As Hispanic Heritage Month Begins, Virginia Latino Leaders Praise Biden-Harris Ticket

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2020

As Hispanic Heritage Month Begins, Virginia Latino Leaders Praise Biden-Harris Ticket

At the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino leaders in Virginia are praising Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their commitment to creating and expanding opportunities for Latinos across America. On Day One of the Biden-Harris administration, they will work to tackle the disparities Hispanic communities face in access to economic mobility, healthcare, education, and immediately address the disproportionately high number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations Latinos are experiencing across the Commonwealth.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris understand that Latinos are a core part of the American community and their plans will ensure everyone is treated with dignity and has a chance to join the middle class, including Latinos and other individuals never given a fair shot in decades past.

See below for quotes from Virginia Latino leaders to mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month:

“Uplifting Latino communities across the country and here in Virginia starts with respect. Time and time again, President Trump’s rhetoric toward Latino people has been disparaging, inhumane, and seeks to cast out Latinos as less than American,” said Leopoldo Martinez, DNC Hispanic Caucus Finance Chair. “Joe Biden’s plan to uplift and empower Latino communities is backed with sound policy that will without a doubt make a big difference, but it’s the simple fact that Joe regards Latinos with respect and admiration that make him far more fit for office. We need a president who will show appreciation of all of our diverse Latino communities and one that seeks to empower them through legislative change.”

“For the last four years the Trump Administration has betrayed the Latinx community by targeting DREAMers, separating children from their parents at the border, neglecting Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria, and consistently trying to strip away our health care by dismantling the Affordable Care Act,” said Delegate Elizabeth Guzman (Prince William County). “Trump lied to the American public when he downplayed the dangerous effects of the coronavirus, and now the Latinx community in Virginia is paying the price with alarmingly high rates of COVID cases and hospitalizations. A Biden-Harris plan will address these issues immediately and will work to build back better for our community.”

“In the midst of this public health crisis, we need someone who leads, not lies,” said Delegate Hala Ayala (Prince William County). “After one term of the Trump presidency, it’s already clear this country can’t afford another. Instead of creating a solid plan to protect Virginians and address COVID’s disproportionate effects on the Latino community, President Trump is focused on his re-election campaign. Joe Biden knows the dangerous effects of the coronavirus and has a plan to address the disturbing disparities Latinos face during this crisis. He will also aim to expand access to economic stability, better health care and education, and ensure Latinos across the Commonwealth and nationwide are treated with dignity.”

“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ plan thoroughly addresses the immediate and long-term needs of Latinos across the country,” said Delegate Alfonso Lopez (Arlington). “In 2018, I helped create the first Virginia Latino Caucus to make sure the issues Latinos and immigrants across the Commonwealth face were made priorities. Our goals are the same as those of Joe and Kamala, so I’m proud to stand by their plan to build back better. We need an administration that can prioritize these issues of racial inequality and understand that Latino values are American values.”