Letters to the Editor: Latinx communities fighting racism don’t need Martinez, Cedillo and De León
Latinx communities fighting racism don’t need Martinez, Cedillo and De León
By Christina S. Dominguez
“We are all just family.” That’s a sentence from the letter of solidarity for immigrants and refugees read at a press conference on the topic of immigration reform last Thursday, April 1, by the leadership of Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina. The message was the same in each of the 30 solidarity marches at the city’s various offices and at the march for the Dream in front of the Los Angeles City Hall.
But the quote itself wasn’t just a statement of solidarity. In fact, the way each of the four leaders spoke about the topic at the press conference speaks volumes about how we view it as well. While Molina spoke about how her Mexican-American family was a part of her own immigrant experience, Molina also spoke about how her Mexican-American heritage has never been an obstacle to her leadership.
“I may not be Mexican nor Hispanic, but I am a Los Angeles Hispanic, and I come from a family of immigrants,” Molina said. “And this is my legacy on the Westside.”
I am a part of the same legacy Molina speaks of, and I am from Los Angeles, as well, which is why she can speak so candidly about that heritage. But when it comes time to speak about my own experience as an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, which started in 1971, I have to take a little bit less credit in my journey to politics. I was an immigrant myself. And yes, it has been a journey, one that has always been about finding a way to build myself up. Molina spoke about how she has been able to find the strength to persevere despite racial and economic discrimination and oppression. She has built her entire life on the