WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:02.840 Part of what is wrong right now with what is 2 00:00:02.880 --> 00:00:07.680 happening in our country is there is some perverse kind 3 00:00:07.680 --> 00:00:12.360 of suggestion that the strength of a leader is measured 4 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:14.720 based on who you beat down instead of who you 5 00:00:14.760 --> 00:00:15.400 lift up. 6 00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:24.200 From Putro Media and PRX. It's Latino USA. I'm Mariao 7 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:28.320 Hoosa Today, Kamala Harris, we revisit my one on one 8 00:00:28.400 --> 00:00:32.519 interview with the VP, the presumptive presidential nominee for the 9 00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:40.640 Democratic Party. Dear Latino USA listener, Well, the last few 10 00:00:40.680 --> 00:00:44.320 weeks in US politics have been quite a worldwin, to 11 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:49.239 say the least, from President Joe Biden's disappointing debate performance 12 00:00:49.240 --> 00:00:51.400 against Donald Trump in late June. 13 00:00:51.800 --> 00:00:55.000 Right now as we speak, there is a deep, a wide, 14 00:00:55.040 --> 00:00:57.840 and a very aggressive panic in the Democratic. 15 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:01.640 Party to the assassination attempt against former President Trump. 16 00:01:01.760 --> 00:01:04.560 Had new details tonight on the suspect here, sources now 17 00:01:04.600 --> 00:01:06.920 telling ABC News that he looked up Donald Trump. 18 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:11.240 To the mounting calls asking for President Biden to step 19 00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:12.440 down as a candidate. 20 00:01:12.720 --> 00:01:15.560 We've got up to twenty House Democrats now calling for 21 00:01:15.600 --> 00:01:18.040 the president to step aside two out of three voters 22 00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:20.720 according to a lot of both Democratic voters. 23 00:01:20.360 --> 00:01:25.360 And then we reached a major flashpoint. On Sunday afternoon 24 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.160 of July twenty, first. 25 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:29.920 President Biden has just announced that he is ending his 26 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:33.560 reelection bid. Just moments ago, the President tweeted out, it 27 00:01:33.600 --> 00:01:35.759 has been the greatest honor of my life to serve 28 00:01:35.800 --> 00:01:36.600 as your president. 29 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:40.440 Well it has been now a presidential candidate stepping out 30 00:01:40.520 --> 00:01:43.639 so close to an election is something that hasn't happened 31 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.960 since nineteen sixty eight, when then President Lyndon me Johnson 32 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:53.760 said he would not seek reelection. President Biden has endorsed 33 00:01:53.880 --> 00:01:56.920 Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at this 34 00:01:57.080 --> 00:01:58.880 November's presidential election. 35 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:02.920 We loved in jail, We really do. They truly are 36 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:05.080 like family to n and we did. 37 00:02:05.160 --> 00:02:06.040 Everybody hear that. 38 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:08.320 Tool. 39 00:02:10.440 --> 00:02:11.960 I know you're still there. 40 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:14.720 You're not going anywhere, Joe. 41 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:22.240 I love you, Joe. 42 00:02:23.600 --> 00:02:27.359 At fifty nine years old, Harris has often called herself 43 00:02:27.639 --> 00:02:31.080 a child of the civil rights movement, and that's because 44 00:02:31.320 --> 00:02:34.120 she attended protests with her family when she was just 45 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:38.680 a toddler. She's also known as the first of many. 46 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:42.160 In two thousand and four, she became the first woman 47 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:46.160 district attorney in San Francisco and the first black person 48 00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:50.960 and first South Asian woman in all of California to 49 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:56.119 hold that office. In twenty ten, Harris became the Attorney 50 00:02:56.160 --> 00:02:59.600 General for her home state of California, becoming the first 51 00:02:59.720 --> 00:03:02.280 woman in the state to do so. And when in 52 00:03:02.320 --> 00:03:06.600 twenty seventeen, Harris was sworn in as a United States Senator, 53 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:10.639 she became the first South Asian person and only the 54 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:18.639 second black woman to achieve that. In twenty nineteen, then 55 00:03:18.880 --> 00:03:23.160 Senator Harris competed to become the Democratic presidential nominee, but 56 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:27.920 after a lackluster performance, she dropped out. Then, when Joe 57 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:30.680 Biden became the nominee, he asked her to be his 58 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:33.800 running mate, and the two won the twenty twenty election 59 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.120 with the support of more than eighty one million votes. 