As we are coming to an end of Hispanic Heritage Month, it is important to recognize the Latinos that see their culture as a point of pride. One of those people is Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, the first Latina to ever represent the state of Nevada. “Mañana, la lucha sigue,” the newly elected Senator confidently told her now constituents on the now memorable November 8th. Tomorrow, the fight continues; it is that slogan that would continue to ring true months later as the democratic party and their supporters try to come to terms with a Trump presidency and fight the obstacles that come with it. Although the Democrats faced a tremendous defeat on November 8th, the fight is not over and it is through members like Senator Cortez Masto that the beliefs and principals that supporters have come to expect will continue to be fought for.
Image via Time
Throughout her campaign, her identity is what the Senator focused on. While the then presidential candidate, Donald Trump, was claiming that Mexicans were criminals, Cortez Masto was reminding people of her immigrant family tree. In her short time as a Senator, Cortez Masto has been an advocate for immigrants; the first bill she introduced is one that called for the protection of the rights of immigrants. During the announcement of the bill, the Senator went up and told reporters that it is the immigrants who “enriched the fabric and the culture of our nation.”
Image via The Slot
While I was researching Senator Cortez Masto, I learned about how much hope her win has given to women, especially women of color, that were heartbroken by Hillary Clinton’s loss in November. When I spoke of the Senator to a variety of people, she became the embodiment of the American Dream. As she has mentioned many times throughout her political career, she is the granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant man and while her grandfather probably did not expect his granddaughter to one day become the first Latina Senator, she did and she will continue to be a symbol of possibility that immigrants strive towards for their own children. There is a kind of hope that comes with being the first. It is the belief that Senator Cortez Masto will not be the last or only, but the first of a hopefully long line of women of color rising and adding their efforts to la lucha, bringing forth the era of equality we have deeply longed for.