Racist killer George Zimmerman is Latino

Update July 16, 2012

George Zimmerman's racism starts at home, read the original tweet here.  This is so sad,

The killing of Trayvon Martin is obviously a hate crime motivated by racism, so the conversation of race is necessary to understand what happened. Initially, most corporate media stated that the killer George Zimmerman was White but he can be considered as multiracial or Latino.

George Zimmerman can be considered as Latino because his father is White or a European descendant, while his mother is Peruvian of indigenous mixed heritage.

Photo Roberto Gonzales / Getty Images via Colorlines

This post is something that I wanted to write about since weeks ago, but I was too upset to even start. Honestly I thought other Latino bloggers would take on the initiative. So far there is a lot of silence among Latinos about this criminal who represents an embarrassment to any community that he is associated with.


George Zimmerman can be considered as a Latino because his mother is from Peru, a country that is part of the so called “Latin” America region. George Zimmerman is NOT Hispanic.

Remember that Hispanic is a term that refers to Spain and Portugal (Hispania). This concept does not include Peruvians like myself (I'm so upset that Zimmerman's family is from Peru). This is a historical fact, even if many White Americans insist in their attempts to impose the term Hispanic to Brown people.

A subscriber of my Youtube channel wrote this, before the media posted his recent photos where he shows clearly his indigenous Peruvian roots:

Hispanics are white people -like Zimmerman. He claims to be one cuz his mom is of "Peruvian descent. Peruvianess is political, not genetic. Most Peruvians are indigenous, but, from his looks, Mr. Zimmerman’s Peruvianess contains precious little, if any, Native blood. And if he was 100% Native,would that have prevented him from killing a black youth?

Why am I writing about this? In this crime, the race of the attacker and the victim are important. Trayvon Martin was targeted for the color of his skin and his looks. Zimmerman has racist and supremacist views about Black people.

Despite how the media insist in portraying Zimmerman as White, some people already see him as Latino and some are turning their anger against us. You can see racist tweets already:

Some racists twits using the term "spic" referring to Zimmerman

Some Latinos can be very racist


Some people have asked me if the Zimmerman vs Martin case is another example of racism of Latinos against Blacks. I would say yes and no. Unfortunately there are many Latinos who have racist views against Blacks, Native Americans and any dark-skinned peoples.

This happens more often among Latinos who are White or White-wannabes, including new immigrants in the U.S., or those who live in mostly-White-neighborhoods. Unlike Latinos or Natives who are mixed with African descendants, or live in mostly-Black areas.

In a historical context, racism between Black and Brown communities shouldn't happened. We have coexisted in the American continent for centuries, today there are 5 times more African descendants in "Latin" America than in the United States.

However, racism among Latinos is promoted by corporate media and entertainment industry in Spanish-language, which are run mostly by European descendants both in Latin America and in the U.S.

No, I don't think most Latinos are racist, keep in mind that most "Latino" communities are very diverse culturally and racially, so we are not used to live in homogenous ethnic areas. Some Latin American regions though, don't have a large Black population so immigrants from those areas may follow certain stereotyped concepts they see in the media.

George Zimmerman grew up in a conservative Catholic family –which is a very Eurocentric religion- in the city of Manassas, in Virginia which along with neighboring Prince William County is home for very racist and xenophobic people. In the recent few years, their local governments have passed and implemented some of the most hateful, anti-immigrant and White supremacist laws in the country.

These anti-immigrant laws precisely have being used as model for similar laws passed in Arizona, Alabama, Georgia and other historically-racist States. These laws target Indigenous, Latino families and immigrants, in the same fashion that they used to target Black Americans a few decades ago.

Racism among Latinos can be learned also, especially Latinos who marry elitist Whites and tend to embrace their spouses racist ideas. I know of a few people who try to “act White” just to please their new relatives, and sometimes they learn to hate on Blacks, and even immigrants and Brown peoples like themselves.

Many immigrants learn to be racist here and others learn to respect diversity. In my life as a gay man I've met a few White men who have shared horrible opinions “warning me” about Black men -especially when I first arrived to this country- and Blacks who said horrible things about Whites. Latinos who do the same, there is racism in every community.

When Latinos come from certain countries, racism can be worse than in other regions. European-descendants in Latin America, are as racist as many of those in the U.S. Other Latinos are racists and maybe they don't even know they are, like Geraldo Rivera, the obnoxious Fox News TV commentators who thinks that wearing a hoodie is a good excuse to get killed.

