More than 150 prominent Latinx figures, including celebrities and political activists, published a letter in The New York Times on Friday to promote solidarity and call for change. The letter, written in both English and Spanish, condemns violence against the Latinx community following Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and the recent shooting in El Paso, Texas.
One passage reads: "We will not be broken. We will not be silenced. We will continue to denounce any hateful and inhumane treatment of our community. We will demand dignity and justice." Democratic presidential candidate and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro highlighted the letter on Twitter, thanking the letter writers.
"The contributions we make to this country are invaluable," reads the letter, which could reference rhetoric like acting director of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli's claim that the Statue of Liberty's promises were referring to "people coming from Europe." Cuccinelli suggested Emma Lazarus' "The New Colossus" should really read, "Give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge."
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Signatories include actors America Ferrera, Gina Rodriguez, Rita Morena, and Zoe Saldana; musicians Jennifer Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ricky Martin, and Selena Gomez; and activists Dolores Huerta, Teresa Romero, and Monica Ramirez. Supporters can add their signatures at the Querida Familia Letter website.