Huffington Post (Op-Ed)
By America Ferrera
July 2, 2015
Dear Donald,
You've
said some pretty offensive things about Latino immigrants recently, and
I think they're worth addressing. Because, you know, this is the United
States of America,
where I have a right to speak up even if I'm not a billionaire. Isn't
that awesome?
Anyway,
I heard what you said about the kind of people you think Latino
immigrants are -- people with problems, who bring drugs, crime and rape
to America. While your
comments are incredibly ignorant and racist, I don't want to spend my
time chastising you. I'll leave that to your business partners like
Univision and NBC, who have the power to scold you where it hurts.
Instead, I'm writing to say thank you!
You
see, what you just did with your straight talk was send more Latino
voters to the polls than several registration rallies combined! Thank
you for that. Here we are
pounding the pavement to get American Latinos to the polls, while your
tactic proves most effective. Remarks like yours will serve brilliantly
to energize Latino voters and increase turnout on election day against
you and any other candidate who runs on a
platform of hateful rhetoric.
Do
you know why that's such a big deal, Donald? Because Latinos are the
largest, youngest and fastest-growing constituency in the United States
of America. That's right!
You are running for President in a country where the Latino population
grew by over 49 percent from 2000-2012, while the rest of the country
grew by 5.8 percent. What's more, we are the future. The median age of
the average Latino is 27 years old, compared
to 42 years old for white Americans. In case you need a translation,
that means there are a whole lot of Americans who are Latino and have
the right to vote. And, we're not going anywhere.
This
is the America we are actually living in. I hope by now you understand
that without the Latino vote, there is no chance of you ever winning
this election. If you
don't believe me, you could ask President Bush or you could even ask
President Obama.
You,
Mr. Trump, are living in an outdated fantasy of a bigoted America. Last
week, America celebrated some amazing milestones -- marriage equality,
universal healthcare,
removing of the confederate flag -- making it clear in which direction
the country is moving. That is why racist remarks that play to
extremists won't change the tide, no matter how hard you try. They will
only serve to rally more Latino voters to the polls.
Your negativity and your poorly thought out speech ignited a fire in
our community. Thank you, Mr. Trump!
Thank
you for reminding us that there remains an antiquated and endangered
species of bigots in this country that we must continue to combat. Thank
you for reminding us
to not sit complacently at home on election day, but to run to the
polls and proclaim that there is no place for your brand of racial
politicking in our government. Thank you for sending out the rallying
cry.
You
have made your thoughts on the Latino community clear and you continue
to stand by them. And in return, we will do more than tweet about our
indignation and beat piñatas
of your likeness. We will silence you at the polls. We will vote and
use our growing position in U.S. politics. Our fellow Americans who
understand and value our contributions will join us. We know there is
nothing that scares you more.
The
truth is, Mr. Trump, that your comments mean that you fail to see that
immigrants are what have made this nation. They are at the core of our
ideals, and they are
the foundation that keeps us afloat. No, Mr. Trump, you may not reduce
us to drug dealers and rapists. We are moms and dads, sons and
daughters. We are valedictorians and honor students. We are college
graduates, bankers, police officers, entertainers, teachers,
journalists, politicians and we are the future of America.
Thank you for helping us in our work to energize the Latino vote and to usher in our shared future! Keep it up!
Sincerely,
America
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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