Do I think George Zimmerman is racist because of his Peruvian heritage? It’s hard to say because some Peruvians can be racists but most are not. I don’t know him personally nor his family so I can’t really reply to this question. But there is a possibility.

Zimmerman is racist mostly because of they way he was raised. His family has worked for the Prison-Judiciary industry, his father is a retired Federal judge, they are Catholics, and they live in the segregated suburbs. A subscriber wrote in my FB page:

Zimmerman's father, Robert J. Zimmerman is a retired Virginia Magistrate. His mother is Peruvian, Glady C. Zimmerman was a court clerk and interperter. I believe their legal knowledge is the reason why George Zimmerman hasn't been arrested.

No only his father is a retired Judge, but currently Robert Zimmerman lives in a town nearby Sanford, Florida where the crime occurred. CNN reported that a Florida district attorney demanded the Stanford police to release Zimmerman after his arrest.

In other words, Zimmerman might being protected because of his father influences.

Finally, I wanted to send a message to all the Latinos who are not paying enough attention to this case yet. We need to get involved in the movement demanding justice for Trayvon Martin and his family, because we face the same racism that killed this young man.

This is the same hatred that affects our families, especially immigrant communities. This sense of entitlement and privilege that many European Americans share, make them see us Brown peoples, Natives, Latinos, as foreigners in the land of our indigenous ancestors.

This movement for justice is not about promoting hate against Whites, at all. It's about fighting racism and especially when it becomes legal (Stand Your Ground laws).

This is about preventing mentally-ill people like George Zimmerman to get away with their crimes motivated by supremacist ideas. If this man is let go, other people may use the same excuses to kill non-White people using the "Stand Your Ground" laws. These racists views have poisoned the politics, culture and economics of this country.

Imagine for a second that you or your child faces the same fate of Trayvon Martin. Would your child to die while begging for help? Would you allow the killing of more innocent children and youth even if they look different than you? 


Everybody should demand justice for Trayvon Martin, because his family deserves justice and because all hate crimes must be stopped and prevented, before this gets worse.

Photo. Roberto Gonzales / AP

Please watch these videos

Civil rights leader Dick Gregory speaks about the killing of Trayvon Martin. I recorded this last weekend in Washington, DC:

A very good speech given by U.S. Rep Frederica Wilson (D-FL) yesterday which expresses how Black young men feel about racial profiling. 

VIDEOS Rally for Trayvon Martin in Washington DC

Thousands of people rallied today in downtown Washington, DC, to demand justice for Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager killed in Sanford, Florida almost a month ago, as a consequence of a hate crime.

I recorded this video of the rally held at Freedom Plaza, which started around 2:30 pm. and ended short after 4:00 pm. Several speakers gave very inspirational speeches about justice, solidarity, peace, and the end of racism, urban violence and mass imprisonment of people of color.

The crowd today were about 80-85% Black people, even though the DC's population includes 51% Blacks, 39% of Whites and 9% Latinos, among others. The majority of attendants were young students, parents and elder community activists.

In this second video, legendary civil rights activist and comedian Richard 'Dick' Gregory speaks about the social movement demanding justice for Trayvon Martin, and the questions that haven't been answered about this racist crime.

This was one of several rallies organized across the nation to demand justice for Trayvon Martin, the prosecution of his killer George Zimmerman, the end of racial discrimination against youth of color and the repeal of racist "Stand your ground" laws that are promoting more crimes.

See more photos in Twitter, and Facebook. See my other 18 min. video of this emotional rally.

Photos and video by Carlos A. Quiroz

The good that has come after the killing of Trayvon Martin

The killing of teenager Trayvon Martin was supposed to be another case of racial injustice, as those happening every day in the United States. After we would read about it and protest, we would then forget about it.

Instead, the death of this good man is impacting this country in a very positive way.

An unarmed, respectful and well raised young man who didn’t mean any type of threat to anyone was killed on February 26th. The man who killed him is still free. Update: It took 26 days for president Obama to speak about this crime.

Trayvon Martin. Photo Martin family / AP

One Million Hoodies Rally. Source: Democratic Underground. 

Like most people (I hope so), I get close to tears every time I read the story of Trayvon Martin, the 17 years old Miami teen that got shot over 3 weeks ago in Florida. It’s also hard not to get also furious about the way how the Sanford Police Department is treating the case, and when listening the excuses presented by those who try to justify this tragedy.

