Street Vendors Are Being Attacked in LA for Social Fame
We're living in a pandemic, and this is what our community has to endure?
Photo: Unsplash
There’s no doubt people are spending more time on social media. One indication of that everyone is addicted to social media is the exploding content on TikTok and Instagram. Hilarious dance trends are popping off left and right. Then other trends are downright disgraceful.
As if Latinos didn’t have enough to worry about, we’re seeing more social media videos in which Latino vendors are being harassed and assaulted. Violence against Latinos isn’t anything new. However, there’s been a considerable increase since the presidential election of Donald Trump. We’re seeing that this despicable trend against our vulnerable community is growing on social media for entertainment. What makes it even worse is that these heartless criminals are doing this to gain social media followers.
For example, this crime occurred on March 23 against Amaris Méndez, a food vendor in Los Angeles. The video shows Méndez being attacked and robbed by two individuals. According to the Daily Mail, more criminals were waiting for them in the car and filmed the entire crime.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_btkakpjFY/?utm_source=ig_embed
Another social media post shows a man pretending to place a food order to a Latino street vendor. When the Latino man gets close to the car, the criminal throws an egg at him. The criminal posted the video on his social media page and added a bunch of laughing emojis. Another video shows another man egging a Latino street vending selling raspados.
It’s incredibly difficult to watch these crimes against our people occurring during a pandemic. The vendors, all wearing face masks, are merely trying to do their job as safely as possible because they genuinely are essential workers.
We should note the hardships that they already face, including not getting a dime of the government’s stimulus check. We also know that the coronavirus is hitting Blacks and Latinos especially hard. One of the reasons why Latinos are being diagnosed with COVID-19 at a high rate is because they don’t have the luxury of working from home. They are being forced to work in fields, factories, and other industries where they must work close to others. Latinos also face a fear of getting tested for COVID-19. We’ve learned that living under the Trump era, Latinos live in the shadows for a variety of reasons, which means they rarely go to the hospital. It’s incomprehensible why these crimes occur. These are times which we should support each other and be kind, not hateful.
