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LatinOHs for Biden/Harris
members contend President Trump downplayed and even botched the
early coronavirus response, leading to the out-of-control
situation and more than 225,000 deaths presently being faced in
the U.S. Ms.
Rivera believes the Biden-Harris ticket will work to stop the
spread of coronavirus while protecting access to health care so
pandemic victims “can heal and get the care that they need.”
Retired Cleveland-area
attorney José Feliciano, Sr., 70, has always been
involved in local political matters, but felt compelled to spend
his spare time this fall working with
LatinOHs
for Biden/Harris because of matters of “the opportunity
and freedom for all, values, and integrity.”
“The third thing is experience. He is an experienced and
accomplished public figure, not only domestically, but
internationally,” said Feliciano. “With integrity, I think
Trump’s got nothing. The Washington Post has probably documented
25,000 lies. You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m a lawyer, so the
rule of law is huge for me. Just look at how he’s trampled on
the rule of law.”
One of the issues that rankles Feliciano the most is how the
current president is treating immigration, separating children
from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. He cited a recent
report where authorities cannot identify the parents of more
than 500 such children.
“I didn’t anticipate, that at age 70, I was going to have to be
involved in phone banks, calling people, trying to get people to
participate,” he said. He also has helped to organize “caravanas”
(caravans) similar to how politics operates in Central and South
America, where cars drive through a neighborhood with a
megaphone, playing music and distributing literature.
The caravanzas also reduced the odds of spreading the
dreaded COVID – 19.
When the presidential debate took place in Cleveland, Feliciano
worked through his contacts to draw the likes of local TV
stations and CNN to do new stories on the perspectives of
Northeast Ohio Latinos and the election. He has also provided
advice to the statewide organizing committee for
LatinOHs,
also made up of prominent Latinos from Lorain, Akron, and
Toledo.
The group was co-started by Evelyn Rivera, who
coordinated with a pair of Latina leaders in Columbus and Cincinnati. Lorraine
Vega, retired Key Bank Foundation executive, joined the
statewide and Northeast Ohio planning teams. Since
then, each founder has recruited others within their networks
and now boasts 800 members on social media pages such
as Facebook. The coalition has been aided by various elected
officials, including Cleveland Councilwoman Jasmin Santana and Congresswoman
Marcia L. Fudge.
“I can’t be more sanguine about her [Lorraine
Vega]
leadership,” said Feliciano. “She has just been spectacular.”
Over the past two months, the coalition, in Cleveland
alone, has conducted three phone banks and a text bank,
canvassed in four predominantly Latino voting precincts,
distributed 750-yard signs, partnered with a pair of nonprofit
organizations and the Biden national campaign on other get out
the vote efforts. Similar activities have occurred in other
major Ohio cities.
“I would be remiss, if I did not lift up all of the fabulous
work that has been led by a group of fabulous young Latinos who
have worked tirelessly to actively educate, inspire, engage and
register voters in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County,” said Ms. Vega
via email, while declining an interview to remain
behind-the-scenes. “Using innovative and culture-centric
methodology in collaboration with small businesses, churches and
many more, they were able to reach many individuals. I think
they even collaborated to increase participation in the census.”
Caravansas
were also popular in Lorain according to Richard
Romero, who urged Latinos to vote between now and election
day of Nov. 3rd. “It’s follow-up time,…the challenge
of finding 20 friends, neighbors, and family members to vote now
or by election day.”
In Toledo, human resources professional and attorney
Ursula Barrera-Richards joined the LatinOHs
for Biden/Harris cause and enlisted an organization she leads,
the
Lucas County Latina Democratic Empowerment Club, a group of
emerging Latina community leaders.
“During this presidential election cycle, the Latina Dems wanted
to focus on Latino/x engagement in our community,” said Ms.
Barrera-Richards. “With all of the vitriol coming from the
president, it is important for us to have a voice, be active and
be engaged in the presidential campaign. The Latino/x vote may
be small compared to other states, but we can make an impact in
the swing vote.”
The Ohio group has hosted phone banks during Hispanic Heritage
Month, sign distribution pop-up events where they handed out
Spanish language #TodosConBiden yard signs, and organized
Latino caravans in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.
Latina leaders have also connected with other Ohio counties to
get #TodosConBiden signs into the hands of Latino voters in
neighboring counties such as Hancock County and Wood County. A
final voter engagement effort will be a large Latino “Ridin’
with Biden” caravan on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 in
Wood County, which is still in play in the presidential
race. One caravan target will be Perrysburg Heights. Yard
signs already are being distributed at coffee shops in
Perrysburg and Bowling Green.
Statewide, LatinOHs for Biden-Harris plans a virtual
bilingual phone bank on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. The
group will provide online phone-banking training, then start
calling Ohio voters to encourage them to vote for the Democratic
presidential ticket. Anyone who’d like to get involved can reach
the organization through its Facebook and Instagram pages.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Some members of the cause are Independents and
Republicans as well as Democrats. Members from northern Ohio
also include Isabel Framer (Akron); Clevelanders Juan Galeano,
Ken Dowell, Roberta Duarte, Isabel Galvez, and Jenice
Contreras; Mary Santiago (Lorain), Rey Carrión (Lorain), Juanita
Senquiz (Lorain), Richard Romero (Lorain), and Joel
Arredondo (Lorain); and Tanya Durán (Toledo), Meyling
Ruiz (Toledo), and Anita Sánchez Serda (Toledo), to
name some examples.
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