60 00:03:39.920 --> 00:03:43.920 Now Vice President Harris is bound to make history again 61 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:48.440 if she officially becomes the Democratic presidential nominee and ends 62 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:53.080 up defeating Donald Trump. Within twenty four hours of President 63 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:57.880 Biden's historic announcement, Harris raised a record eighty one million 64 00:03:57.920 --> 00:04:03.400 dollars for her campaign. Latino, a grassroots organization, pledged forty 65 00:04:03.440 --> 00:04:07.760 four million dollars. The Vice President also started to rake 66 00:04:07.880 --> 00:04:12.240 in endorsements and has already secured enough delegates to become 67 00:04:12.320 --> 00:04:16.960 her party's nominee, but what about the voters? So we 68 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:20.359 hear at Latino USA. Decided to reach out to you, 69 00:04:20.520 --> 00:04:23.000 dear listeners to hear what you had to say, and 70 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:30.200 we got responses from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, 71 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.520 and New York City. So let's take a listen to 72 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:35.880 what you had to say. 73 00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:41.280 I do feel relief in having Biden decide not to 74 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:47.440 continue running for presidents, although I am extraordinarily worried about 75 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:50.840 people inside his administration. 76 00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:54.360 Who concealed his cognitive issues. 77 00:04:55.400 --> 00:04:58.880 Not really a Kamala fans, but I do believe it's 78 00:04:58.880 --> 00:05:02.760 better than voting for Trump. I want to see if 79 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:07.760 the patriarchy of the United States is actually going to 80 00:05:08.640 --> 00:05:10.120 finally vote for a woman. 81 00:05:10.960 --> 00:05:15.720 I am very happy that mister Biden stepped away. My 82 00:05:15.880 --> 00:05:20.479 only trouble with Kamala is that I wish that it 83 00:05:20.520 --> 00:05:24.600 had been under other circumstances, because otherwise she feels absolutely 84 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:29.680 imposed by Biden. Yes, I am proud of being a woman, 85 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:33.040 but that is not enough. I need to hear how 86 00:05:33.080 --> 00:05:35.880 are you different from Trump? What is the plan with 87 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.200 a nation I mean, I hope that Kamala, because she 88 00:05:39.440 --> 00:05:43.359 is an incredibly smart woman, shows us what a president 89 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:44.040 should do. 90 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:49.720 As someone whose grandparents came to this country from Mexico, 91 00:05:50.400 --> 00:05:55.159 I'm very excited that Vice President Harris is now the 92 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:59.640 candidate you see in Mexico, a woman as president. I 93 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.040 can't that happened here in the US. 94 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:05.560 As a woman from the Islands, as a mother of 95 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:09.200 African American trojan Also, I am so proud of her, 96 00:06:09.200 --> 00:06:12.640 and this just gives me more enthusiastm to vote. And 97 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:16.120 I tell my grandchildren who are at the age of voting, 98 00:06:16.400 --> 00:06:18.680 that you must vote her in because she is a 99 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:20.920 positive force for all people. 100 00:06:21.880 --> 00:06:25.120 The fact that Kamala is a woman of color, she's 101 00:06:25.160 --> 00:06:28.520 a feminist, he believes in the human rights for everyone. 102 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:32.080 I'm glad to be voting for her, donating and volunteering 103 00:06:32.080 --> 00:06:32.800 for her campaign. 104 00:06:33.520 --> 00:06:35.800 I was planning on voting for Joe Biden. Like I 105 00:06:35.880 --> 00:06:40.560 wasn't super thrilled, but it was going against you know, Trump, 106 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:42.680 and I just do not agree with anything that he 107 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.760 has said and anything that he believes in. But after 108 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:49.200 the announcement, I suddenly became very excited and what a 109 00:06:49.200 --> 00:06:53.680 hairs presidency could look like she's just nothing like any 110 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:57.920 other president we've seen before, all of the barriers that 111 00:06:58.320 --> 00:07:01.719 she's had to overcome. That is also very inspiring, and 112 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:03.880 the nod to like the American dream. 