Kamala Harris has been endorsed for Vice President by La Opinión, one of the largest Spanish-language newspapers in the United States. La Opinión hails Kamala Harris’ decades-long record of commitment to Latinx communites, calling her “an energetic and courageous leader” who “deserves our support and that of our community.” Noting the impact of this choice:
Therefore, it is important that La Opinión express its belief today that the best option for a vice president candidate is California Senator Kamala Harris.
While other candidates are respectable and have their own unique advantages, none have the sum of Harris' attributes as a politician, as a person, and as a leader.
[English via Google Translate]
The endorsement cites Kamala Harris’ proposal to use executive authority to give Dreamers citizenship, her early call for Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation, and her bills to support vulnerable communities during the COVID-10 pandemic with access to health care, voting, and small business assistance, as a small sample of her record of support.
La Opinión has been providing news to Spanish-speaking Americans for a century. About 1/3 of Hispanic Americans read their news mostly or entirely in Spanish, and another 1/4 read at least some Spanish language news. ( La Opinión’s web traffic volume happens to be roughly equal to that of this website.)
Joe Biden will select the running mate he feels is the best choice. Those of us who express a preference know that it is up to Biden in the end. La Opinión is voicing the priorities of their readership, and a community that should be taken seriously.
La Opinión has long covered issues important to the Latinx community. They have followed Kamala Harris’ career since she was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County in 1990—through her time as San Francisco District Attorney (2004-11), California Attorney General (2011-17), and US Senator (2017-) (they endorsed her for Senate in 2016). They know: “Kamala Harris has been an ally of the Latino community.” They praise her proposal to take executive action to give Dreamers citizenship (covered by snowman3 here) and more:
On immigration, she proposed a DACA plan that would use executive authority to give Dreamers access to citizenship, expand it, and protect the families of these youth on a case-by-case basis. She proposed ensuring that undocumented immigrants and refugees detained at the border receive legal aid. She denounced the policy of separation of families and detention of children in cages before others and asked for the resignation of the then Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen for implementing it.
La Opinión goes on to cite these examples of Kamala Harris’ Senate work:
Senator Harris’ DONE Act (Detention Oversight, Not Expansion, S.2221) reduces detention levels, and her Reunite Every Unaccompanied Newborn Infant, Toddler and Other Children Expeditiously (REUNITE) Act would reunite immigrant families (S.557).
The Coronavirus Immigrant Families Protection Act (S.3609) ensures everyone—regardless of immigration status-- can access health care and other critical resources during the coronavirus pandemic.
Senators Harris and Booker introduced the Justice in Policing Act (S.3912) to hold police accountable for misconduct.
Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Ayanna Pressley introduced the Saving Our Streets Act (S.3787), which would provide $125 billion to small businesses. La Opinión notes that “90% of Latino businesses are small businesses.”
Sen. Harris’ Vote Safe Act (S.3725) expands voting options and improves the safety and accessibility of polling places, including help for for language minority voters.
Sen. Harris and Rep. Jayapal introduced a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (S.2112) to extend labor law protections, like overtime and protection from harassment, to domestic workers. It includes “know-your-rights” information, mechanisms to prevent retaliation, and a confidential hotline.
Her Fairness for Farmworkers (S.385) increases labor law protections and extends overtime and minimum-wage requirements to agricultural workers. It amends both the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.
...“The list goes on,” as La Opinión writes:
These examples display the importance of Kamala Harris being the Democratic vice presidential candidate. She is an energetic and courageous leader.
Kamala Harris deserves our support and that of our community at these crucial moments in our history. We ask Joe Biden to choose Kamala Harris.
Read the entire endorsement in Spanish at (La Opinión)
(More on Kamala Harris’ record on immigration issues here.)
A few twitter takes: