I was sitting at a lunch counter on Monday, less than 24 hours before the polls opened, thinking about the one thing that was keeping me up most nights: on Election Day, would Latinos show up and translate our potential to political power?
Just then, I heard two voices—loud, vibrant, New Yorker accents belonging to a pair of strong women. One said:
“You voting?” And then the other, “Why? It’s the same old shit.”
I turned to see the voices and their speakers. Two 20-something Latinas, working behind the counter and playing out my worst nightmares. Didn’t they see how personal this election was going to be? All the issues—health care, education, choice—that were up for grabs? Didn’t they understand what was at stake for women just like them? And as voters of color, didn’t they know that so many efforts had been made to block their vote?
Overhearing this conversation made me start to really wonder what kind of message Latino voters might send on November 6. READ MORE
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