Opinion

Sanders’ vision best for Latinos

My name is Rick Treviño and I am a proud supporter of Bernie Sanders for president of the United States. I’m writing to push back on Rep. Joaquin Castro’s recent claims in the Texas Tribune that Sanders has not reached out to the Latino community.

Castro’s comments were untrue, inaccurate and suggest that Bernie doesn’t care about the Latino community, which is flat out wrong. As a son of an immigrant myself, I have no doubt that by far the best candidate for Latinos is unequivocally Bernie Sanders. The Vermont senator is offering a vision that not only will benefit my people, but all people in our great nation.

For too long the Latino community has been treated as a one-issue demographic by the Democratic and Republican establishments. Immigration is a very important issue in the Latino community, and rightly so, but we also have economic, health and educational concerns for ourselves.

Bernie’s plan for a living wage, universal health care and tuition-free access to public colleges and universities are the types of policies that will lift millions of hardworking Latinos into the middle class. Sanders has articulated his policy platform directly to Latino groups. In Kansas City, he spoke at the National Council of La Raza’s annual convention and received the most standing ovations of any presidential candidate, including Hillary Clinton.

In his speech, he directly addressed the 11 million undocumented immigrants that are living in the shadows, and he boldly supported a pathway for citizenship for these people. Bernie has spoken to Univision’s brave anchor Jorge Ramos, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Javier Palomarez. He also spoke to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials in Las Vegas, spoke to a diverse crowd of 11,000 in Phoenix and a diverse crowd of 27,000 in Los Angeles. In each of those electrifying speeches, he addressed the needs and concerns of Latinos and earned praise for his positions.

Also, Bernie has visited our great state of Texas. Back in April, he spoke to a packed house at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Austin, and recently in June he spoke to 13,000 people in Dallas and Houston. I was lucky to attend two of those speeches, and I was not the only Latino in attendance. It was incredible to hear a vision for America that doesn’t cater to the billionaires, Wall Street and corporate America; his message resonated with me greatly and I know it will for Latinos across America.

Castro also claimed that Sanders has been silent when it comes to Donald Trump’s awful bigoted comments about Latinos. This is untrue. Bernie has denounced Trump’s rhetoric and in a recent New York Times interview said, “I think Donald Trump’s views on immigration and his slurring of the Latino community is not something that should be going on in the year 2015, and it’s to me an embarrassment for our country.”

For those who have been following Bernie for years, we know him to be a fighter for all people and know that he stands up to hate speech in all forms. He is never silent when it comes to issues of race and ethnicity.

When I hear Bernie speak, I not only hear a vision for my people but a vision for all Americans. I am confident that Bernie’s support among the Latino community will only strengthen regardless of what the establishment thinks. To all my Latino brothers and sisters, I know from the bottom of my heart that no candidate will fight harder for you, your family and your community. Bernie’s vision treats Latinos with the utmost respect. It’s about time we did.

Rick Treviño is a San Antonio teacher and a volunteer for SA For Sanders.