Becerra Faces Backlash Over Family Origin Story

Xavier Becerra, the Democratic frontrunner in the California governor's race, is facing accusations of "immigrant stolen valor" after a social media post highlighted discrepancies in his campaign's narrative about his family's origins.

Conservative Latino activists and organizations are criticizing Becerra for repeatedly describing himself as the son of immigrants who arrived in the U.S. with $12, despite records indicating his father was born in Sacramento and moved between Mexico and California. Latino Free Minds podcast host Daniel Reyes called Becerra's narrative "stolen valor," a term used for military frauds, and accused the candidate of exploiting immigrant hardships for votes.

"He’s trying to get a vote, so he took his dad’s hard work and that success story, and just turned it into some pandering statement just for votes," Reyes stated. "That’s the embarrassing part."

Becerra's Republican rival, Steve Hilton, is set to attack the former Biden health secretary, accusing him of campaigning without offering solutions and of being a "contemptible, cynical career politician." Hilton plans to criticize Becerra's handling of the border crisis and his campaign strategy.

Becerra's campaign has defended the candidate's statements, noting that on primary election night, Becerra described his parents' arrival as "two immigrants, $12 and a dream," a description still present on his campaign website. However, critics argue that this framing misrepresents his father's background.

Conservative commentator Anthony Cabassa, who brought attention to his father's Sacramento birthplace, stated, "It’s just insane to me that they’re playing these semantic games. They just want to fool the voters." Cabassa added, "It’s almost like he was ashamed that his dad wasn’t a recent immigrant — that he had to kind of manipulate the words. That’s just very disgraceful and dishonest."

A biography from the U.S. House of Representatives states Becerra's father, Manuel Becerra, was born in Sacramento and lived in Tijuana, Mexico. His mother, Maria Teresa, was from Guadalajara, Mexico. While this historical account has appeared in published profiles, critics argue Becerra has emphasized the "immigrant" aspect more prominently during his gubernatorial campaign.

The Republican National Hispanic Assembly of California also issued a statement, accusing Becerra of manipulating voters with his family narrative. "We are tired of our stories and our culture being used for pandering, then once elected, Democrats do nothing to help struggling families," the statement read. "Latino and Hispanic families need leaders who address the real challenges they face and deliver results."

Jesse Holguin, founder of Latinos Exiting the Left, echoed these sentiments, accusing Becerra of using his parents' story to pander to Latino voters. "He just thinks that’s gonna make him sound more Latino to them, and they’re gonna be like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s a real Latino, and he’s really for us,’" Holguin said.

Hilton's campaign responded to the criticism by stating, "To quote the secretary, Steve Hilton doesn’t seem to have a problem with immigrants who look like him — but openly attacks immigrants who look like Xavier Becerra." The campaign accused Hilton of tapping into anti-immigrant sentiment and attempting to distract from his own campaign challenges, including a recent ad that reportedly alienated allies.

Reyes contended that Becerra's father had a significant success story without needing the "immigrant" label, arguing that his father's hard work and his son's achievements warranted recognition on their own merits. "A real leader doesn’t lie to get that praise," Reyes concluded.