What Joe Biden’s Latino Agenda means for the community
We can’t go back to the way things were, Joe Biden says. We need to do better.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has reaffirmed his pursuit of the Latinx vote, and in turn has further highlighted the community’s mounting importance leading into the General Election.
An Aug. 4 Medium post published by Biden revealed a comprehensive plan for the nation’s Latinx community, which is projected to be the largest non-white demographic eligible to vote this year.
He calls it “The Biden Agenda for the Latino Community.” The post begins by saying Biden, “believes that the story of America is one of people doing extraordinary things. The Latino community is a core part of the American community and their contributions are evident in every part of society.”
But it goes further than merely saying the Latinx community matters.
The agenda advocates measures that weren’t in place before the Trump administration. It’s not perfect, but there is emphasis on doing even better as a nation than we were before.
“The Latino community is bearing disproportionate harm from this pandemic,” Biden wrote on Twitter as he announced the agenda.
“But even before, many Latino families were already struggling. We’ve got to do better. That’s why today, I’m releasing my new agenda for the Latino community,” he continued.
The Latino community is bearing disproportionate harm from this pandemic. But even before, many Latino families were already struggling. We've got to do better. That's why today, I'm releasing my new agenda for the Latino community: https://t.co/xgGUoleGQO
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 4, 2020
Biden references actions taken by the Trump administration’s early days in power, wherein it immediately took action to belittle the Latinx community.
“His [Trump’s] assault doesn’t just reveal itself in the betrayal of the Dreamers or in the pardoning of a sheriff who has terrorized the Latino community. It’s in the underfunding of schools, in attacks on labor and the ability of workers to bargain for their worth, and in the neglect of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria,” the post reads.
Key points from Biden’s Latino agenda includeinvesting in Latinx workers and small businesses, tackling racial inequality in healthcare and education, protecting DACA recipients, and combating hate and gun violence.
It also mentions “securing” American values as “a nation of immigrants.”
“We can’t just build back to the way things were before these crises. We have to build a more inclusive, equitable future for all,” Biden wrote on Twitter.
We can’t just build back to the way things were before these crises. We have to build a more inclusive, equitable future for all.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 4, 2020
Here’s how we’ll do it: https://t.co/SaL4WanJN2 pic.twitter.com/IeMtNqBynx
Each of the aforementioned areas include a point-focused breakdown within his Latino Agenda. Biden also includes two promises he would see-through were he to be elected.
First, Biden would work to establish a Smithsonian National American Latino Museum. The House passed a bill which would establish such a monument in Washington, and it has yet to pass the Senate.
Second, Biden would ensure that political appointees, “including the President’s cabinet, look like the country they serve and ensure that our federal workforce is representative of demographics in our country.”
RELATED CONTENT
Biden has already pledged to have a woman Vice President, though he is yet to announce a finalist.
In terms of immigration, Biden promises to have a bill for legislative immigration reform that “will modernize our immigration system and give nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants a roadmap to citizenship.”
This is on day one of office.
He goes on to say he wants to invest in smart technology at the border, and address the problematic asylum-seeking process and detention centers.
Biden also says he will “immediately review every Temporary Protected Status (TPS) made by the Trump administration to ensure no one is returned to a country that is not safe,” including for Venezuelans seeking relief from the humanitarian crisis.
However Biden’s plan lacks specific policies in regards to Puerto Rico or Mexico, reported Latino Rebels.
Still, the overwhelming focus, made clear, is on Latinx voters currently eligible to show-up to the polls in November.
It’s release comes one day after Trump’s campaign released a new Spanish-language digital ad, equating progressivism to socialist regimes in Latin America, reported The Hill, indicating that that fight for the Latinx vote on both sides of the political spectrum is in full force.
Today, Joe Biden laid-out his plan to empower Latinx families and support issues they hold dear.
He and Trump are in pursuit of their vote in a way never before seen. Somewhere within the last few years politicians began to hear Latinx voices, to feel their influence, and how the Presidential nominees are fighting for as many votes as they can get.
LEAVE A COMMENT:
Join the discussion! Leave a comment.