The Albuquerque Journal editor in chief was forced to apologize after a published DACA racist cartoon drew protests and condamnation by the public and immigrant communities in New Mexico.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
February 10, 2018
Albuquerque, New Mexico - On Wednesday, the Albuquerque Journal published a DACA racist cartoon depicting three MS-13 characters with weapons committing an armed robbery of a White couple where the husband is telling his wife who is cursing that they rather be called DREAMers. The cartoon was created by Sean Delonas of the syndicated Cagle Cartoons website and its caption read "Now, honey…I believe they prefer to be called 'Dreamers'...or future Democrats…" which it referred to DREAMer recipients.
The racist DACA cartoon was published in the opinion section by the the editorial staff, which actually depicts speech hate instead of an opinion. In order for an undocumented student to get accepted in the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a criminal background is done and DACA students must not have a criminal record. There are about 800,000 DREAMers in the U.S. DACA recipients contribute billions of dollars to the economy, Social Security, Medicare, Gross National Product (GNP) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
On Thursday, crowds gathered outside the Albuquerque Journal building in protest with signs saying "You crossed the line! Racist Rag."
The racist act by the Albuquerque Journal editoral staff went viral and a backlash by the immigrant and local communities forced Kate Moses, the Editor in Chief of the paper to apologize for the racist cartoon. Moses explained that it was published to mock Trump's devisive and hate agenda towards DREAMers, but the paper failed to show that the cartoon was actually mocking Trump when it published the cartoon. Moses stated, "...it appeared to us to be poking at President Trump's rhetoric by portraying a quaking Republican couple who were painting Dreamers with a broad, totally false, brush."
The publication of racist cartoon by the Albuquerque Journal came shortly after Trump and his advisors held a meeting at the White House about the MS-13 gang in the country and blamed immigration policies for the ineffectiveness to control the flow of gang members into th U.S. Trump and his advisors failed to also mention the domestic White supremacists, neo-Nazis and the KKK as terrorists and their criminal activities, which includes mass murders of Americans in the U.S.
Moses's statement of apology:
Political cartoons are often satire and poke at more than one point of view. I do not presume to know what cartoonist Sean Delonas was trying to convey in his cartoon that was published in Wednesday's Albuquerque Journal. But on one level it appeared to us to be poking at President Trump's rhetoric by portraying a quaking Republican couple who were painting Dreamers with a broad, totally false, brush.
Obviously, that was not the message received by many readers. Instead, many saw an extremely objectionable cartoon and thought that was the position of the Journal. It is not.
In hindsight, instead of generating debate, this cartoon only inflamed emotions. This was not the intent, and for that, the Journal apologizes.
I repeat that the Albuquerque Journal does not condone racism or bigotry in any form.
I also want to reiterate that we do not agree with many of the opinions expressed on the editorial pages, which are intended to encourage debate. Also, the editorial board decides what to publish on these pages, and that is separate from the newsroom and its reporters.
Obviously, that was not the message received by many readers. Instead, many saw an extremely objectionable cartoon and thought that was the position of the Journal. It is not.
In hindsight, instead of generating debate, this cartoon only inflamed emotions. This was not the intent, and for that, the Journal apologizes.
I repeat that the Albuquerque Journal does not condone racism or bigotry in any form.
I also want to reiterate that we do not agree with many of the opinions expressed on the editorial pages, which are intended to encourage debate. Also, the editorial board decides what to publish on these pages, and that is separate from the newsroom and its reporters.
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