Those who follow US politics closely know that Republican vice presidential candidate James David Vance has been talking about migration and the “Mexican problem.”
A subject who is proud and regrets his formation within the culture hillbilly In the Appalachian Mountains, it represents, or is claimed to represent, the white working class, an important sector of the vote for Donald Trump.
In his speeches and writings, he cites drug addiction as one of the main ills in rural communities in the US, including his own. Instead of understanding the complexity of this problem, he uses it to find someone to blame. For him, Mexico and China are the cause of the fentanyl crisis in his country. It is easier to wield anti-other rhetoric in front of voters, especially since he knows he can use it to position himself as a defender of the nation against threats from outside.
In 2022, Vance released a video in his campaign for senator in which he said on camera: “Are you racist? Do you hate Mexicans? The media calls us racist for wanting to build Trump’s wall. They censor us, but that doesn’t change the truth: Joe Biden’s open border is killing Ohioans with more illegal drugs and more Democratic voters coming to this country.”
Many of us already know that this is not a new discourse in American politics. Trump reminded us of this in his first elections. However, now that migration is one of the main issues in the campaigns, it is not unusual for categories and epithets against Mexico to gain strength. Mexicans are linked to drug trafficking and to a common place where violence, crime and poverty stand out. That is the world from which migrants come, according to Vance. Likewise, the difficulty of assimilating the Mexican community as a whole has been a rhetorical resource by the American extreme right to promote its attitudes and political actions on the southern border.
Cruz
It is not just the discourse of one side: it is also how the media treats the issue of Mexico and drugs. It is the cross that the Mexican community in the US bears.
During the revolution, the category of “bandit” was widely used to categorize Mexicans and justify acts of violence against Mexicans in states like Texas. Now it would be worth reflecting on whether something similar happens (there are attitudes that persist, but history does not repeat itself) with “drug trafficker” or “illegal” and the ideas that more than a few have of carrying out mass deportations and even sending troops to Mexico.
Demonizing the “other” has been a recurring political tool. In the case of Mexico and its people, this narrative has persisted with variations over time in the US. These proposals do not arise in a vacuum but are fueled by a long history of tensions and perceptions between the two countries.
As the election cycle progresses, these issues are likely to continue to occupy a central place in the public debate. And JD Vance will be one of their main spokespersons.
