Help stop media bias against foreign born American Citizens

On March 29, 2017 the Hearst newspaper, The San Antonio Express News, published an article, Medina worked, ran for office in Mexico, written by opinion columnist, Brian Chasnoff. The subject of the article was mayoral candidate, Manuel Medina, it identified him as  a “47-year-old native of Mexico portraying himself as a patriotic American.” Adding insult to injury, the rest of the article questions if Mr. Medina’s residency was the United States of America during the period of time that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services both granted Mr. Medina residency and granted him citizenship. Mr. Chasnoff’s column was both offensive and xenophobic by calling Mr. Medina a Mexican carpetbagger pretending to be a patriotic American.

The narrow-mindedness of this Hearst article perpetuates prejudice and discrimination towards naturalized citizens by ignoring the requirements the U.S. Government sets to maintain permanent residency and to be granted citizenship. Naturalized citizens are American citizens that have taken an oath of allegiance to the United States of America. They have sworn to renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign state, or sovereignty of which they had previously been a subject of. They pledge to support and defend the constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Additionally, before they can begin the process they must be a permanent resident. A legal status that the U.S. Government revokes if they move to another country intending to live there  permanently; or should they remain outside the United States for an extended period of time.  Doubting Mr. Medina’s patriotism knowing he took the Oath of Allegiance and questioning his residency knowing he was granted citizenship was xenophobic of Mr. Chasnoff.

Mr. Chasnoff’s suspicion of Mr. Medina’s purpose and length of stay in Mexico is ignorant of the U.S. Immigration Law which required Mr. Medina to undergo an intensive interview and background check by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Given that Mr. Medina was awarded citizenship in 2009, demonstrates that the U.S. government found no merit or truth in any of the the allegations Mr. Chasnoff’s column implies. How Hearst newspapers and The San Antonio Express News, could ignore this escapes me. Either they failed to do their due diligence before publishing this column, or choose to willfully ignore the steps naturalized citizens take to become Americans.  If it is the latter then they are guilty of treating naturalized citizens with prejudice and intolerance.

Any attempt to rationalize Mr. Chasnoff’s bigotry as journalism is ignorant of the profession. I understand and even acknowledge that as a mayoral candidate Mr. Medina’s experience and platform should be critiqued. In fact as a media organization your company has an obligation to do so. However the method in which Hearst newspaper questioned Medina’s patriotism and residency during his path to citizenship lacked the respect and decency every American deserves. Additionally it is just plain ignorance to suggest that my disgust at this type of reporting is due to the fact that my firm has been retained for Medina’s campaign. That does not diminish the bigotry of  Mr. Chasnoff’s work or the dissatisfaction I feel in this blatant discrimination against naturalized Americans and their path to citizenship. 

If Hearst newspapers doubted Mr. Medina, they should of had the integrity to contact the Department of Homeland Security and verify Mr. Medina’s background.  Instead, Hearst newspapers  focused on manipulating their readers towards mistrusting Mr. Medina because he is a naturalized citizen. Essentially telling them, he doesn’t look like he belongs here, or that his citizenship is worth less than that of a natural-born citizen. Knowing that the leadership at Hearst Communications condones this type of behavior from their employees disheartens my faith in the media’s ability to report the truth.

Ricardo Jimenez