--- title: Senate Candidate Loretta Sanchez Ridicules Native Americans description: Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, a U.S. Senate candidate in California, was caught using a derogatory gesture directed at Native Americans. canonical: https://time.com/3881889/loretta-sanchez-california-senate-native-americans/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-17T21:00:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T07:23:55.898Z article:section: Politics og:title: Senate Candidate Loretta Sanchez Ridicules Native Americans og:description: Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, a U.S. Senate candidate in California, was caught using a derogatory gesture directed at Native Americans. og:url: https://time.com/3881889/loretta-sanchez-california-senate-native-americans/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt669b84a85ac466a3/69884cea8e060119e54602b9/loretta-sanchez.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., participates in the news conference on Food and Drug Administration menu labeling regulations og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Senate Candidate Loretta Sanchez Ridicules Native Americans twitter:description: Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, a U.S. Senate candidate in California, was caught using a derogatory gesture directed at Native Americans. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt669b84a85ac466a3/69884cea8e060119e54602b9/loretta-sanchez.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # California Senate Candidate Caught Ridiculing Native Americans  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent May 17, 2015 9:00 PM UTC  Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., participates in the news conference on Food and Drug Administration menu labeling regulations on April 28, 2015. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., participates in the news conference on Food and Drug Administration menu labeling regulations on April 28, 2015.Bill Clark—AP  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent May 17, 2015 9:00 PM UTC California Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a U.S. Senate candidate, was caught using a derogatory gesture directed at Native Americans at an event for Indian Americans on Saturday. In a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j9ZzxiOQYs) captured by an observer, Sanchez tells a story about how she was invited to an event by what she thought was a Native American group. “I’m going to his office, thinking I’m going to meet with a… ” Sanchez said before clapping her hand over her mouth and making a chanting sound. The gesture, reminiscent of 1950s depictions of Native Americans widely condemned as racist, drew tepid laughter in the crowd as well audible several outraged cries of “oh my God” and “What the heck was that?” Sanchez has since declined to comment on the appropriateness of her gesture. “I think that Native Americans have an incredibly great history, and a great presence in our country, and many of them are supporting our election,” she said in response to a question from the [_Sacramento Bee_](http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article21200154.html). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3881889/loretta-sanchez-california-senate-native-americans/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3881889/loretta-sanchez-california-senate-native-americans/"},"headline":"California Senate Candidate Caught Ridiculing Native Americans","datePublished":"2015-05-17T21:00:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T07:23:55.898Z","description":"Sanchez used an offensive gesture before a group of Indian Americans","url":"https://time.com/3881889/loretta-sanchez-california-senate-native-americans/","keywords":["Campaigns"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt669b84a85ac466a3/69884cea8e060119e54602b9/loretta-sanchez.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt669b84a85ac466a3/69884cea8e060119e54602b9/loretta-sanchez.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Rep. 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