Latinx voters will bring their American values to the polls in 2020 | Opinion

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) proudly is celebrating 90 years of service to Hispanic communities across the United States. As the oldest and most respected Hispanic civil-rights organization protecting the rights of communities of color and of the Latinx community, we understand the power of our vote in all elections, but particularly the 2020 races.

Our community must understand that our time is now. Democracy does not die when we all exercise our duty to vote — and vote for candidates who support issues that matter to all Americans. Our democracy, while messy at times, works only if everyone participates.

Issues matter, and holding candidates accountable for where they stand on key issues is critical, as is holding their feet to the fire after they are elected.

Immigration reform is a top priority, of course. We want an end to the separation of children and families and the immediate closing of border camps. Then lawmakers should get to work on comprehensive immigration reform to address the border crisis, DACA recipients living in limbo and a broad and deep fix of our broken immigration system.

But Hispanics are looking for far more action from elected officials. Key issues include:

- Ensuring everyone is counted in the next Census and protecting voting rights for the 2020 elections and beyond.

- Action on climate change, which disproportionately affects minorities and low-income communities across the nation.

- Ensuring equity through education by addressing college affordability, along with the current student-debt crisis, which is unsustainable. Equity includes addressing the lack of native-language assessments for non-English-speaking students and increasing investment in early learning, ending the current privatization and defunding of our public education system and focusing on solutions to end systemic disparities affecting communities of color.

These are many of our communities’ priorities for 2020. Our communities’ value hard work, our responsibilities to ourselves and others, our families and our country. We understand the importance of leveling the playing fields so others can achieve the American Dream. We understand that our strength is found in our diversity and in our unity without forgetting to pave the way for others as it was done for us. We honor and value American values of life, liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness.

Latinx communities will not stand idle as those seeking office are complicit in our communities being stigmatized and painted with a broad brush to help advance a false representation of who we are. We are as American as anyone else and will not tolerate hateful messages of “go back.” We are Americans, and we love and uplift our country every day. We may disagree on policy, but that does not take away from who we are as Americans.

We must always respect and uphold our values as Americans no matter our ethnicity, religion, politics, whom we love, gender or wealth. We must not allow anyone to use patriotism to advance hate and division and we must demand truth and leadership from those elected to office.

America has always been a beacon of hope for justice, liberty, and opportunity for all and we are a nation of immigrants where our diversity is our strength. The Latinx community will not stray from what unites us as Americans, and we will defend this nation’s democracy, constitutional rights, and pursuit of justice for all of us. Our power is our vote, and we will exercise it and get others to do so too.

Next year will be a pivotal time in our history. Latinx communities will make sure our voices are heard through our vote. Those seeking our support must not be silent during these bizarre times. Instead, they must take action against weaponized hate against our communities. We will defend and protect our values and dreams as the Americans that we all are.

An injustice to one community is an injustice to all communities; therefore, we will not wait for change — we will be the change we seek through organizing, mobilizing — and voting.

Mari Corugedo is LULAC’s Florida state director.