El Paso’s vibrant life was abruptly interrupted this past Saturday. Twenty-two people were killed, 26 were injured, and Latinx communities everywhere were reminded that brown-bodied people in this country are often perceived as something to be eliminated through deliberate acts of violence. 

And although we come from a multitude of identities, histories, skin colors, and cultures, we are united by so many beautiful things. We are also united by the perceived threat that we are to this nation. This threat of extermination lives in our bones and now feels much more real. We are not ok.

Deep fear has set in Latinx communities all over the country. Latinx friends in Texas feared going to church on Sunday. They continue to fear for their children at school and for their relatives with darker skin who live in border towns. We are experiencing the horrifying consequences of validating this narrative against Latinx and brown-bodied people through intentional mockery, constant questioning of our presence in the country, and violent incidents. 

My body ached as I flew back from El Salvador this week knowing that I would land in a country where people like me had just been killed. And my fears were not unfounded. When I landed in the U.S., a Customs and Border Patrol Officer screened my Mexican passport chanting, “Trump, Trump, Trump is the best president we’ve ever had.”

Standing in front of him in my brown body, I was afraid. In the midst of the violence our community has experienced, this chant was a form of intimidation. 

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