📢 Axios Latino is the newsletter that summarizes every Tuesday and Thursday the key news for Latino communities in the hemisphere. You can subscribe by clicking here.
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1. The Topic to Feature: Latinos and White Supremacists
In the investigation of an attack at a shopping center in Allen, Texas, it has emerged that the shooter, Mauricio Garcia, had shared neo-Nazi views on his social networks. Experts consider it the latest example of Hispanics in the U.S. promoting doctrines of supposed white racial supremacy.
Overview: Activists and experts say racist organizations and websites that promote those views have been looking for ways to attract more supporters, including Hispanics.
- For example, the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer launched a Spanish version in 2017.
- Some far-right militias have recruited Latinos.
- "There are people from almost every community who get drawn to misogynistic, aggressive, conspiratorial rhetoric, and then become radicalized pretty quickly," says Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
Nazi tattoos and many weapons: the FBI clears part of the mystery around the suspect of the massacre in Allen
May 9, 202302:00
Namely: Garcia was killed by police during the attack. Authorities later said they found posts of him with "neo-Nazi ideas," and that he had patches on his clothing and tattoos related to white supremacist ideas. The investigation indicates that Garcia had done ground reconnaissance in the mall before opening fire, but that the victims were chosen at random.
- The shooting left eight people dead and several wounded, including three minors. Several of the victims were Latino and people of Asian descent.
- Conservative public figures in the U.S. have made less of Garcia's possible ties to supremacist theories. Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, SpaceX and Tesla, said there must be "scrutiny" of the police investigation and promoted an unfounded conspiracy theory about the bombing.
The reality: Experts say right-wing extremism within the U.S. Latino community comes from three sources: Hispanics who identify only as white; the online dissemination of misleading information and that some U.S. Latinos hold racist and anti-Semitic views that are rarely openly discussed.
- "Denying that racism and prejudice exist in our Hispanic community would be like denying the history of all the countries that make up this continent," Maribel Hastings and David Torres wrote in a column published in America's Voice, an immigrant rights group.
- "It is not surprising or strange that Latinos, like other groups in this society, have such prejudice and hatred against their peers that it drives them to commit barbaric acts," they said.
Other Hispanic provocateurs include Nick Fuentes, identified as a "white supremacist" in Justice Department files.
- Cuban-American Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the Proud Boys, was convicted this month of seditious conspiracy for his role in the storming of the Capitol in January 2021.
2. Colombia votes on legal cannabis
The legalization of the recreational adult use of marijuana is almost a reality in Colombia, pending a vote in the Senate.
Why it matters: The country has for decades been a focal point of the war on drugs, with militarized counternarcotics actions as well as violence by paramilitaries and criminal groups linked to drug trafficking contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths and forced displacement. Actions such as crop eradication have not really reduced drug use.
- If the legal cannabis proposal succeeds, Colombia will join other Latin American nations such as Uruguay and Mexico that have decriminalized or legalized recreational use.
- The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved an amendment bill to allow adult use, the closest the country has come to legalizing recreational marijuana.
- Three previous attempts quickly failed. Medical marijuana is already legal for consumption and export.
In his own words: Juan Carlos Losada, the congressman from the center-left Liberal Party who introduced the bill, says it has been the right time to push the measure because there are more progressives in Congress and because the government of President Gustavo Petro has expressed support for legalization.
- "If Colombia, which has been an epicenter of the illegal drug business, is able to start with adult-use cannabis with a new approach, a new drug policy, the whole of Latin America should follow that example and understand that prohibitionism is no longer the way," says Losada.
What's next: The Senate is expected to hold the final two rounds of necessary voting by the end of May.
3. The first Latina on this prime-time show
Journalist Cecilia Vega hopes that being on one of the most watched news programs in the United States will be a step toward opening more doors for Latino reporters and other underrepresented demographics.
News boost: Vega is the first Latina correspondent for CBS' 60 Minutes, which has been on the air for more than five decades.
Journalist Cecilia Vega, 60 Minutes' first Latina correspondent.Photo courtesy of '60 Minutes.' Photo illustration by Natalie Peeples/Axios
- His inaugural report, on the work being done on the island of Dominica to protect sperm whales from environmental and noise pollution, airs on Sunday.
- Vega says he "dove head-on" for the segment after joining the show in January, even having to learn to snorkel.
In her own words: "I am very proud to be the first Latina... but even more important than being first is making sure I'm not the last," Vega told Axios Latino. She added that she will work from her position, and hopes others will do the same, to galvanize more diverse journalists.
