Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

A note from AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus

What do I love about being Latina? Everything! Even in these trying times, my heritage is my superpower. The vibrant energy of our cultura, the steadying force of our ancestors and the blazing ambition we have for the communities we build in the United States all inspire me every day. Nosotros somos poderosos!

We are a powerful force, clocking in at nearly 20 percent of the population. And contrary to popular belief, we’re not all “illegal” or recent immigrants. Some can trace their heritage to the founding of this great nation. As my friends from the West Coast remind me, the border crossed them!

There are more than 65 million Hispanic and Latino people, from Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean and South and Central America, who live in the United States, so of course we have enormous influence on the nation’s economy and play an increasingly significant role in policymaking, with more and more Latinos holding elected office. We contribute to everything from music and culinary arts to sports, visual arts, language and literature. We are bilingual and multilingual.

These days, though, all of this is threatened. Brutal crackdowns on immigrant communities have us living in fear. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are snatching people from the streets, public transportation, job sites and courthouses where they are trying to meet required check-in appointments, detaining and deporting thousands.

Families are so fearful, they are keeping their children home from school and avoiding medical appointments. Educational programs that support newcomers—like English language learner classes—are targeted for cuts, and programs supporting diversity, equity and inclusion are being abandoned. Many U.S. citizens are being caught in the crossfire of Trump’s war on immigrants simply because of the way we look and speak.

But we are not sitting idle. We are fighting back. The AFT’s immigration hub has an emergency guide, Know Your Rights materials, an educator’s guide and crucial information about how to stay safe during ICE interactions. Affiliates are offering Know Your Rights workshops, and our citizenship clinics move more and more people toward full participation in our democracy.

This Hispanic Heritage Month is no ordinary celebration or recognition of our contributions to the tapestry of this great nation. It’s a reckoning as we celebrate our culture, our resilience and our unshakeable spirit. No intimidation or fear tactics, and no administration, can silence us. We will not only survive, we will thrive!

I ask that you join me in the fight for dignity and respect. The kind of respect that all families who contribute to strengthening our communities deserve. We must collectively dig in our heels into solidarity and say, “Basta!”

For many of us who can, we get out in the streets to protest injustice and discrimination; others organize in the background, supporting the work we all must do to preserve our democracy for all families, including proud Latino families, in this country.

Together, we will survive these dark times. As my mother would often say, our heritage is our strength. Our culture and language is power. Y soy Boricua pa’ que tú lo sepas!