This video features Amy Hernandez reflecting on the impact of 9/11 and how it changed her perception of safety and societal trust. She discusses the rise of emboldened hateful rhetoric, particularly online, and contrasts her experiences in California with her current life in Colorado, noting differences in political ideology and social attitudes. The conversation also touches upon various historical events, their personal impact, and shifts in media consumption and societal accountability.
The video transcript is:
[{"start_ms":"640","end_ms":"7600","text":"Okay. Um, so he grabbed my foot, shook me awake, and said, "We're under attack."","start_time_text":"0:00"},{"start_ms":"7600","end_ms":"13120","text":"And I didn't know what that meant. And I grew up watching like alien movies and","start_time_text":"0:07"},{"start_ms":"13120","end_ms":"18960","text":"stuff. So I thought like spaceships were here or something. And I was like, "What?" And I like got out and he was","start_time_text":"0:13"},{"start_ms":"18960","end_ms":"25359","text":"telling me that somebody flew a plane in the World Trade Center. And like we me and my dad would go to World Trade","start_time_text":"0:18"},{"start_ms":"25359","end_ms":"31920","text":"Center all the time. Like, yeah, it was in New York City and there were like restaurants like so you could go to","start_time_text":"0:25"},{"start_ms":"31920","end_ms":"37920","text":"breakfast on like the lower levels. Like I didn't actually go to like the higher levels where the businesses were,","start_time_text":"0:31"},{"start_ms":"37920","end_ms":"44480","text":"but like you could we would go there for food. Like there was like a bagel shop and","start_time_text":"0:37"},{"start_ms":"44480","end_ms":"50000","text":"like a coffee shop and we would go there and uh and so","start_time_text":"0:44"},{"start_ms":"50000","end_ms":"56960","text":"he said the World Trade Center and I was like but that's the place we go to. That's not that place. And we saw it on","start_time_text":"0:50"},{"start_ms":"56960","end_ms":"63359","text":"TV and I could see that like one of the towers was like smoking and I was like, "Wow."","start_time_text":"0:56"},{"start_ms":"63359","end_ms":"70640","text":"And then when the second plane hit, I saw it live. Like I was like watching the TV and I went, "Is is that a a","start_time_text":"1:03"},{"start_ms":"70640","end_ms":"76000","text":"rebound? Is that another like and my dad's like that's a second","start_time_text":"1:10"},{"start_ms":"76000","end_ms":"81280","text":"airplane?" And I'm like, and I'm just sitting there and we're all just like staring at the","start_time_text":"1:16"},{"start_ms":"81280","end_ms":"88479","text":"TV. like we're standing there just staring at the TV and uh and then I went to school because I'm","start_time_text":"1:21"},{"start_ms":"88479","end_ms":"93600","text":"like I didn't know what to do. Yeah. You know, it was it was just a weird","start_time_text":"1:28"},{"start_ms":"93600","end_ms":"100479","text":"like I I don't know how to describe it. Like y'all have like live you all have lived","start_time_text":"1:33"},{"start_ms":"100479","end_ms":"107280","text":"through some like heavy stuff like you have and you haven't really you don't know, right? But like","start_time_text":"1:40"},{"start_ms":"107280","end_ms":"114479","text":"but when you think about it, right? Like before that day Everything was going to be okay. Like","start_time_text":"1:47"},{"start_ms":"114479","end_ms":"120320","text":"everything was fine. Yeah. Like there were wars in other countries. And this is how like privileged we are,","start_time_text":"1:54"},{"start_ms":"120320","end_ms":"126719","text":"right? Is like there are wars in other countries. There's stuff that's been happening for years and years and years, but like","start_time_text":"2:00"},{"start_ms":"126719","end_ms":"135520","text":"it didn't really ever affect us. Yeah. I see. Yeah. Like like directly affect us. And so","start_time_text":"2:06"},{"start_ms":"135520","end_ms":"141040","text":"when that happened, we were like anything could happen.","start_time_text":"2:15"},{"start_ms":"141040","end_ms":"147120","text":"Yeah. Like you it kind of broke the shell of like I don't want to say like great America,","start_time_text":"2:21"},{"start_ms":"147120","end_ms":"153680","text":"but you know like the American dream in a way. Why not? Like you did like that's exactly what it was. Like we lived in a","start_time_text":"2:27"},{"start_ms":"153680","end_ms":"160800","text":"bubble, you know? We lived in a privileged society. We were all doing mostly