113 00:07:05.080 --> 00:07:10.320 The nomination of Kamala Harris definitely makes me very happy 114 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:13.920 and I'm definitely going to vote for her. Before that, 115 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:17.000 I was even hesitant to vote for Biden as a 116 00:07:17.080 --> 00:07:21.160 protest for his actions in Zaza, and I just feel 117 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:22.040 excitement again. 118 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:28.560 While Kamala Harris has an opportunity to really inspire our generation, 119 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:31.160 it is yet to be seen if she will take 120 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:34.840 a serious position and what her vision for our peace 121 00:07:34.880 --> 00:07:39.160 and security will be, starting with continuing to ignore and 122 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:43.800 be complicit in abuses of power like we've seen overseas 123 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:45.680 and like we continue to see at home by the 124 00:07:45.760 --> 00:07:48.640 same police and surveillance apparatus. 125 00:07:49.200 --> 00:07:53.120 I'm happy that Biden is stepping down, but my fears 126 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:56.640 for this election haven't necessarily gone away. Knowing Kamala has 127 00:07:56.680 --> 00:08:00.800 stepped in, it still kind of feels like I just 128 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:03.920 have to vote to make sure Trump doesn't win, and 129 00:08:03.960 --> 00:08:06.600 I'm not necessarily voting for someone that I feel like 130 00:08:07.280 --> 00:08:10.720 represents me or will protect the communities I care about. 131 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:14.440 I feel excited about the election, and I wasn't feeling 132 00:08:14.440 --> 00:08:14.960 it before. 133 00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:18.440 She's invigorating, you know, you could just see the spark 134 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:19.480 in her eye. 135 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:23.480 I think it's a promising thing and you've got God, 136 00:08:23.520 --> 00:08:24.680 Please God let her win. 137 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:34.160 We want to thank all of you for taking the 138 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:37.880 time to call in now, dear listener, wherever you might 139 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.000 stand on your views of Vice President Kamala Harris as 140 00:08:41.040 --> 00:08:44.680 a potential candidate, we thought it was important to revisit 141 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:48.000 my one on one interview with the VP. It's actually 142 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:51.720 how we kicked off our ongoing political coverage, which we've 143 00:08:51.800 --> 00:09:00.000 called the Latino Factor How we Vote. Last September, myself 144 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:04.199 and Latino USA producer Renaldo Leans Junior flew with the 145 00:09:04.280 --> 00:09:08.040 Vice President on Air Force two from just outside of 146 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:12.280 DC all the way to Miami, and there I sat 147 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:16.360 down with Harris at Florida International University, where we talked 148 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:21.320 about everything from immigration, to critiques about the Democratic Party, 149 00:09:21.760 --> 00:09:26.640 to outreach for Latino voters and much more. But the 150 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:29.360 one topic you won't hear us talking about is the 151 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:32.760 war on Gaza, and that's because this interview took place 152 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:37.959 just before the crisis erupted. So without any further ado, 153 00:09:38.040 --> 00:09:46.479 here's my twenty twenty three conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris. 154 00:09:48.520 --> 00:09:51.680 Madame Vice President, thank you for speaking with us, sitting 155 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:52.360 down with us. 156 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:55.120 It is my pleasure and honor. Thank you. I'm glad 157 00:09:55.160 --> 00:09:57.600 to be with you. How you doing. I'm good. 158 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:00.960 So tell me about what you were feeling out there. 