This month, California lawmakers passed historic legislation to expand overtime pay for nearly one million farmworkers who work more than eight hours a day. When I heard the announcement, I couldn’t help but think of what a long way we’ve come since the September 1965 Delano grape strike and boycott that led to farmworkers' first contract with California grape growers.

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I was reminded of the moment when the activist in me was ignited.

I was visiting the homes of migrant workers. Their living conditions were destitute, to a point where toilets and drinking water were not accessible. Yet, these people—children included—were expected to work long hours. That day, I looked around and I refused to believe what I saw as acceptable. I had never seen such overt injustice before (which is saying a lot coming from a woman of color). And so, I began to organize and lobby on behalf of farm workers.

The fight for justice meant my home and my children were sometimes terrorized in the middle of the night. I had rifles aimed at me. I was arrested 22 times. I was once beaten so badly by police that I was left with several broken ribs and a ruptured spleen. There were plenty of times when I thought it would have been easier and safer to give in and give up, but I knew to do so would have been cowardly and un-American. So, I continued to stand up for what was right.

Like many Latina women, I’m a fighter and I’m unafraid. I would do this over and over again if it meant justice and equality to any marginalized group. Despite the hardship, the results were worth it. Together, we achieved over a decade of milestones for migrant workers: from better working conditions to fair representation and now fair pay.

As a country, we have always stood up for the belief that basic human rights are inherent rights. But just like in 1965, those rights are under attack today. This time, by a man who thinks our human rights are like one of his business deals: negotiable. The lies and hateful rhetoric from Donald Trump make him temperamentally unfit to be president.

So this election, we cannot afford to be quiet. We have to stand up to Trump and tell him "ya basta!" by casting our votes in November. We have to send a clear message that we will not be treated like second-class citizens, because Latinos have built—and are continuing to build—this country. Latinos like my great grandfather, who fought on the side of the Union in the Civil War. Or my father—a farm worker, accountant, assemblyman and a U.S. veteran. And my son, who is continuing the family tradition by running for Congress in Bakersfield, Calif.

Latinos contribute to our country every day and we cannot stand idly by and let Trump recreate our narrative and our reality with his divisive and dangerous rhetoric.

I have known and worked with Hillary Clinton for more than 25 years and can attest that she is a fighter who has stood with the Latino community throughout her career in public service—whether she was taking time away from law school to help register Latino voters in South Texas in 1972 or advocating for immigration reform as a lawmaker.

She's running for Latinos who—unlike Trump—haven't given up on our country, but have rather embraced the “¡sí se puede!” attitude that makes that American Dream a reality for all.

Election Day is the most important day of our lives: It’s the day when we elect representatives who will determine how our tax dollars will be spent and make decisions that will affect our lives. It can be the difference between more schools or more jails.

We have in our power the opportunity to increase the minimum wage so working families have livable paychecks. We have in our power the opportunity to pass comprehensive immigration reform. We have in our power the opportunity to send our children to college. We have in our power the opportunity to secure reproductive rights for women and equal rights for everyone. But we have to vote to make it happen.

This is a critical election and a matter of justice for Americans. With so much at risk, don’t delay—register to vote, and make sure your friends and family are registered, too.

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“¡Sí se puede when we vote!”