Anti-Latino comments from conservative Washington state councilman draw community ire

*Let’s begin by saying that almost 48 percent of the population of Yakima, Washington, is Latino. Kennewick is across the Columbia River from Pasco, and 86 miles down I82 from Yakima. Councilman Bob Parks knew exactly what he was doing. VL

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By Wendy Culverwell, The News & Observer

Civic leaders in Pasco and Kennewick reacted swiftly Friday morning to condemn anti-Latino comments posted by a local city councilman.

Kennewick City Councilman Bob Parks, who holds an at-large seat, reposted an image of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders with the words, “I went to Yakima today. Now I know why Trump wants to build a wall.”

Parks added the comment, “Wait until he sees pasco!”

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The posts triggered an outpouring of condemnation, including an angry exchange between Parks and Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins that led Watkins to unfriend Parks.

The Latino Civic Alliance and the League of United Latin American Citizens report members are deeply upset and plan to meet to discuss the appropriate response.

Click HERE to read more.

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[Photo via Facebook]

Suggested reading

In this innovative work that uses grocery stores as a guiding motif, Javier O. Huerta deftly combines English and Spanish to explore his identity as an immigrant, naturalized citizen, son, brother, lover, graduate student. Visits to grocery stores in the U.S. and northern Mexico lead to questions about himself. “I often wonder if I would have grown up thin had my family stayed and bought groceries in Mexico. The day we crossed the river my seven-year-old body had not an ounce of fat on it,” he remembers.

But he looks beyond his own personal circumstances as he explores the abundance of experience found in going to the grocery store.  Through poetry written in Spanish, a short play, non-fiction passages and even text messages, Huerta delves into subjects such as consumerism and health foods available only to a limited class of people. The diverse pieces and themes in American Copia pulsate with all that can be both communal and autonomous in everyday life. Men take advantage of women; people protest against practices that place corporate profits above a fair wage for farmworkers; and, sometimes, people commit acts of violence.

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