To the LatinX/E Community,
I know it has not been an easy journey getting to where we are today. I fear there may be a larger journey ahead of us in the wake of a new presidential administration. The news has been terrifying to watch and we have no choice but to glue our eyes to every bit of information being force-fed to us. It is, without a doubt, a fearful time, and if you need to take a minute to breathe, please do. The weight of the world and our families’ futures often rests on our shoulders, and I know the journey has been long, but we are so close to achieving a world in which we are accepted, loved, and cared for by our community and those outside of it. It may seem like a reach of an achievement, but we have seen how revolutionary love can be.
Seeing so many LatinX and Hispanic voters regret their decision has led to my confused response as if there was a sign that he would protect LatinX voters to begin with. In patriarchal, oppressive, and tyrant states, minorities and women are always the ones to be hurt the most. As much as it pains me and thousands of others that LatinX people would vote for someone who openly explained his ideology and thoughts on the LatinX community, now is not the time to point fingers and use anger or violence to justify their response. An example of harmful determination to achieve White proximity is the model minority myth that is present within Asian American culture. The more communities of color fight with one another to gain what they believe is an equivalence to being accepted by White supremacy/privilege, we will never be able to fight oppressive states like the one we are currently under.Â
From allowing *someone* at a rally to call Puerto Rico “an island of garbage” and several other comments made that night about other communities, there is simply no respect nor dignity shown towards marginalized groups within this administration. With mass deportation on the rise, with families broken up and not having a single criminal record, the persistence to silence and dismantle the LatinX/E population is right in front of everyone’s eyes. Now is the time for unity, community building, and leaning on each other when we need it the most.Â
We have fought for our lives against colonizers and conquistadors. What is one man to us when we have fought battles he could never understand? I know now our heads almost feel forced to be bowed down in sorrow. Still, if we can cultivate the strength to dismantle systems of machismo and misogyny in our communities, there is no telling how far community building, protesting, and communication can take us. After all, no one is illegal on stolen land.
This is a love letter to all the courageous LatinX/A/O/E people who have continued to take the streets and protest a government trying to take us out of the equation. I see you. We see you. Do not ever forget the strength you hold in simply showing up.  Â
Sincerely,Â
A fellow Latina
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