Why Presidential Candidates Need Latinx Directors
Opinion: Working with Latinx Voters
With the Democratic presidential primary process in full swing, we can imagine that each candidate will encounter a variety of topics in need of their attention and comment. Whether it be healthcare or education, foreign policy or domestic terrorism, it’s essentially their job to know it all—or at least, employ someone who can help them stay informed and provide answers to invested parties. In other words, who’s the Anne Hathaway to their Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ where a quick whisper will get them up to speed on key players, critical issues, and reasonable solutions. I mean, there’s only so much our brains can hold, and I’m sure presidential candidates are no different.
It’s hard to deny that several critical issues, specifically on a political front, are currently plaguing the Latinx community. We’ve got an administration that not only wants to separate immigrant families and place young children in cages but is adamant about building a discriminatory wall amid a so-called “national emergency” near my home on the US-Mexico border. It’s all bullshit if you ask me. And thankfully, each of the Democrats running to overthrow Trump seemingly agree.
While immigration is a hugely-important topic facing my population right now, we know that Latinx folks of different backgrounds (be it Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian, etc) are also concerned about the economy, jobs, reproductive health, and housing, among other items. That’s not even including the overt discrimination we’ve witnessed as a collective thanks to Trump’s embrace of white supremacist ideals and antiquated biases against brown folks.
At face value, it appears as though former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, by the very nature of being the sole Latino in the presidential race (and the former mayor of a majority-Latino US city), would completely understand these concerns and address them head-on. But his lived experience is specific to being a Tejano. And 19 of his colleagues—Beto, included—exist on the fringes of this incredibly intersectional demographic, leaving them unfamiliar with where to even begin with us.
Which is why I think each Democratic presidential candidate needs a Latinx outreach director—someone of the community who will approach us where we are, talk to us about what we need, why we need it and explain how we’ll get it if their candidate is elected. This, of course, requires them to bring this gathered information to their bosses so they can then speak to them while on the trail.
Now after personally reaching out to each campaign earlier this month, only Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s team told me they’ve hired one such staffer named Jonathan Jayes-Green, who’s a queer undocumented AfroPanamanian (yaaaaas!!!!). Mayor Pete Buttigieg is currently looking for one, as is Tom Steyer, randomly enough. Other candidates’ camps who responded to my inquiry—Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary Castro, and Marianne Williamson—said while they haven’t hired someone in this capacity, they’re looking forward to working with Latinx voters and engaging the community in the months to come.
Here’s hoping the other campaigns agree.
It’s hard to deny that several critical issues, specifically on a political front, are currently plaguing the Latinx community. We’ve got an administration that not only wants to separate immigrant families and place young children in cages but is adamant about building a discriminatory wall amid a so-called “national emergency” near my home on the US-Mexico border. It’s all bullshit if you ask me. And thankfully, each of the Democrats running to overthrow Trump seemingly agree.
While immigration is a hugely-important topic facing my population right now, we know that Latinx folks of different backgrounds (be it Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian, etc) are also concerned about the economy, jobs, reproductive health, and housing, among other items. That’s not even including the overt discrimination we’ve witnessed as a collective thanks to Trump’s embrace of white supremacist ideals and antiquated biases against brown folks.
At face value, it appears as though former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, by the very nature of being the sole Latino in the presidential race (and the former mayor of a majority-Latino US city), would completely understand these concerns and address them head-on. But his lived experience is specific to being a Tejano. And 19 of his colleagues—Beto, included—exist on the fringes of this incredibly intersectional demographic, leaving them unfamiliar with where to even begin with us.
Which is why I think each Democratic presidential candidate needs a Latinx outreach director—someone of the community who will approach us where we are, talk to us about what we need, why we need it and explain how we’ll get it if their candidate is elected. This, of course, requires them to bring this gathered information to their bosses so they can then speak to them while on the trail.
Now after personally reaching out to each campaign earlier this month, only Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s team told me they’ve hired one such staffer named Jonathan Jayes-Green, who’s a queer undocumented AfroPanamanian (yaaaaas!!!!). Mayor Pete Buttigieg is currently looking for one, as is Tom Steyer, randomly enough. Other candidates’ camps who responded to my inquiry—Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary Castro, and Marianne Williamson—said while they haven’t hired someone in this capacity, they’re looking forward to working with Latinx voters and engaging the community in the months to come.
Here’s hoping the other campaigns agree.
Read my article for THEM.com here.
