Chicago Latinos shared some of their top issues at the Democratic National Convention
As the Democratic National Convention was hosted in Chicago last week, residents from all parts of the city came out to attend, protest, and share their thoughts on the event— and what the election will look like for Latinos come November.
On reproductive care
Ahead of Monday night's opening events, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza shared that reproductive rights are at stake for Latinas this election.
"I'm a woman with a uterus," Mendoza said.
"As far as I'm concerned, Donald Trump has had way too much access to way too many uteruses in his lifetime and he shouldn't have access to one more," she said.
Mendoza, who rocked an "I [heart] Chicago" t-shirt below her blazer, said it's absurd that reproductive rights are being challenged by Republican legislation. In vitro fertilization (IVF), for example, was suspended earlier this year in Alabama, and later resumed, although "fetal personhood" is still debated.
"Who would have thought that in 2024 IVF would be on the verge of going down in our country? That's absurd," said Mendoza.
"The party that says they want you to have babies, don't really want you to have babies if you want to have babies" she added. "Make that make sense to me."
On Gaza
In Union Park, less than a mile away from the main convention center at United Center, protests and demonstrations continued throughout the week.
A group of about two dozen runners, part of the Sandías Running Club, gathered in Union Park on Tuesday afternoon to stand in solidarity with Gaza and provide paletas and t-shirts with a sliding-scale donation.
The group's co-founder, who asked not to be named, said they meet each Tuesday in different neighborhoods to support Palestine and shed light on the shared struggles facing Arab and Latino communities in the United States and abroad.
The co-founder said their events are less of a protest and more geared towards informing the public.
"We do have educational events, so we'll do storytelling events, or we have a panel of Latinos," the organizer said.
They decided to set up in Union Park on Tuesday in response to the DNC being held just a few blocks away at the United Center.
"There's this kind of thing in which the Democrats have been painted as the lesser of two evils, and we're realizing that they're still thoroughly evil," said another co-founder, Ricardo Gamboa.
On Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican politicians, leaders, and other stakeholders in the Chicago Latino community hosted a press conference at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture to call on the Democratic National Convention to address Puerto Rico's political status and ensure self-determination, which includes a pathway to independence.
Just a few miles away, the Puerto Rico delegates wrapped up their morning breakfast, where the island's future — whether it should become a state, remain a U.S. territory, or become independent — remains a highly contentious issue.
During that evening's events at United Center, Puerto Rican delegates celebrated the possibility of becoming the 51st state.
"The status question has remained so stagnant for so long that it's easy to lose hope," said U.S. Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, from Minnesota, whose energetic remarks got a standing ovation from the crowd.
A St. Paul native, Pérez-Vega calls herself a "Sota-Rican." She had positive words for Gov. Tim Walz, who voted "NO" against the PROMESA (Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability) Act in 2016.
Missing among the speakers was U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Ortíz, the Bronx native Puerto Rican from New York City, who spoke during Monday night's DNC program at United Center.
U.S. Rep Cori Bush was also in attendance, who in March delivered a floor speech on Act 22, which provides tax incentives to wealthy or high-net-worth individuals looking to relocate to Puerto Rico.
On housing and the economy
While Congresswoman Delia Ramirez hastily shuffled through the McCormick Place following a panel on the Hispanic Caucus meeting, she was able to share a few thoughts on where Latinos will stand this November. Spoiler alert, it's not immigration.
Instead, she believes the economy will be the deciding factor for many Latinos who feel disgruntled about the rising cost of homes and stifling living wages.
“The reality is that Latinos — 25% of millennials — believe they will never be able to purchase a house, even though their parents did while making lower wages,” Rep. Ramirez said.
According to the U.S. Treasury, housing costs have risen faster than incomes over the last two decades. Survey data by Apartment List also states that a quarter of millennials are opting for renting over home ownership, the majority of which cite affordability as the main reason.
“[Latinos shouldn’t] have to work three jobs so that they can pay rent, pay $20,000 down in payments or buy a car because the interest rates are so damn high,” Rep. Ramirez said.
For Rep. Ramirez, the choice is clear between the two presidential candidates. One candidate is a convicted felon who is threatening the deportation of immigrants, she said, and the other is the daughter of immigrants who risked everything to give her a better life.
“If that doesn't connect to Latinos and to Latinos, willingness and desire to be able to have a stable life so the kids can do better, I don't know what would?” Ramirez said.
On immigration
“Yes, immigration is important, but we haven’t done anything about it in 36 years,” said Rep. Ramirez, referring to the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) enacted in 1986.
Therefore, "[Latinos are] over making it a priority because clearly it's not for [Congress].”
However, Harris spoke in favor of a bipartisan bill that could secure the border and create a path toward citizenship for undocumented people.
Campaign manager and the granddaughter of labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chávez, Julie Chávez Rodríguez added that legislation supporting essential workers, farm workers and DREAMers are things that Harris will continue to fight for and to advocate for if elected president in November.
“At the same time, we know that we need to improve our asylum process and secure our borders. [Harris] believes that we can do both,” she said.