NPR’s Maria Hinojosa to NYers: “We Are Living Proof That There is Nothing to be Afraid of”
Words and Photographs by Mia Milosevic
Journalist Maria Hinojosa has long been open about hardships that she’s faced, from the story of her own immigration from Mexico to the United States, to the sexual assault she survived at 16. But more recently, the current political climate has forced her to confront these difficult experiences in ways she never imagined.
“This past summer, it’s like the two most intimateparts of myself clashed and exploded because of the news of the day,” saidHinojosa, best known for her work as the anchor and executive producer of NPR’sLatino USA, as well as the executiveproducer of PBS’s America By theNumbers.
“I was the immigrant baby that could have been takenfrom her mother. And with the accusations of sexual assault in the Supremecourt - I had gone through the same thing of coming to terms with my own rape,”Hinojosa said, referencing Trump’s controversial child separation policies,as well as Brett Kavanaugh, president Trump's pick for Supreme Court who was publicly accused of sexual assault this summer.
Hinojosa spoke about issues surrounding immigration atCity College last week as part of the Rifkind lecture series. She centered herspeech around her experiences as both a reporter and Mexican immigrant,especially under the sitting president.
“I am five things the president doesn’t like,” sheremarked about Donald Trump, laughing as the audience joined in. “I am Mexican,I am an immigrant, I’m a journalist, I’m a woman, and I’m flat-chested.”
She also spoke with anger about President Trump’sattacks on the press, including assusing the media of being an “enemyof the people” on Twitter. ”We have a president that is mocking us, andgoading for violence,” Hinojosa explained. “We already had a journalist fromMaryland killed here,” she referenced the shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis,Maryland, which took place last June as well as the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October.
Despite the dire circumstances, Hinojosa left theaudience with words of hope and encouragement. “We have to work extra hard nowto own our voices, own our power, and own our narrative,” she advised thestudents.
“All of you embody something really powerful. The factthat we, in this city, have the capacity to see ourselves in each other. We areliving proof that there is nothing to be afraid of. Every day in New York citythat we’re all getting along is actually an amazing experience of what thefuture could look like for all of us.”
