, our roads, our businesses. They were paying rent, buying food, raising families, paying taxes in sales and property—often more than some citizens.And yet… All it takes is one phone call from someone uncomfortable with their existence. Let’s be honest: This is not about legality. It’s about prejudice. If a light-skinned man with a clipboard was working outside, would anyone call the police?

No. Because we assume he belongs. Aren’t we tired of pretending this isn’t happening in our own backyards. This isn’t a headline.This is real life.Our neighbors. Our workers. Our friends. We say we are a country built on hard work… but we are deporting the hardest workers we have. We say we value family… but we’re tearing families apart. We say we support small businesses… but who do you think keeps those businesses afloat?Let’s talk about the truth:

This country runs on the hands we refuse to acknowledge.It is a sad state we’re in.

Not because “we’re being invaded.” But because we’re losing our humanity.I don’t care where you stand politically— just answer this:When did working hard become a crime? When did speaking with an accent make someone less American? When did we stop seeing people as people? Let’s talk about it… and then let’s do better.

Cathy McAuliffe: “It's worse than sad. It's terrifying. And there are people who deny this is happening.”

Mary Cornejo: “That’s terrible! Prayers”

Mauricio Ramirez: “I saw a news clip this morning where a farmer was complaining about not having anyone to pick the vegetables and what not! Said it was a problem across the nation already!”

Sig Christenson: “So when I had a new roof put on my house a few months back I noticed the workers all spoke Spanish. One of them used an iPhone app that asked me a question. I thought, ‘Wow, they’re all likely illegally living in the United States.’ It was a casual observation, but not a surprise to me. I knew, moreover, that no one would be able to put up a roof if these guys were not here — and that was the case for all the other houses on the street that got new roofs after the big hail storm.I have had two roofs put on this house since 2009 and not a single white person was part of the crews that did the work. The workers who did our flooring were Hispanic as well. A lot has changed since my dad ran a construction company in the 50s and 60s. The biggest one of them is that white people don’t work in the business anymore. I’m guessing they don’t want to do it, and I remember what my dad said when I told him I wanted to follow him in the business. ‘The hell you do!’ Dad wasn’t laughing.”

Alesia Garlock: “And the Karen?”

Diana M Gonzales: “Sad and angry at the same time!!!”

Ernest Zavala: “The world of discrimination , all kinds,I used to get pulled over in the Porsche Carreras , just because I have tattoos, my wife is white, they used to ask her if she was being held against her will,”

Robert Gonzales: “Something I ask myself is Trump an agent of Russia or China? His kids are willing and dealing abroad and Trump and his kids are doing everything they can to destroy the American monetary system over crypto. We need to continue educating the public and hope that come election time Democrats, Independents and decent Republicans will unite and run these MAGA REPUBLICANS OUT OF POWER! We need to save our democracy!”

Saige Thomas: “This breaks my heart}

Placido Salazar: “”We need to V O T E them out.”

Ernestine Morales: “So sad & unforgivable what the so-called president is doing!!”

Denise F. B. Richter: “Awful”

Doc Stephens: “None of this looks like America.”

Ted Switzer: “The bottom line is that our entire immigration system is broken.

If undocumented people COULD come here legally they would - but there is no current legal path that does not take a decade or longer.”

Michael Griffiths: “What a mess.”

Julio C. Hernandez: “Sad them proud boys nazis are emboldened. Sad.”

Gina Najar Rogers: “This brings such sadness and heartbreak to so many. The Statue of Liberty is silent now.”

Blasa Reyna Sierra: “Exactly”

Veronica Mata: “Karma to the woman who called”

Sylvia Sanchez: “They do not take jobs. We, US citizens, the younger generation, don't want actual hard work. I do this for a daily living helping people find jobs & the stories I hear from them as to why they can’t do this job or that job are unreal… I’m very saddened that our system is broken and the real hard working men & women are not US citizens or have proper documents to stay & work in the country!!!”

Estella M. Saenz: “That’s what gets to me and makes me sick. Why are hard working people being ragers instead of the criminals!”

Patricia Gonzales Santos: “Yes it is. May I share this? It is one person’s local experience on what’s happening. I have only a handful of people on my fb that are still supporting Trump. I’d like for them to see this.”

Glenn Jesse Bonner: “I pray for this to be over.”

Janie Zamora-de Los Santos: “So so sad! It’s hard to fathom all that’s going on. Many jobs are delayed due to no more hard workers! Prayers!!”

Marcella Aleman: “It doesn't look like it's going to get better”

Àpolinar Ahedo: “I believe people should do the right thing. The illegal aliens pay $16.000 to coyotes.isn't it better to get papers first before crossing to the USA”

Fernando Aguilar Ŧ: “ I found out today. My Barber from Guatemala was deported. It’s really sad because he was expecting a baby with his girlfriend who is a US born citizen.”

James Marshall: “If they are illegal then they need to leave.”

Dori Arzola-Midlane: “And now the world knows! It’s all about bigotry”

Ricardo Briones: “Its just going to get worse, I'm disappointed in SAPD essentially cooperating with ICE like this. Looks like we need to vote to lower the SAPD budget!”