Submitted by The Washington Post Writers Group January 2019.
* Journalist's occupation/job title
Esther J. Cepeda, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, The Washington Post Writers Group
* A one-sentence summary of the entry's contents or subject matter (160 character limit)
Each column addresses misguided policy proposals and cultural misunderstandings promoted by our president to undermine the standing of Hispanics and immigrants in America.
* A brief biography of entrant (character limit not indicated)
Esther J. Cepeda has written two columns weekly for national newspaper and on-line syndication with The Washington Post Writers Group since 2010. Prior to that she was a reporter and featured columnist with the Chicago Sun-Times. She frequently writes about the uniquely American experiences of people of color, especially Hispanics, in her columns. When Ms. Cepeda is not writing, she teaches English as a Second Language in public schools in the Chicago suburbs.
The editors of the Washington Post Writers Group submitted the following for consideration:
Nationally syndicated columnist Esther J. Cepeda uses her tireless passion and the power of her pen to fight for the rights of the millions of people who often don't have a voice of their own: Hispanic Americans and Latino immigrants. She embraces the journalist motto of afflicting the comfortable while comforting the afflicted, taking on the politicians who try to systematically undermine the underprivileged with their policies and make them feel unwelcome in their own homes. She also tackles the racist rhetoric of leaders such as President Trump who make no secret of their contempt for people who come to America looking for a better life. Cepeda also makes a point of turning to Latino sources in her stories, giving them a say in a national discussion that so often excludes them, even though they and their children are the ones most deeply affected. For example, she zeroed in on the crisis of children separated from their parents at the border as soon as it started, and she still keeps readers focused on the fact that many children still have not been reunited with their families. Cepeda pours her heart and soul into every column she writes, and her dedication to exposing Latino issues to her readers pays off in a steady stream of appreciative mail from around the country.
Column entries:
Face facts: Immigrants commit fewer crimes than U.S.-born peers
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-cepeda-immigration-column-st-0506-story.html
Even Benjamin Franklin underestimated immigrants
http://www.goerie.com/opinion/20180518/even-benjamin-franklin-underestimated-immigrants-esther-cepeda
Trump and Russia sowing racial discontent
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/23/cepeda-why-people-are-increasingly-lashing-out-against-people-they-perceive-as-other/
We can all hear Trump's dog whistles to racists
https://www.dailyfreeman.com/news/esther-cepeda-trump-s-dog-whistles-to-racists/article_aee6692b-b81c-5e1e-9e64-a4cd50467ac0.html
When will America stop hurting children?
http://www.djournal.com/opinion/columnists/esther-j-cepeda-when-will-america-stop-hurting-children/article_6577e949-bb8f-540f-a8e3-87b77f544040.html
In Trump's America, there's no "right" way to be an immigrant
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-cepeda-column-st-0817-story.html
Don't classify immigrants as angels or devils; outliers are not poster children
https://qctimes.com/opinion/columnists/cepeda-outliers-aren-t-poster-children/article_5ed03cca-5d51-50f1-b85f-891fb8adf074.html
Rural communities that embrace immigrants show signs of revival
https://www.journalstandard.com/opinion/20180831/esther-cepeda-rural-communities-that-embrace-immigrants-show-signs-of-revival
Latinos don't scare so easily, Mr. President
https://www.arcamax.com/politics/mod/esthercepeda/s-2141815
Trump praises pilgrims but demonizes migrants
https://www.chicoer.com/2018/12/03/esther-cepeda-trump-praises-pilgrims-but-demonizes-todays-migrants/
Here is the final list of winners for 2019
https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-year/2019