The following press release is from CASA in Action, “the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest electoral organization fighting for immigrant rights” with “nearly 100,000 lifetime members.” According to Del. Kaye Kory (D-HD38)’s Democratic primary opponent, Andres Jimenez:
“Delegate Kaye Kory owes her constituents and all Virginians an apology for the racially insensitive language she uses to describe our Latino neighbors. The diversity of the 38th District, and Virginia, ought to be celebrated, and using racist stereotypes to describe our community does not celebrate our diversity. It is tragic that, in 2019, we still cannot trust all of our Democratic elected officials in Virginia to treat everyone with respect regardless of their race, ethnicity, or national origin. Sadly, as CASA in Action noted, this racial insensitivity fits a pattern for Delegate Kory.”
Now, here’s the CASA in Action statement. I’d just add that the description of the 38th House of Delegates district on Del. Kory’s website is taken from “Virginia Free,” a right-wing, anti-progressive group. That’s bizarre, in and of itself, let alone the language used in the description of the district, etc. Personally, I’ve endorsed Andres Jimenez for the Democratic nomination in this district, and crap like this just makes me even more confident in my pick.
Kaye Kory’s Racial Insensitivity Has No Place in Virginia
Falls Church, VA – Today, Gustavo Torres, President for CASA in Action, the largest electoral organization fighting for immigrant rights in the Mid-Atlantic region, releases the following statement in light of the divisive behavior from Kaye Kory, a Democrat running for Virginia House of Delegates, District 38:
“Kaye Kory, a Democrat running for the Virginia House of Delegates in District 38, is a candidate whose understanding of race does not reflect the future of Virginia and certainly does not reflect the 38th District.
Her impression of Latinos is cemented on her website’s description of her District. As she describes the 38th district, “many communities around the lake still have a feel of suburban, middle-class white neighborhoods…..Today, Little River Turnpike is a highly developed drag where it’s common to see Hispanic immigrants waiting for work outside the Home Depot.”
The language on her website fits a pattern of racial insensitivity. When she appeared on the Kojo Nnamdi radio show in March, Ms. Kory responded to a caller who seemed to have a Spanish accent by whispering to the show’s host that it was her opponent, precipitating a series of questions to the caller asking him if he was, in fact, Andres Jimenez, Ms. Kory’s opponent. On the following week’s show, Mr. Nnamdi apologized for the treatment of the caller and made it clear that the confusion was caused by Ms. Kory’s whispered comments in studio.
Kory’s opponent is Latino and CASA in Action has proudly endorsed him.
We don’t believe that the 38th District merits a Delegate who seems to believe that the breadth of Latino residents are day-laborers with accents. In a state where in 2017 the Republican party lost all their top of the ticket candidates due to anti-immigrant and racist campaigning, you would think we could expect more from a NOVA Democratic incumbent.”
We call on Kaye Kory to apologize to the residents of the 38th district for the way in which she has described them.
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
