Becerra's "immigrant" description of his father disputed in California governor race
Conservative critics and Republican rival Steve Hilton say Xavier Becerra overstated his father's immigrant background, since the father was born in Sacramento. Becerra's campaign says the family history is long public and that many people born in California are raised abroad and return.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Conservative critics and accounts on X have said Democratic California governor candidate Xavier Becerra misrepresented his family's immigrant story, because his late father, Manuel Guerrero Becerra, was born in California. New York PostR “caught heat from conservative critics in recent days for labeling his late father Manuel Guerrero Becerra an “immigrant” — despite the fact he was born in Sacramento.” Read at New York Post ↗ Hot AirR “Manuel Guerrero Becerra, Xavier's father, was born in California - the oldest of eight children.” Read at Hot Air ↗ Right · 1The focus is a line Becerra uses on the campaign trail, that his parents "came to this country with just $12"; critics say he repeated it at the CNN gubernatorial debate. Hot AirR “During CNN's Gubernatorial debate, Xavier Becerra stated that his parents "came to this country with $12".” Read at Hot Air ↗ Right · 1Hot Air's opinion writer argues this makes Becerra a second-generation rather than first-generation Mexican-American, and that the anecdote is a recent addition meant to make him seem "more Mexican". Hot AirR “This makes Becerra a second-generation Mexican-American, not first.”“Apparently, the answer that came to the Becerra campaign was to be more Mexican.” Read at Hot Air ↗
Right · 1According to the elder Becerra's obituary, as cited by the New York Post, he was born in Sacramento in 1928 as the eldest of eight children, his family moved back to Mexico, and he lived in Tijuana before returning to California as a teenager to work. He died in 2020. New York PostR “The elder Becerra, who died in 2020, was born in Sacramento in 1928 as the eldest of eight children, according to an online obituary.”“His family then moved back to Mexico when he was a child, living in Tijuana before he returned to California as a teen.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1Becerra's mother, Maria Teresa, was born in Guadalajara. New York PostR “Becerra’s mother Maria Teresa was born in Guadalajara.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1Republican rival Steve Hilton, who was born in London, became a U.S. citizen in 2021 and whose parents were born in Hungary, said: "Unlike Xavier Becerra, I am an immigrant." He also called Becerra a "smug, arrogant, machine politician". New York PostR ““Unlike Xavier Becerra, I am an immigrant. Unlike Xavier Becerra, my father was an immigrant. My stepfather too. My whole family,” Hilton wrote.”“Hilton was born in London, becoming an American citizen in 2021. His parents were born in Hungary.” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1Becerra's campaign dismissed the criticism and pointed to details of his father's life already on Becerra's Wikipedia page and in news articles. Spokesperson Jonathan Underland said it is not uncommon in immigrant families for people to move temporarily back to their parents' home countries. New York PostR “Becerra’s campaign dismissed the criticisms and shared details of his father’s life that have been mentioned before on Becerra’s Wikipedia page and in news articles.”“Becerra spokesperson Jonathan Underland said it’s not uncommon in immigrant families for individuals to temporarily move back to their parents’ home countries.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1Underland also accused Hilton of tapping into "anti-immigrant animus among MAGA voters" to distract from his own ad campaign. New York PostR ““Trump ignited a deep anti-immigrant animus among MAGA voters, and Hilton is tapping into that as he scrambles to distract from his bizarre ad campaign” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1Becerra has held a steady lead and few press events since winning the June primary. A Hilton-commissioned poll by David Wolfson, taken Oct. 1-2 among 1,020 voters, found Becerra at 45.7% and Hilton at 40.1%, with 14.1% undecided, after a Sept. 30 CNN debate. New York PostR “The poll, conducted by pollster David Wolfson on Oct. 1-2 and released Sunday, surveyed 1,020 California voters and found Becerra with 45.7% support to Hilton’s 40.1%, while another 14.1% were undecided.” Read at New York Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Hot Air is an opinion piece mocking Democratic candidates' origin stories and casting Becerra's $12 anecdote as a false immigrant story. The New York Post's report is more straightforward: it covers the criticism, Hilton's attacks and the campaign's response.
- Emphasis
- Hot Air stresses the father's California birth, the timing of the $12 line and a wider pattern of Democratic candidates embellishing their backgrounds. The New York Post gives the obituary details, Hilton's remarks and the Becerra campaign's rebuttal.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Hot Air gives little space to the campaign's explanation. The New York Post's headline says the truth is 'finally revealed', but its text largely backs the campaign's account of the facts. Neither right-side article carries left or centre outlets' views.
- Charged language
- “false immigrant story”“stultifying moron”“Truth about Xavier Becerra’s Mexican background is finally revealed”“smug, arrogant, machine politician”
- For example
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“Apparently, the answer that came to the Becerra campaign was to be more Mexican.” — Hot Air
“Democratic governor Xavier Becerra is clearing the air about claims he’s lied about his immigration story.” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Becerra's father, Manuel Guerrero Becerra, was born in Sacramento, California, and died in 2020.
- Becerra has used a line that his parents came to the country with $12.
- Steve Hilton, the Republican nominee, is attacking Becerra over the claim and says he is an immigrant himself.
- Hilton's campaign poll after the Sept. 30 CNN debate showed a narrower race.
Where accounts differ
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Whether Becerra misrepresented his family's immigrant background
- Right
- Hot Air says the $12 anecdote is a false immigrant story that makes Becerra look first-generation. The New York Post reports that conservative critics and Hilton suggested he fudged his family history, and that his campaign dismissed this.
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Whether Becerra's father counts as an immigrant
- Right
- The New York Post reports the campaign's view that people born in California are often raised in other countries and return later. Hot Air stresses the father's California birth.
Xavier Becerra person
Through his campaign, Becerra rejects the criticism. His spokesperson says his father's story, including a childhood move back to Mexico, is long public and typical of immigrant families. The campaign also accuses Hilton of anti-immigrant politics.
““Welcome to California Steve Hilton, when people born here are often raised in other countries and return, sometimes decades later, to build a new life for themselves in the best place on earth,” Underland said.” — New York Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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Hot AirR · · Opinion
'I Was Born a Poor $12 Mexican Immigrant's Child'
Critical Opinion piece that ridicules Becerra and other Democratic candidates over embellished origin stories and presents the $12 line as false.
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Truth about Xavier Becerra’s Mexican background is finally revealed
Mixed News report with a headline implying a revelation, but a body that sets out the obituary facts, Hilton's attacks and the campaign's rebuttal.
- 5 Oct 19:40 First Hot AirR 'I Was Born a Poor $12 Mexican Immigrant's Child' Opinion
- 5 Oct 20:17 +37m New York PostR Truth about Xavier Becerra’s Mexican background is finally revealed
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.