159 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.080 Just give me a sense because you're on this tour. 160 00:10:03.280 --> 00:10:08.120 This is a predominantly Latino institution. What's your what's your vibe? 161 00:10:08.120 --> 00:10:08.760 How'd you feel? 162 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:13.560 So this is my sixth stop on my tour, which 163 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:17.120 we have named the Fight for Our Freedom's Tour, and 164 00:10:17.760 --> 00:10:19.320 I decided to do this. 165 00:10:19.880 --> 00:10:23.640 What we've been told is that this entire idea of 166 00:10:23.920 --> 00:10:29.760 visiting historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, community colleges, 167 00:10:30.120 --> 00:10:35.400 and apprenticeship programs across the country was all Kamala Harris's idea. 168 00:10:36.160 --> 00:10:39.400 She wanted to travel from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, 169 00:10:39.760 --> 00:10:43.880 to here in Florida, to Northern Arizona University and Flagstaff 170 00:10:44.280 --> 00:10:46.920 all just to name a few, all of this during 171 00:10:46.920 --> 00:10:49.800 the months of September and October, with the goal of 172 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:51.960 mobilizing young voters. 173 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:55.400 I am very optimistic about the future of our country. 174 00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:58.679 And one of the main reasons is because when I 175 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:01.800 look at these young leaders, when I look at gen 176 00:11:01.920 --> 00:11:06.400 Z for example, they are stepping up. 177 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:10.400 They are not waiting around. 178 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:16.160 For other people to create solutions. They are acutely aware 179 00:11:16.400 --> 00:11:20.640 of what is at stake. They are acutely aware of 180 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:25.760 the clock ticking and the need for urgent action. And 181 00:11:25.880 --> 00:11:28.760 so I decided to embark on this tour as a 182 00:11:28.760 --> 00:11:32.280 way to one let them know that I see them, 183 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:35.960 but also so I can hear from them. And I 184 00:11:36.040 --> 00:11:41.440 purposely decided to focus on college age people. So it's 185 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:46.160 universities and colleges, it's community colleges, and it's apprenticeship programs, 186 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:52.120 trade schools, and so today being here at an HSI, 187 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:57.960 the largest Hispanic serving institution in the country, was just 188 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:03.000 reinforcement of the importance of lifting up the voice of 189 00:12:03.040 --> 00:12:05.840 America's leadership currently and future leadership. 190 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:09.199 The topics the students brought up to the Vice President 191 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:10.680 were wide ranging. 192 00:12:11.040 --> 00:12:12.520 Here are a few of those questions. 193 00:12:12.760 --> 00:12:15.720 With the election approaching upon us, we understand how important 194 00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:18.480 and how pivotal it is for our voices to be 195 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:22.080 heard and for our votes to be casted. What strategies 196 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:27.160 can we the people employed to empower and engaged marginalized 197 00:12:27.160 --> 00:12:31.480 communities to ensure voting rights are respected and that our voices. 198 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:35.680 Mentioned earlier, there have been detrimental changes to reproductive rights. 199 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.760 Switch in turn has caused a woman's right to abortion 200 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:42.800 and a decision to make the choices about her own 201 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:46.240 body go under attack. What do you think about this issue, 202 00:12:46.400 --> 00:12:48.640 it's impact, and what can we do to address it? 203 00:12:49.320 --> 00:12:52.240 First of the recent advance I'm here in the state 204 00:12:52.280 --> 00:12:55.520 of Florida. What advice do you have for students looking 205 00:12:55.559 --> 00:12:59.200 to learn those raw on, you know, uncensored truths about 206 00:12:59.400 --> 00:13:01.400 our social issues that we face here in the country. 207 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:04.640 And what advice would you have for educators looking to 208 00:13:04.679 --> 00:13:07.640 teach those topics while navigating through all of the roadblocks 209 00:13:07.640 --> 00:13:09.600 that are currently in stated. 210 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:12.120 As each student came up to the mic to ask 211 00:13:12.160 --> 00:13:16.320 their question, Vice President Harris listened intently, sitting back in 212 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:20.480 her chair, her legs crossed, very focused on each student 213 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:21.240 as they spoke. 214 00:13:21.640 --> 00:13:26.199 I was raised in a community that believed in nurturing 215 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:31.120 the children and the young people, and so this is 216 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:35.440 very familiar to me as something one does as part 217 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:37.480 of your responsibility and duty. 218 00:13:41.920 --> 00:13:45.480 According to the Brookings Institute, thirty one percent of all 219 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:49.480 Latino eligible voters are between the ages of eighteen and 220 00:13:49.640 --> 00:13:55.240 twenty nine, and these voters are more supportive towards progressive policies. 