"That Mexican thing." Indiana Governor Mike Pence said the now-infamous words during the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, instantly sending Twitter into a frenzy and upsetting many Mexicans. Pence was responding to Tim Kaine's comments about how Donald Trump has called Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals. Here's how it went down:
.@mike_Pence [1] to @timkaine [2]: "You whipped out that Mexican thing again" https://t.co/9zgosSHNKa [3] #debates [4] https://t.co/L0A9bh237W [5]
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 5, 2016 [6]
Kaine: "When Donald Trump says women should be punished, that Mexicans are rapists and criminals, or John McCain is not a hero, he is showing you who he is."
Pence: "Senator, you've whipped out that Mexican thing again. He — look . . . "
Kaine: "Can you defend it?"
Pence: "There are criminal aliens in this country, Tim, who have come into this country illegally, who are perpetrating violence and taking American lives."
Kaine: "You want to, you want to use a big broad brush against Mexicans on that?"
Pence: "He also said and many of them are good people. You keep leaving that out of your quote. And if you want me to go there, I'll go there."
People were quick to react to Pence's comments:
That Mexican thing? Sir, you're lucky you left the stage before my mama's chancla hit you in the back of the head #VPDebate [7]
— Rick Palacio (@RickPalacio) October 5, 2016 [8]
(Chancla means sandal in Spanish.)
And many pointed out what it means to be Mexican in this country using the viral hashtag #ThatMexicanThing:
#ThatMexicanThing [9] where my mom has worked as a housekeeper for 25 yrs because her dream is to see her family's dreams come true. #VPDebate [10]
— Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81) October 5, 2016 [11]
#thatmexicanthing [12] where we work hard, play by the rules & continue to be discriminated. While .@realDonaldTrump [13] cheats the system #VPDebate [14]
— Juan Altamirano (@altamirajuan) October 5, 2016 [15]
#ThatMexicanThing [16] is my abuelita who moved to San Antonio without speaking English & slept in a barn while picking lettuce every summer.
— Matthew Duarte (@matthew_duarte) October 5, 2016 [17]
#ThatMexicanThing [18] where undocumented immigrants pay more taxes than @realDonaldTrump [19] does. #VPDebate [20]
— Pili Tobar (@pilitobar87) October 5, 2016 [21]
#thatmexicanthing [22] is my mom who immigrated to this country, pays her taxes and put two kids through college while managing a business ❤️💪🏾💪🏾
— Frank Ramirez (@frankemilio) October 5, 2016 [23]
#ThatMexicanThing [24] was my neighbor who works 100 hrs a week to send his kids to a decent private school. #VPDebate [25]
— Andie Marie (@AndieMarie888) October 5, 2016 [26]
#ThatMexicanThing [27] is my great-grandmother raising five kids alone after her husband died working in a mine cave-in.
— Kymberly Levesque (@Kym_Levesque) October 5, 2016 [28]
Driving home from taking care of your grandkids at night and being followed by a cop, because you're driving being Mexican.#ThatMexicanThing [29]
— sylvia (@sylviacb) October 5, 2016 [30]
I heard my mom & dad, get up every morning at 4:30am, since I was a little girl, because they were hard working & driven. #thatmexicanthing [31]
— mom21 (@ThomasPercy1) October 5, 2016 [32]
#ThatMexicanThing [33] where I was mistaken for a gardener at a fancy tennis club when I was actually a reporter for the @ocregister [34] #VPDebate [35]
— Miguel Melendez (@MelendezTMZ) October 5, 2016 [36]
Pence's quote became the most talked-about moment of the debate [37], and not in a good way. Let's see how else the Trump campaign insults Latinos [38] in the days leading up to the election.