...I'm married to a Mexican.
Occasionally, we get phone calls from people angry over our coverage of immigration – illegal or legal.
While I think most people can talk about the issue in a responsible and civilized way, no matter which side of the issue they fall, some are incapable and see a vast liberal conspiracy to hide the news. One of those people called me the other day, upset that we didn't put in our story about Armando Garcia that he was an illegally in the country when he shot and killed Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy David March.
The caller was right, it should have been in the story. We have covered it extensively and put that description in, and this time editors missed the omission. It happens. Deadline pressures and other breaking news are an enemy in the news business. I admitted our mistake and told the caller we have put it in other stories but this time blew it.
But the acknowledgment of his complaint didn't mollify him, he then went off on a 15 minute, or at least it seemed to me, rant about how illegal immigration is destroying this country and that we are aiding and abetting criminal behavior by not printing more stories about this threat.
While the facts are clear that we have a problem with the borders, his conspiracy theories don't fly and I told him about some of the stories we have put in our paper in the past. Again, this acknowledgment went unremarked and appeared to make him even more angry.
And then it came, the first part was “I have a Latino last name so can't be a racist” and then later the “epithet” that is supposed to question my credibility, “that is if you are even from this country.”
He then hung up on me. And least this person had the guts to leave his phone number and name, which I called, but seriously, if you went to have a monologue fine but let's not pretend that you're trying to win me over to your side. You're not.
Full disclosure: I consider myself a first-generation United States citizen. I see consider because, technically, my mother is from Puerto Rico and was automatically given citizenship as soon as she entered the states. My father is from Colombia and also entered the country legally.
And, I'm married to a third-generation Mexican-American.