okay. Like","start_time_text":"2:33"},{"start_ms":"160800","end_ms":"165840","text":"property values would go up and down. money would go up and down, right? But","start_time_text":"2:40"},{"start_ms":"165840","end_ms":"173519","text":"like everybody was surviving. And so when that happened, that","start_time_text":"2:45"},{"start_ms":"173519","end_ms":"179280","text":"drove a weird spike into us. And don't get it twisted, like our like whatever","start_time_text":"2:53"},{"start_ms":"179280","end_ms":"184720","text":"side you want to say, Democrats, Republicans, whatever. Like they always fought each other. Yeah.","start_time_text":"2:59"},{"start_ms":"184720","end_ms":"192720","text":"It was like what they did. 911 did something like hammered a spike","start_time_text":"3:04"},{"start_ms":"192720","end_ms":"199599","text":"in that like we never recovered from and so like people didn't trust other people","start_time_text":"3:12"},{"start_ms":"199599","end_ms":"205760","text":"like like I said I see our best family friends out there was an Arabic family that owned a restaurant a","start_time_text":"3:19"},{"start_ms":"205760","end_ms":"211680","text":"burger restaurant one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life right but they were like homies like we would","start_time_text":"3:25"},{"start_ms":"211680","end_ms":"217280","text":"like like they'd invite me over to their house and like we like we went to all of","start_time_text":"3:31"},{"start_ms":"217280","end_ms":"223519","text":"their kids weddings things like I would chill with the youngest sons who were still like 10 years older than I was,","start_time_text":"3:37"},{"start_ms":"223519","end_ms":"230720","text":"right? Yeah. But like they would have big parties and invite me and stuff and it was dope. Um they were like the most","start_time_text":"3:43"},{"start_ms":"230720","end_ms":"236799","text":"Americanized Arabic people you've ever met in your life and people would still like","start_time_text":"3:50"},{"start_ms":"236799","end_ms":"243920","text":"say slurs like they call them like sand blanks like they call them like","start_time_text":"3:56"},{"start_ms":"243920","end_ms":"249360","text":"camel stuff and like it was it was bad. And like And these pe, like I said, these people","start_time_text":"4:03"},{"start_ms":"249360","end_ms":"254560","text":"are more American than I am. You know what I mean? It's like like","start_time_text":"4:09"},{"start_ms":"254560","end_ms":"259600","text":"they're and and these people, but other people would see them and they only see color, right?","start_time_text":"4:14"},{"start_ms":"259600","end_ms":"266000","text":"Yeah. Cuz they still looked Arabic, right? And it's Yeah. But it's like But if you","start_time_text":"4:19"},{"start_ms":"266000","end_ms":"271280","text":"if if you picked up a phone and called them, it sounds like any other American","start_time_text":"4:26"},{"start_ms":"271280","end_ms":"276800","text":"like goofy bike. You know what I'm saying? And it's just very that very American","start_time_text":"4:31"},{"start_ms":"276800","end_ms":"281919","text":"accent. Like in Southern California, everybody kind of sounds the same. Yeah.","start_time_text":"4:36"},{"start_ms":"281919","end_ms":"287600","text":"You know, they're all they're all like, "Bro, bro, bro, okay, so what kind of murder you","start_time_text":"4:41"},{"start_ms":"287600","end_ms":"292880","text":"want, bro?" Like, that's the kind of And so, but people","start_time_text":"4:47"},{"start_ms":"292880","end_ms":"298160","text":"would still say awful things because they only see","start_time_text":"4:52"},{"start_ms":"298160","end_ms":"305759","text":"the skin. They don't see the person, right? Yeah. So, did you notice a change in the","start_time_text":"4:58"},{"start_ms":"305759","end_ms":"310960","text":"people around you? Like you said hate crime, but Yeah. I mean, people would","start_time_text":"5:05"},{"start_ms":"310960","end_ms":"316160","text":"or not hate crime, like slurs. No, no, but they would they would do racist stuff all the time. like they","start_time_text":"5:10"},{"start_ms":"316160","end_ms":"322320","text":"would um like the same people that would hire","start_time_text":"5:16"},{"start_ms":"322320","end_ms":"327919","text":"dudes from like Home Depot to like do side projects for them and would have a","start_time_text":"5:22"},{"start_ms":"327919","end_ms":"333440","text":"landscaper that didn't speak English would still sit there and say incredibly","start_time_text":"5:27"},{"start_ms":"333440","end_ms":"338960","text":"racist stuff and be like, "Oh, I'll