El Pueblo Unido/A People United

A New Era for Latinos

There are countless ways to measure the rebirth of my hometown of South Bend, but one of the most delicious signs is the growth of La Rosita ice cream shop on Western Avenue. After immigrating from Mexico to Chicago, Rosalina and Juan Cervera found their way to South Bend, intending to start a restaurant. They wound up opening a paleteria that has become a vibrant community gathering place on the west side, emblematic of the vital role that South Bend’s Latino community has played in the life of our city. And that, in turn, is a microcosm of the essential role the Latino community holds in American society.

As the largest ethnic group in America, Latinos are a key part of the economic engine for our country. They are 50 percent more likely to start a business than their white counterparts, and Latino-owned companies grow faster than companies owned by other groups.

In so many ways, members of the Latino community uphold and embody the values that make us American. Sylvia Mendez and her family helped lay the groundwork for equal education across the country when she integrated her school in Southern California. Labor leaders from the Latino community helped organize one of the most successful grassroots boycotts of the 20th Century: the Delano Grape Pickers Strike of the late 1960s. Justice Sonia Sotomayor has admirably upheld our constitutional values on the Supreme Court. Trailblazing educators like Eduardo Padrón, President Emeritus of Miami Dade College — one of the largest universities in the country, where Latinos make up over 70 percent of the student body — fiercely advocate for inclusion. And business owners like the Cerveras are strengthening our local communities and economies across America. With a profound commitment to family, community, entrepreneurship, and service, Latinos profoundly shape the trajectory of the United States.

Despite these contributions, Latinos have been subjected to relentless and bigoted attacks by this President and his administration. A man who launched his campaign slurring Mexican immigrants and questioning the impartiality of a Mexican-American judge has since unleashed a crude crusade of cruelty and harassment, and inspired others to do the same. Emboldened by this officially-sanctioned prejudice, hate crimes against Latinos soared by more than 20 percent last year. And most devastatingly, in August, the Latino community was targeted and attacked when a gunman murdered 22 people in an El Paso Walmart. This act of terrorism continues to haunt Latinos throughout the country.

All of this is taking place against a backdrop of economic and social disempowerment. Whether it is the disenfranchisement of the people of Puerto Rico or Latino neighborhoods denied access to clean air and water, Latinos in the United States have been burdened for too long by a legacy of systemic discrimination.

It is for this reason that our campaign has woven policies to support and empower the Latino community throughout the plans we have released. Now, we are committing to do even more. As President, I will put an end to this administration’s discriminatory policies and work to dismantle the institutional barriers that have kept Latinos from feeling like they fully belong in their country. To that end, my administration will:

Invest in Latinos’ economic empowerment

Invest in Latino-owned businesses and Latino entrepreneurs, including with $10 billion in federal capital to establish a fund for entrepreneurs from underserved communities, including Latino business owners.

Expand worker protections for farm workers, domestic workers, and gig workers — all disproportionately Latino — and guarantee them labor rights, including unionization.

Support Latino families through universal child care, guaranteeing that all working Latinos have access to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, and ensuring Latinos can retire with dignity.

Improve systems including health care, housing, criminal justice, and education for Latinos

Center the lives of Latinos in our nation’s care by intentionally addressing health inequities, lowering drug prices, providing universal access to coverage, and improving mental health.

Support an environmental equity approach to policy-making that considers the impact of all policies on the health of Latino communities, and invest in access to clean air and water.

Reduce the number of people incarcerated in the United States by 50 percent nationwide.

Unlock access to affordable housing for millions of Latino households.

Help achieve housing equity by preventing evictions and combating predatory housing finance practices, which disproportionately affect Latinos.

Invest in public educators, public schools, and making college affordable for all.

Make our democracy stronger and more inclusive

Create a path to citizenship for the approximately 11 million undocumented people living in the United States who call this country home, and accelerate reunification of families.

Expand access to the ballot, combat voter suppression, and make right any harms caused by a politicized Census count.

Provide political representation for Puerto Rico.

Support establishing a national museum of the American Latino, and expand the representation of Latino people and history in our National Parks System.

From the farmworkers striking for better wages to local business owners today, Americans have rallied to declare el pueblo unido, jamás será vencido — the people united, will never be defeated. To meet this moment, it is up to us to unify as a people to ensure that the next era is one where all Latinos feel they are empowered and know that they belong.

To learn more about Pete’s vision for a new era for Latinos, read his plan.