This is shameless injustice, caused without any doubt by racism. Trayvon Martin death is inexcusable, as it is the fact that the killer George Zimmerman hasn't been arrested nor prosecuted yet.

This case reminds us that there are people in this nation who still believe they are superior to others. They think that dark-skinned individuals are potential criminals, that nothing should matter when it comes to secure their “safety”, that they are entitled to do whatever it takes to keep “suspicious” people away from them.

The rest of us need to obey and explain ourselves to their supremacist views.

However, here is the beautiful part of this story because there is life after death. Trayvon might be physically dead, but his last moments in life have already inspired many to fight for justice, and his final calls begging for help haven't gone unanswered.

From now on, Trayvon Martin will remain as a hero for all who believe in justice and equality, for those of us who experience discrimination every day for different reasons, because of our skin color, income, gender, faith, culture, sexuality, origin, political ideas or any other reason.

The amazing reactions from people across the U.S. to this tragedy is growing strong.

Thanks to social media and grass roots efforts, people of all colors have protested and called attention towards this crime, which was widely ignored by most corporate media. This is a movement of the people for the people. This week only, thousands rallied in New York and Sanford, and a dozen of rallies and marches have been planned across the country. Please check Twitter for updates.

This all started to protest the racist crime of Peruvian American "neighborhood watchman" George Zimmerman, and the absurd and cynical response of the Sanford Police Department. Now this is a movement in defense of life, human rights and dignity, equality and justice. This reinvigorating not just African Americans communities but also peoples of all walks of life.

The good that come after Trayvon Martin's death.

Firstly, this is not about hate nor revenge. A lot of people thought initially that Zimmerman was a White man who felt he could kill a Black person and get away with it. He is actually a Catholic mixed Latino man, probably of Jewish Cuban heritage (which in Florida would give him privileges), of a Peruvian mother and a U.S. White father.

The protests are not seeking revenge against George Zimmerman in a personal level, no one is talking about hurting him the way he terrorized and killed Trayvon. This fight is for this man realize what he has done, then apologize for his crime and finally face the legal consequences a person like him should.

The protests are not promoting hatred or targeting Whites or Latino peoples, neither. We are demanding for those who feel they are superior to others because of racism, to stop targeting Black youth (or any dark skinned youth for that matter) as dangerous potential criminals.

No other young Trayvons need to die, face abuse or get incarcerated because they “look suspicious”, as it happens every day across the U.S. No racist laws need to justify these type of human rights violations.

There are 26 states across this nation where people are allowed legally to shoot anyone who they feel are a direct threat to their safety. The “Stand your Ground” laws say is okay for people to kill others because of fears, prejudices and racial stereotypes. This can only lead to more violence that may hurt any of us. These corporation-financed laws promote only more gun sales instead of public safety.

Source Pensito Review

Bringing families together


Trayvon Martin was not a street kid, someone raised parent-less, he was part of a good family.

Watching Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton fighting so passionately for their son's memory is very inspiring. Their actions are sending a strong message of love and family unity, especially to young parents and families in broken communities that have been attacked systematically in the past decades, causing a huge increase of dysfunctional families, where children grown up without parenting.

This is also creating more awareness among the youth, about racial hatred and violence. Many young people are watching that grown ups still care about injustice, regardless of the victim’s skin color. Even if we think we are alone, there are strangers who care about your life. A friend replied to me:

This is not just about Trayvon who at the moment has died in vain, until unjust laws are overturned and the lives of Blacks are worth the same as Whites. Until then, these incidents will continue to happen and swept under a rug. Trayvon's case will hopefully set a precedence to overturn these unjust laws. Because there are many cases we never hear about, because dead men tell no tales, and the many incarcerated; especially when it comes to men of color.

That is true. If nothing is done and justice is not served, this can happen to you and your children. Any of us could be the next Trayvon Martin.

Trayvon Martin did not have to die, but his death has impacted the lives of others, and sadly he is gone. Now it's the responsibility for everyone to do everything possible to stop racism and more racist killings. This is about life itself, this about your children, this is about entire communities. This should not happen ever again.

Trayvon Martin's parent's Tracy Martin, and Sybrina Fulton during the 'Million Hoodie March' in New York City, Wednesday March. 21. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer/ Christian Science Monitor)