call them on you." Like, this is before the stuff","start_time_text":"5:33"},{"start_ms":"338960","end_ms":"344960","text":"that happened this year with ICE. like people were just hateful and there was a","start_time_text":"5:38"},{"start_ms":"344960","end_ms":"351400","text":"disparity between like","start_time_text":"5:44"},{"start_ms":"352000","end_ms":"357520","text":"I don't know how to describe it. It's like these people would say awful things, but like literally","start_time_text":"5:52"},{"start_ms":"357520","end_ms":"362960","text":"the plumber, like the plumber, all the plumber dudes you would see, all of the","start_time_text":"5:57"},{"start_ms":"362960","end_ms":"369199","text":"electrician dudes that you would see, HVAC people, um, house cleaners, like","start_time_text":"6:02"},{"start_ms":"369199","end_ms":"374960","text":"all the stuff that all these like people who think they're too good","start_time_text":"6:09"},{"start_ms":"374960","end_ms":"380400","text":"don't know how to do. So, they don't know how to like run irrigation to their backyard. You know what I'm saying? And","start_time_text":"6:14"},{"start_ms":"380400","end_ms":"386240","text":"it's like, so then they call these people and as soon as they're out at your shot, they're saying awful things. And I'm like,","start_time_text":"6:20"},{"start_ms":"386240","end_ms":"392880","text":""Oh, I know what you mean." I'm like, "Homie, you can't you can't sit there and call that dude stupid","start_time_text":"6:26"},{"start_ms":"392880","end_ms":"400720","text":"when you don't know how to unclog your own drain. You don't know how to like put a junction socket in your wall to like put","start_time_text":"6:32"},{"start_ms":"400720","end_ms":"405840","text":"a new plug. You know what I'm saying? And so it was wild. And like living in the east","start_time_text":"6:40"},{"start_ms":"405840","end_ms":"411360","text":"county like I told you in Alcohon people would fly like Nazi flags from the truck","start_time_text":"6:45"},{"start_ms":"411360","end_ms":"418240","text":"and you would see it and I'm going like and the first time you see it want something bad to happen to that person,","start_time_text":"6:51"},{"start_ms":"418240","end_ms":"424960","text":"right? You're just like you're like man I hope XYZ. But if you think about it, you don't","start_time_text":"6:58"},{"start_ms":"424960","end_ms":"432720","text":"want that to happen because then that makes them say, oh, it justifies their racism, right, to","start_time_text":"7:04"},{"start_ms":"432720","end_ms":"438560","text":"their family, to their like, you know, any of that stuff. So then I'm like, then I don't want it to happen. But then","start_time_text":"7:12"},{"start_ms":"438560","end_ms":"444319","text":"I'm like, what about my black friends, my Asian friends, or my, you know, whatever. The people that","start_time_text":"7:18"},{"start_ms":"444319","end_ms":"450319","text":"don't look transparent like I do, you know? Yeah. and and what like when they","start_time_text":"7:24"},{"start_ms":"450319","end_ms":"456560","text":"see us not talking smack to that person or not reacting to it,","start_time_text":"7:30"},{"start_ms":"456560","end_ms":"463039","text":"is our silence saying that it's okay? So, yeah. And I would ask my friends, I'm like,","start_time_text":"7:36"},{"start_ms":"463039","end_ms":"470000","text":""What?" Like, "What should I do?" Yeah. Cuz I'm like, cuz I have like gay friends, transgender friends, by um","start_time_text":"7:43"},{"start_ms":"470000","end_ms":"476080","text":"every color you could think of, you know? And it's like, and I would look at them and just be like, "Dude, what? like","start_time_text":"7:50"},{"start_ms":"476080","end_ms":"483199","text":"what can I do? Yeah. How like what what's the response you want? Because I talk so much trash.","start_time_text":"7:56"},{"start_ms":"483199","end_ms":"488560","text":"So it's like I'll pop off and I'll say something but like but then like","start_time_text":"8:03"},{"start_ms":"488560","end_ms":"494400","text":"but then I'm putting them on blast without even you know what I mean? It's like like just by being associated with","start_time_text":"8:08"},{"start_ms":"494400","end_ms":"500400","text":"them. And so it it Yeah. There was but all of that going back to your original question all","start_time_text":"8:14"},{"start_ms":"500400","end_ms":"505599","text":"of that sprung post 911. people got really emboldened","start_time_text":"8:20"},{"start_ms":"505599","end_ms":"512479","text":"to say awful things. A lot of people would think bad things or write