# How the xenophobia that marked California in 1994 ultimately led a son of immigrants to become governor

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/how-the-xenophobia-that-marked-california-in-1994-ultimately-led-a-son-of-immigrants-to-become-governor/
- Published: 2026-11-09T10:47:58+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T11:25:12+00:00
- Original publisher: El País (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-11-09/how-the-xenophobia-that-marked-california-in-1994-ultimately-led-a-son-of-immigrants-to-become-governor.html
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Becerra won California’s governorship by more than 29 points.
- His victory is linked to the legacy of Proposition 187.
- He has pledged to oppose Trump administration immigration policies.

## Summary

Xavier Becerra has won California’s governorship, a victory the article links to the political legacy of Proposition 187, the state’s 1994 anti-immigration initiative. Though the measure never took effect, it sparked a mobilisation that helped bring a new generation of Hispanic leaders into public office; Becerra’s win is presented as a reversal of the outcome its supporters sought.

Becerra defeated Republican Steve Hilton, a conservative commentator endorsed by Donald Trump, by more than 29 percentage points in preliminary returns. If the margin holds, it would rank among California’s biggest gubernatorial wins since 1994; no Hispanic person has served as governor since 1875. Becerra is due to take office in January and has pledged to challenge Trump administration immigration policies. California has about 2.3 million undocumented residents, and around 50,000 immigrants were detained in the state by ICE from January 2025 through last July, according to cited research.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.