All of us have something in common, our humanity, our need not just for survival but to thrive. We need a U.S. senator who can look toward common goals, not tear us further apart.
By Elvia Díaz
You can often tell when emotions are raw, real and from the heart — something of a rarity in today’s poisonous political environment.
That moment came on Monday at the heart of a mostly Hispanic neighborhood in Phoenix where some of the crème de la crème of Latino leaders gathered to throw their support behind U.S. Rep. Rubén Gallego in his bid for U.S. Senate.
The Democrat Gallego will almost certainly face Kari Lake, who’s the favorite to win Tuesday’s Republican primary against Mark Lamb.
Latinos can identify with Ruben Gallego
The rally attracted some heavy hitters, like Corporation Commissioner Anna Tovar, Mónica Villalobos of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and state and local elected officials.
There were the likes of immigration lawyer Yasser Sanchez, a Republican, who choked up when talking about the immigrant experience and how there’s no room in the Republican Party for folks like him.
Then there was Luisa Ybañez, who spoke of Gallego’s struggles, which are multipled by thousands or hundreds of thousands of immigrants in Arizona and across the country.
“Ruben Gallego is the son of immigrants just like me,’’ Ybañez said of Gallego’s experience as a poor kid, brought up by a single mom and who had to take odd jobs to help the family. “He listens to us and knows he needs to make life easier for working families.”
It’s not necessarily what Ybañez said that touched me. It’s how she said it.
ASU student makes an emotional plea
She stood behind a podium covered with Juntos con Gallego (or, Together with Gallego) signs, head-down at first as if to compose herself from choking up, then lifted her face to speak.
I bet many immigrants see themselves reflected in this 20-year-old Arizona State University student who is on the cusp of reaching her own American dream.
For many of us, like Ybañez, that dream isn’t cliché or a political slogan. It’s real. It’s life.
It’s what America offers, as Gallego himself reminded the crowd and the press gathered on Monday.
I’ve known Gallego for years, but I haven’t seen him light up like this as he reflected about that immigrant experience, talking about la familia (family) and proudly proclaiming his heritage.
“I’m a husband, a father, a Marine combat veteran. Y soy, Latino,” Gallego proudly told the crowd.
As an immigrant myself, this was a touching moment — something I’ve come to appreciate even more with time and as the political landscape changes to darker tones and deeper divisions tearing our country apart.
Arizona needs a senator who can unite us
Latinos — those who appreciate their heritage or, at least, understand they can’t hide it, whether they want to or not — should appreciate Gallego’s pride.
The Harvard-educated Gallego knows this election is about Latinos, who make up a third of Arizona’s population, as much as it is about the rest of Arizonans.
“We Latinos can live the American dream, but we need to have somebody who can actually fight for us, who actually believe in us,” Gallego said, quickly adding that extends to all Arizonans. “Everyone needs someone to believe in them.”
Arizona is home to nearly 7.5 million people of different ethnicities, cultural and political backgrounds. It’s home to white, Native American, Black, Asian, Latino and many more residents. They’re Republicans, Democrats, independents or not involved in politics at all.
But all of us have something in common, our humanity, our need not just for survival but to thrive. We need a U.S. senator who can look toward common goals, not tear us further apart.
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Elvia Díaz is editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, (formerly Twitter), @elviadiaz1.
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