bad things like graffiti and whatever,","start_time_text":"8:25"},{"start_ms":"512479","end_ms":"519279","text":"but now it's more action than every year people just","start_time_text":"8:32"},{"start_ms":"519279","end_ms":"525200","text":"there's no I don't know. It's It makes me sad like","start_time_text":"8:39"},{"start_ms":"525200","end_ms":"531279","text":"as an adult is like somebody who we live in I mean, for being in the","start_time_text":"8:45"},{"start_ms":"531279","end_ms":"537200","text":"middle of nowhere in Colorado like there there's a big multicultural","start_time_text":"8:51"},{"start_ms":"537200","end_ms":"544800","text":"group of people like I mean you have like Indian people dude I thought it was going to be like banjos and","start_time_text":"8:57"},{"start_ms":"544800","end_ms":"551600","text":"and cornfield you know what I mean it's like and I moved out here so I'm like so it's cool seeing all of","start_time_text":"9:04"},{"start_ms":"551600","end_ms":"559680","text":"the different sets and levels and you know styles and all this stuff and","start_time_text":"9:11"},{"start_ms":"559680","end_ms":"564800","text":"it makes me happy because I see a lot of the same cultural representation that I","start_time_text":"9:19"},{"start_ms":"564800","end_ms":"570000","text":"saw in California I see out here. Oh, really? Yeah. I thought it was going to be like","start_time_text":"9:24"},{"start_ms":"570000","end_ms":"575600","text":"I mean it's it's very nearsighted for me to think of, but like I thought it was going to be like","start_time_text":"9:30"},{"start_ms":"575600","end_ms":"580720","text":"Thursday night lights, right? Like football players and cheerleaders and","start_time_text":"9:35"},{"start_ms":"580720","end_ms":"587600","text":"tractors and you know what I mean? cuz when I Googled it, when you see wealth central and the area","start_time_text":"9:40"},{"start_ms":"587600","end_ms":"593040","text":"surrounding it, it's like and so to see, you know,","start_time_text":"9:47"},{"start_ms":"593040","end_ms":"598240","text":"farms and ranchers and and and and people that do the Bronco busting and","start_time_text":"9:53"},{"start_ms":"598240","end_ms":"604000","text":"dude, I live right next to the fairgrounds. And so we'll hear in the summer the mariachi music that makes all","start_time_text":"9:58"},{"start_ms":"604000","end_ms":"609040","text":"the neighbors complain. They're all just like, "When does that stop?" I'm like, "Dude, it's going to stop at 10. Stop","start_time_text":"10:04"},{"start_ms":"609040","end_ms":"615200","text":"crying." like it's it's or 10 n well I mean over there anyway at the fairgrounds","start_time_text":"10:09"},{"start_ms":"615200","end_ms":"620240","text":"when they have the events or whatever you know or maybe like 11 but but yeah so it's","start_time_text":"10:15"},{"start_ms":"620240","end_ms":"627600","text":"but people feeling emboldened to say terrible things and then going back to your other question phones the anonymity","start_time_text":"10:20"},{"start_ms":"627600","end_ms":"634279","text":"of the internet oh yeah and so people say things","start_time_text":"10:27"},{"start_ms":"634959","end_ms":"640560","text":"I want to be real clear when I say this I'm not advocating violence or people getting hit or any of that kind of","start_time_text":"10:34"},{"start_ms":"640560","end_ms":"646880","text":"stuff. But I'm It goes back to what I said. I made a your mom joke and I got popped in the face for it. You know what I never did again?","start_time_text":"10:40"},{"start_ms":"646880","end_ms":"653360","text":"I never made a your mom joke to that per, you know, to to anybody, you know, and so","start_time_text":"10:46"},{"start_ms":"653360","end_ms":"658480","text":"I think there isn't a lot of consequence. We have a lot of cancel cancelling people.","start_time_text":"10:53"},{"start_ms":"658480","end_ms":"665040","text":"Oh, yeah. That's But it's like that doesn't do anything. Yeah. I mean, well, it does. Like,","start_time_text":"10:58"},{"start_ms":"665040","end_ms":"672000","text":"people get fired for I mean, look at the news that happened last week. Like, there's people that put whatever on","start_time_text":"11:05"},{"start_ms":"672000","end_ms":"680000","text":"their Facebook and then suddenly people don't have jobs and it's like that's a consequence, right? And","start_time_text":"11:12"},{"start_ms":"680000","end_ms":"685200","text":"so, sometimes I guess it's good, but other times like","start_time_text":"11:20"},{"start_ms":"685200","end_ms":"691760","text":"like you can report what's the