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    An Open Letter To The 29% Of Latinos Who Voted For Trump

    Mi gente, it's time for some real talk.

    I woke up this morning to Donald Trump as the next president of the United States.

    As a Latino man, I'm worried, I'm scared, and I fear for my family. And I'm not alone on this:

    Just as a quick refresher, here a just A FEW things our future president said about Latinos:

    1. On Mexicans: "They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

    2. He argued that an American-born judge was unfit to oversee a civil case against Trump University because of his “Mexican heritage.”

    3. This is what he said about American-born Latinos: "I don't think they have American citizenship and if you speak to some very, very good lawyers...you're going to find they do not have American citizenship."

    4. He wants to build a fucking wall.

    5. And then there was this:

    This election season, we kept hearing about the Latino vote. The Latino vote was talked about at great length on cable news shows and in Latino media. We talked about how Latinos registered to vote in record numbers.

    But the truth is, from what I can tell, Latinos are NOT united. Despite all the hateful rhetoric this man spewed against Latinos throughout his campaign, 29% of Latinos still voted for Donald Trump.

    29% of Latinos voted for a man who openly questions their citizenship.

    29% of Latinos had no regard for their own community.

    And that's a damn shame.

    So, what now? As Latinos, we keep educating ourselves and those around us. We raise awareness of the problems our community faces each and every day. We continue to call out the racism, the sexism, the anti-gay rhetoric that exists within our community. No matter your political affiliation, strive to have some sense of human decency and empathy.

    Learn about your history. Learn about where you came from. Learn about your ancestors, and the struggles they went through to get into this country. Let's root out the ignorance and self-hate within our community by learning about our damn selves.

    Be open to learn about what Latino media outlets are talking about. Follow Mitú, Remezcla, Flama, Latina Rebels, Latino Rebels, Latino Voices, Pero Like, and all the amazing Latino journalists and writers out there hustling to tell the stories of our community. We're all trying to give a voice to the voiceless. We're all trying to represent.

    As Latinos, we need to strive for unity and understanding. Latinos can and will rise above this hatred. So, let's bring our community together. Let's set up the groundwork for the future Latino generations to come. Let's get to work.

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