During the Democratic debate on Wednesday, March 9, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton had an intense debate on who was the “true advocate” for American Hispanics.
They exchanged claims over guest worker programs “akin to slavery” and the embracing of “vigilantes” against immigrants.
They even spoke on Republican candidate Donald Trump and his plan to build a big wall along the U.S. and Mexican border, for which he alleges Mexico will pay.
Coming from a hispanic background and watching both Sanders and Clinton argue over American Hispanics pushed a button.
In the past three years of college I’ve immersed myself in the stories of the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality and Donald Trump’s racist remarks about immigrants.
I’ve immersed myself in the presidential race, college rape scandals and the Fair Trade movement.
Yet, I have not truly acknowledged the “hush-hush” segregation my own people face every day, despite the treatment I’ve been given in the past for my last name or the stories my father has told me about the people who don’t believe he’s a successful business man based only on his skin color.
As a 20 year-old college student, I have to accept that this will be a fight for the rest of my life and most likely my children after me.
Two days after Sanders and Clinton’s debate Héctor Tobar, a contributing writer for the New York Times, published an article in the New York Times Op-Ed section.
His piece was titled “Latinos’ Slow-Burn Anger.”
In it, he speaks about the Latino community and the low radar we keep.
Tobar said, “Our cries of protest and complaint might as well be whispers.”
Tobar continues to talk about his traveling to different universities in California.
He speaks about asking Latino students questions about the treatment of our people.
As he spoke to students, he found that many of them would rather keep a low radar.
“The Latino students I met resist oppression in a low-key, goal-oriented way. By working full time while getting a degree. By studying to become breadwinners who give back to their communities. And by voting for a candidate likely to support immigration reform,” Tobar said in his New York Times article.
Who is the true advocate for American Hispanics, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton?
The true advocate, from what is seen so far from the Hispanic community, between the two Democratic presidential candidates is Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton has two-thirds of the Hispanic vote; who collectively make up 10 percent of the Democratic primaries this year, thus far.
Bernie Sanders has one-third of the hispanic votes, a number of them being young Hispanics.
Though, I believe neither are truthfully the “true advocate” for American Hispanics.