thing? you can report a teacher anonymously","start_time_text":"11:25"},{"start_ms":"691760","end_ms":"697760","text":"for trying to make kids read banan books or like that kind of stuff or like providing ban books to kids.","start_time_text":"11:31"},{"start_ms":"697760","end_ms":"705360","text":"I Yeah, I think I think so there's Yeah. So I mean it's it's we're just in a weird place like","start_time_text":"11:37"},{"start_ms":"705360","end_ms":"711200","text":"and I don't know how we come back from it. All right. It's pretty good.","start_time_text":"11:45"},{"start_ms":"711200","end_ms":"716880","text":"Is that what you needed? Uh yeah, pretty much like how","start_time_text":"11:51"},{"start_ms":"716880","end_ms":"724959","text":"just like racism stuff, I guess. Um, and like real talk, I look like me. So","start_time_text":"11:56"},{"start_ms":"724959","end_ms":"731040","text":"before I open my mouth, people that are uh why we get all quiet, we're looking","start_time_text":"12:04"},{"start_ms":"731040","end_ms":"736240","text":"over here. What's going on? Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um,","start_time_text":"12:11"},{"start_ms":"736240","end_ms":"741760","text":"but like when I look like this, before I even open my mouth, people","start_time_text":"12:16"},{"start_ms":"741760","end_ms":"748800","text":"think that that I'm uh Yeah. You know, I know it's your Yeah. And so it's like so","start_time_text":"12:21"},{"start_ms":"748800","end_ms":"754560","text":"I have to I'm just me. Like I don't go out of my way to be like, "Hey everybody, I'm not","start_time_text":"12:28"},{"start_ms":"754560","end_ms":"761360","text":"a racist. I just want you to know that." You know, but it's like I let my actions speak for themselves. But there are pe when I when","start_time_text":"12:34"},{"start_ms":"761360","end_ms":"767279","text":"I look like this, there are people that come up to me and feel very comfortable. You're like, "Hey, brother."","start_time_text":"12:41"},{"start_ms":"767279","end_ms":"7739200","text":"Yeah. They're like, "Hey, see that guy over there? What do you think about this?" Yeah. And I'm just like, "Nope." I was","start_time_text":"12:47"},{"start_ms":"773920","end_ms":"782079","text":"like, "I think you're making bad choices talking to me." It's like, you know, I can That's really funny. Actually,","start_time_text":"12:53"},{"start_ms":"782079","end_ms":"787760","text":"I'm being 100%. Like when I moved in, people were like, "You hear that music going on down","start_time_text":"13:02"},{"start_ms":"787760","end_ms":"793040","text":"there?" And I was like, "Yeah, kind of a banger. I'm mad I'm not invited." And they're just like,","start_time_text":"13:07"},{"start_ms":"793040","end_ms":"798720","text":""You wouldn't want to eat that food." I was like, "Homie, do I look like I don't want to","start_time_text":"13:13"},{"start_ms":"798720","end_ms":"805680","text":"eat a lot of things?" That's funny. So, so kind of going off topic on that, you","start_time_text":"13:18"},{"start_ms":"805680","end_ms":"812079","text":"in California, you said you work for like a publishing article or whatever team. Publishing company. Yeah. Military.","start_time_text":"13:25"},{"start_ms":"812079","end_ms":"818959","text":"Yeah. So maybe this doesn't really apply to you, but what kind of articles did you mainly","start_time_text":"13:32"},{"start_ms":"818959","end_ms":"824959","text":"notice being published after 911? And was there any like","start_time_text":"13:38"},{"start_ms":"824959","end_ms":"830360","text":"censored articles or not?","start_time_text":"13:44"},{"start_ms":"831760","end_ms":"838000","text":"I mean, I went to school for journalism, right? So like I still kept one foot in because I mean I was running a video","start_time_text":"13:51"},{"start_ms":"838000","end_ms":"843199","text":"game website while I was working for the publishing company. Oh, right. But it was a scam. I just wanted","start_time_text":"13:58"},{"start_ms":"843199","end_ms":"850720","text":"free stuff, right? But then it took off and then I'm like, "Oh crap, I actually have to like do actual work, you know?"","start_time_text":"14:03"},{"start_ms":"850720","end_ms":"855480","text":"Um, but I would see","start_time_text":"14:10"},{"start_ms":"856800","end_ms":"862000","text":"people would do things under the guise of what's called op-ed, which is opinion","start_time_text":"14:16"},{"start_ms":"862000","end_ms":"868720","text":"editorial. Yeah. Yeah. And people would write","start_time_text":"14:22"},{"start_ms":"868720","end_ms":"875360","text":"racist, xenophobic
