To All Mi Gente: Let's Choose Wisely This Election

Opinion for The Latino Newsletter

As a proud Latina of Puerto Rican descent, it's both repulsive and highly offensive to hear the latest racist and vulgar statements made by a Trump ally at a rally directed at mi gente and my beloved island of Puerto Rico.

If you're Latino and believe the comments don't concern you, despierta, it's time to reconsider. We must come together against such hate and support candidates who truly honor and respect all of us. 

I was born in New York and raised in East Harlem, also known as El Barrio, by two loving Puerto Rican parents. I have countless cherished childhood memories of playing with my friends in the streets, cooling off by an open fire hydrant during the hot summer while savoring our favorite mantecados.

The streets were filled with people of every race and color and echoed diverse languages. Everyone knew each other and looked out for one another. It felt like a close-knit village where tías, tíos, primos, bonus “cousins,” and “parents” helped raise me and shaped my upbringing. Despite the challenges of urban life, I always felt safe, knowing that my village had my back.

Today, I work at a hospital in Northeastern Pennsylvania and am a proud SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania union member. My union has genuinely become my new source of support and community. My brothers and sisters in the union —Black, Brown, and white— support each other as essential nurses and healthcare workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and state agencies, as well as direct caregivers for seniors and people with disabilities in their homes.

You don't have to be born in Puerto Rico to love, cherish, and feel connected to the island. The culture and the people are a source of pride for many of us living in the U.S. mainland. When a Trump ally publicly insults us at a major GOP event hosted by the former president, you better believe my community will not stay silent. Un Puerto Rico que se respeta. The statements echo Trump’s own hateful and divisive rhetoric towards all of us—Black, Latino, immigrant, and everyone else who doesn’t look or sound like him. 

Trump's disdain for Puerto Rico has always been very evident to all of us. He questioned the death toll after Hurricane María, withheld billions of dollars in aid for recovery efforts, and considered selling the island when he was president. The wounds from that disaster and his response remain fresh. We all remember how he treated us. He doesn't see us as people deserving of respect.  

Puerto Ricans living on the island cannot vote in general elections despite being U.S. citizens. That is why I felt compelled to speak up. I refuse to stay silent, alongside my son and the other six Latino voters in my household. My extended family in Puerto Rico can be assured that we, stateside Puerto Rican Americans, will stand up for them and demand the dignity and respect they deserve. That's why I'm voting for Kamala Harris to be president.

Let’s be clear: if Trump gets back into office, along with other GOP extremists, they will see us, people of color, as the enemy and will do what’s outlined in a plan called Project 2025. My union is part of a coalition of labor, civil rights, and immigration organizations that launched the bilingual campaign “Defendiendo Nuestro Futuro, Latinos against Project 2025” to keep the Latino community informed about the dangers of Project 2025 and to mobilize them to vote on November 5. 

I urge all Latinos in Pennsylvania to wake up, remember what Trump said and did, and vote against prejudice and hate. With nearly 600,000 solid Latino votes in Pennsylvania, including an estimated 300,000 eligible voters of Puerto Rican descent, we can shape this election.

Somos muchos. 

Let’s demonstrate our power and elect leaders who genuinely value and respect us. 

Mi gente, we stand at a crossroads with two distinct paths for our country: one that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and acceptance, and another that fosters chaos and division among us.

Let's choose wisely.

About the Author

Madeline López-Vázquez is a health unit coordinator and a member of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania's largest union of nurses and healthcare workers.

What We’re Reading

Harris Responds to Biden’s “Garbage” Comment: On Wednesday, Harris responded to the new Internet controversy about what President Joe Biden said about that Puerto Rico “joke, which CBS News reported “Biden seemed to say” during a video appearance with Voto Latino. The White House said Biden was referring to Tony Hinchliffe and only him. Trump Republicans have used the moment to offset the uproar from Sunday.

"Let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for," Harris said. "You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career: I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not. And as president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not."

Back in Pennsylvania: On Tuesday night, Trump told a Pennsylvania crowd in Pennsylvania that he “will deliver the best future for Puerto Ricans and for Hispanic Americans.”

Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rico Video: If you haven’t seen what Bad Bunny posted Tuesday on Instagram…

_{The Latino Newsletter welcomes opinion pieces in English and/or Spanish from community voices. You can email them to our publisher, Julio Ricardo Varela. The views expressed by outside opinion contributors do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of this outlet.}