Los Angeles Times reporter Christine Mai-Duc thinks she has found irony in the fact that most of the workers at the factory that manufactures Donald Trump "Make America Great Again" hats are Latino. Of course there is really nothing ironic in this since all the factory workers have legal status so no illegal workers are working at the plant. What is truly ironic is that the reporter, while trying desperately to expose irony which does not exist in this situation, has revealed her own anti-Trump bias in her story.
First let us observe as Ms Mai-Duc tries and fails to find irony in the fact that most of the Trump hat factory workers are Latino:
Donald Trump’s hats have quickly become a signature totem of the 2016 campaign, a kitsch magnet that serves ironic hipsters and sincere supporters alike. The red-and-white caps are emblazoned with the real estate mogul's oft-repeated slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
But look around the factory floor where these hats are being made by the thousands, and you’ll find faces that don’t seem to fit into Trump’s America.
What I found is the extreme anti-Trump bias of Christine Mai-Duc since she seems to believe that LEGAL status Latino workers "don't seem to fit into Trump's America." The hats are Made In The U.S.A. but the reporter somehow thinks this will still meet with the disapproval of Trump:
...this headwear is legitimately made in the USA, creating jobs for people who hail from the very places Trump has at times disparaged.
They may have originally hailed from other places but now they are LEGALLY in the U.S.A.. Yet Mai-Duc believes Trump would have a problem with that. In fact the factory owner, Brian Kennedy, has verified their legal status:
The company employs about 100 people in a 30,000-square-foot warehouse. About 80% of the company’s workforce is Latino, Kennedy estimates. He says that every worker has his or her immigration status verified.
Business has been great for both the factory and the workers and despite the fact that the reporter has tried to extract an anti-Trump message from the workers, they appreciate that the business has provided them income:
The "Make America Great Again" hats have been a boon to Kennedy’s business, which pulled in more than $270,000 from the Trump campaign last quarter, according to campaign finance records.
...“You know,” she says, “he’s giving us a lot of work. Keeping us busy.… It’s a job, I get paid to do it and it pays my bills.”
And for that, Melendrez says, she’s thankful.
In a final bit of unintended irony, although the L.A. Times reporter tried to somehow expose Trump as a bigot, she has inadvertently exposed the problems liberal policies have caused:
But it’s been increasingly difficult to stay competitive, the Kennedy brothers say. Rising healthcare costs, the possibility of a $15 minimum wage countywide and workers’ compensation laws have been a “juggling act” to keep up with, they say.
Many readers of this article also noted the obvious bias of the reporter:
The author should hold herself to a higher standard of accuracy-Trump is speaking about people who immigrated ILLEGALLY. Be sure to correct the errors in this article where you refer to immigrants, rather than illegal immigrants. I have friends who went through the immigration process legally, and it is not fair of the author to lump them in with those who did not follow our laws.
Congratulations to Trump for not having the product made outside the US, like so many companies do.
If they are here legally, then yes, the workers DO fit into Trump's America.