- Vega, who worked at ABC News for nearly a decade and was a White House correspondent, adds that she's excited to explore a variety of stories beyond politics.
- "One of the things that makes all 60 Minutes storytellers so good at what they do is that they bring a part of who they are," he says. "For me to be Latina, to be Mexican-American, that's part of my identity that I always bring with me when reporting, and I can't wait to show that aspect of me in the news I work on," she adds.
Notably: Latino representation in major U.S. media has stagnated over the past decade, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.
4. Turn to Mr. Roboto
U.S. and Latin American Latinos said they were more willing to delegate parts of their work to artificial intelligence (AI) tools, despite saying they fear technology will eventually replace their jobs, according to a recent survey.
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Overview: Data from the Microsoft Annual Work Trend Index survey, released Tuesday, comes as generative AI and tools like it become increasingly available and accessible, with ethical questions about their use.
- For example, Microsoft announced this week that it will incorporate more AI elements into its enterprise offerings and Google announced Wednesday that its generative AI tool called Bard will soon be available in more languages, including Spanish and Portuguese. ChatGPT can already be used in these languages.
In numbers: The survey was conducted among 31,000 workers from different industries in 31 countries who discussed the adoption of AI. Microsoft shared the demographic data of race/ethnicity, and national nationality with Axios Latino, although it is not publicly available.
- More than half (53%) of U.S. Latino workers surveyed said they are concerned that AI could replace their jobs, as did half of respondents in Latin American countries.
- By comparison, 46% of black American workers and 34% of non-Hispanic white American workers said the same.
- However, 76% of U.S. Latinos, 72% of black workers and 67% of Latin Americans also said they would be willing to delegate administrative tasks to AI, such as using it to generate summaries of what was discussed in a meeting or flagging which emails should be prioritized. That compares with 50% of non-Hispanic white American workers.
In his own words: "One hypothesis for this could be that these workers are more willing to delegate matters to AI in an effort to have a better work-life balance," says Colette Stallbaumer, general manager of Microsoft 365 and the Future of Work division.
- In fact, in Microsoft's 2022 Work Trends Index survey, more U.S. and Latin American Latinos said they seek to prioritize their personal well-being over their employment.
Yes, but: Several experts in the computer field have been warning that the rush to implement artificial intelligence tools could backfire.
- "New technologies face opportunities and challenges [...] in Latin America in particular, the challenge is in the legislative and ethical field, so that governments implement regulations that help direct the use and development of AI, as well as adequate instruction and training in our communities, given the gaps that exist in digital literacy," says HĂ©ctor BenĂtez PĂ©rez, who heads the General Directorate of Computing and Information and Communication Technologies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
5. Summary of key news in Latin America and the Caribbean
1. The Supreme Court of Justice of Nicaragua definitively disqualified the lawyer Yonarqui MartĂnez GarcĂa, who has represented several dissidents considered political prisoners and has been critical of the government of President Daniel Ortega and his so-called "co-president", Rosario Murillo.
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
- Martinez Garcia told local media that she felt disappointed, sad and worried about her family's safety. He said it was not possible to appeal the decision.
- Ortega and Murillo have strengthened their actions in recent years to put an end to any dissent; One such action has been the imprisonment of opponents or alleged opponents. More than a hundred were recently expelled from the country and put on a plane to Washington D.C.
2. A majority in Ecuador's National Assembly voted Tuesday to move to the next phase of an impeachment process against President Guillermo Lasso, who must now testify.
- The impeachment process began in April. Lasso is accused of embezzlement, which he denies committing.
- He has said the pending impeachment trial is illegitimate and lacks evidence.
Thursday of Pachanga
Every Thursday we publish our Pachanga to highlight readers' achievements. If you've just celebrated an anniversary, adopted a pet, or had a job success and want to celebrate, send mail and photo to axioslatino@axios.com
Photo: courtesy. Background illustration: Axios Visuals
Our celebration today is for Lisa Carrington Firmin, whose new book, Latina Warrior, will be released in November.
- Lisa is a military veteran and company founder, as well as an author and poet. Latina Warrior is her second book; It is a collection of poems, prose and art.
Thanks for reading! We returned on Tuesday.
If you want to share your experiences or send us suggestions and comments, send an email to axioslatino@axios.com.
Do you want to read any of the previous editions?
Why are writers on strike? Hollywood Latinos Respond
Experts Call for 'Rethinking Mental Health Care' as Depression, Anxiety and Suicides Among Latinos Rise
Harsher Punishment for Being Latino: Study Says They're More Likely to Get Prison Sentences