*Mexicans could define 2024 elections in the US
With just one week to go before the elections in the United States, the Latino vote will be the central element that could define the presidential contest between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, the latter being the one who has turned all his fury against immigrants, especially those from the Latino community, becoming the number one enemy of this sector of the population in the American union.
This was stated by the president and general director of the organization My Family in Action, Hector Sanchez Barba, who in interview with Carmen Aristegui for the program Aristegui liveHe also noted that Mexicans could decide the presidential elections, since they represent 65 percent of the Latino community in the U.S.
"We are 65 percent of the Latino community in the country, around 35 million Mexicans in the country. It could be that the Mexicans will decide the election," said Sánchez Barba.
However, he explained that with Donald Trump's rhetoric, being Mexican in the United States has become something negative.
"Unfortunately, Mexicanness has become something negative. I am very proudly Mexican, I am a Mexican migrant, but if someone shouts at you in the street right now, it is probably to insult you, and that is related to what Trump has done," the Latino leader stressed.
In this regard, he recalled that the Republican candidate began his campaign saying that Mexicans were rapists and thieves, among other derogatory terms, generating very negative visibility, also increasing hate crimes against the Mexican diaspora, arguing that they do not belong to this country.
"We have been here since before this was a country, we have contributed as workers to democracy; so it is very important that the Mexican vote defines, and we have done it, with the Mexican vote we changed California after 187, which was the anti-immigrant law in the nineties, we have done it in Arizona after SB 1070 in just 10 years and it was the Mexican vote; so, we are showing that we are gaining political power and defining local elections but also presidential elections," he explained.
Sánchez Barba recalled that when Trump was president, hate crimes against the Latino community increased by 50 percent, in addition to a drastic increase in anti-immigrant policies not only at the federal level, but also at the state level.
Currently, he said that the national conversation on immigration has become totally lean towards the right, since there is not a single conversation about the legalization of undocumented immigrants. And, he pointed out, the United States needs them, since it has been demonstrated by studies from both the right and the left that the country needs the work of immigrants.
"This country is returning to medieval times where women's reproductive rights are being taken away, the gay community is being attacked, many communities are being attacked and excluded from the democratic process, voter repression laws, in matters of education they want to remove the Ministry of Public Education, in matters of equality, equity and access to universities and corporations, etc., we are returning. What we are seeing is very dangerous and all of that is the extremist MAGA movement," he explained.
However, Sánchez Barba stressed that American democracy is imperfect, as it excludes some communities, including communities of color.
"There are many traps that they want to set for us, how to make it more difficult for Latinos to vote. I have the largest field operation in the country. At Mi Familia Vota we are in 10 states, there is a lot of intimidation against the people we have working in the communities; there are many laws that make it more difficult for Latinos to participate in the democratic process."
And, he said, a month and a half ago, "Mi Familia Vota went through a case in the Supreme Court where they want organizations like us to act like "immigration," checking the papers of the people we are registering to vote. That is the State's job."
Added to this, he stressed, is the fact that there is not enough information in Spanish for people to cast their vote.
"The worst enemy we have today as a community is Donald Trump, and we have to say it that way, he is the number one enemy for Latinos, he is the number one enemy for Mexico and not only because of the language he uses against our communities, but because of the policies he used as president against our community, but what he is proposing right now in Project 2025 is very dangerous and that is what we are doing, informing the communities, informing people of what Donald Trump represents."
A chasm between candidates
It is not surprising that the differences between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are wide, their positions on various issues are completely opposite, the Republican's: extremist, defamatory, anti-democratic and radical; while Harris tries to seek dialogue, get closer to communities of color or minorities, in addition to addressing root causes.
"The difference is night and day (between Harris and Trump). Under the Trump administration, Latino leaders and the Latino community had no access at all to discuss public policy; the White House was totally closed. With President Biden, there has been total and direct access. I have personally met with him many times to discuss political priorities, but it is a continuation of what we see with Vice President Harris. The Vice President called me and we discussed public priority issues. I have met with her three times since she was announced."
In that regard, he noted that Harris has already announced her position on immigration, saying that there will be immigration reform, in addition to taking the community into account on economic and health issues, among others.
"During the four years of Donald Trump's administration, not only me, but none of the most important Latino leaders met with him. The White House was totally closed to the Latino community, which means that it is an exclusive democracy. When you exclude the leaders of 20 percent of the population of the most important country in the world, that tells you something not only on a symbolic level, but on a public policy level."
"What Donald Trump means to the Latino community, but also to Mexico, has been devastating."
Now, he said, there is concern about the kind of president Donald Trump wants to be.
"What kind of president does he want to be now that he wants to return to the presidency and how will that affect Mexico? Having a fascist, someone who wants to be a dictator, how will that affect Mexico at a time when we know that sometimes there are very abusive policies from the United States towards Mexico and towards Mexicans? What does it mean to have a person who hates Mexicans and the country so much and who is a criminal, literally? That is why we are doing everything we can, as an organization and as a community, to make sure that he is not elected."
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