Why Latinos and Latin American Immigrants Have Been Frequent Targets of Racist Rhetoric and Policies 

Anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions-as well as racial bigotry directed against U.S.-born Latinos-are longstanding American traditions, says David Hayes-Bautista, who directs the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA’s School of Medicine. While such behavior has intensified during Donald Trump’s presidency, previous historical eras-from the 1840s to the 1990s and beyond-have witnessed large-scale race-based discrimination that singled out Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and other Latin Americans. Hayes-Bautista made his remarks during a Zócalo/The California Wellness Foundation event titled, “What Are the Social Consequences of Racist Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric?” on July 17, 2018, at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in downtown L.A.’s Little Tokyo. He was joined in the discussion by UCLA psychologist Patricia Greenfield, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dean Hansell, and moderator Simon Romero, a national correspondent for The New York Times.