221 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:59.880 That's something elected officials and aspiring twenty twenty four candidates 222 00:14:00.280 --> 00:14:04.480 are talking about and taking notice. So it's not all 223 00:14:04.520 --> 00:14:08.480 too surprising that the Biden Harris administration is here today 224 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:13.240 in Miami trying to mobilize the vote. But will it work. 225 00:14:14.160 --> 00:14:16.760 When we come back, we get into what exactly the 226 00:14:16.800 --> 00:14:20.680 Biden Harris administration is doing to foster the Latino vote 227 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:24.360 in Republican leaning Florida, and later we're going to hear 228 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:28.440 her thoughts on abortion, immigration and more. Stay with us, 229 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:48.080 not yes, welcome back to Latino USA. When we left off, 230 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:51.560 we heard Vice President Harris begin to talk about the 231 00:14:51.640 --> 00:14:56.720 administration's outreach to young voters across the country, especially Latinos 232 00:14:56.800 --> 00:15:00.800 and Latinas. It's part of the college tour that the 233 00:15:00.880 --> 00:15:05.840 Vice President designed. Let's go back to my conversation with 234 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:15.280 the Vice president now, So when we were on the plane, 235 00:15:16.280 --> 00:15:19.800 you were very clear when I asked you about Latino 236 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:22.840 and Latina voters, and you were like, yep, I know. 237 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:26.040 And your answer was they're the future, right. You were 238 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:29.000 just like, so, yeah. A lot of people are like, wait, 239 00:15:29.040 --> 00:15:31.440 what are you talking about Latinos and Latinas? 240 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:32.360 Do they vote? 241 00:15:32.800 --> 00:15:36.520 Aren't they all immigrants? Aren't they takers? You know, this 242 00:15:36.680 --> 00:15:40.440 whole kind of very confusing narrative that is not true. 243 00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:44.400 But you were like, I see the future and you're 244 00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:47.600 talking like data, but you're also talking hard. 245 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:49.360 I'm talking life experience. 246 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:53.080 I mean, I'm a kid who was raised by parents 247 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:57.160 who are actors the civil rights movement in California. I've 248 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:01.240 grown up in the community, under standing the community as 249 00:16:01.280 --> 00:16:05.040 part of an extension of the neighborhood and the folks 250 00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:07.760 who raised me, and it's natural then for me to 251 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:12.840 hopefully be informed about who people are, the history and 252 00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:18.600 also the future of any group of people. So I 253 00:16:18.640 --> 00:16:22.200 am very clear about what we're talking about and on 254 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:24.160 a variety of subjects. If you look at it in 255 00:16:24.280 --> 00:16:27.560 terms of the student body here at the school, if 256 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.000 i u if you look at it in terms of 257 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:31.920 some of the work that I've been doing that is 258 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:35.480 really a labor of love for me, focusing on small 259 00:16:35.520 --> 00:16:40.960 businesses and that the fastest one of the fastest growing 260 00:16:41.040 --> 00:16:45.760 groups of small business owners are Latinas. That the last 261 00:16:45.800 --> 00:16:49.120 numbers I saw, one in four new small businesses are 262 00:16:49.640 --> 00:16:54.600 are Latino or Latino owned. Right, So you're talking about 263 00:16:54.640 --> 00:16:56.880 it in terms of young people in the future of 264 00:16:56.880 --> 00:17:00.520 our country and leadership, You're talking about the future of 265 00:17:00.560 --> 00:17:05.960 our economy. You're talking about just the fact that we 266 00:17:06.080 --> 00:17:10.000 are a nation that is a diverse nation, and all 267 00:17:10.040 --> 00:17:13.639 people must be recognized and given the dignity and respect 268 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:14.240 they deserve. 269 00:17:14.600 --> 00:17:18.680 My mantra is Latinos and Latinas are the second largest 270 00:17:18.760 --> 00:17:23.720 voting cohort in the United States, the second largest voting cohort, 271 00:17:23.800 --> 00:17:27.160 not a block. Yeah, And people are just like, wait, 272 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:30.720 they are and the connection has not been made. There 273 00:17:30.800 --> 00:17:33.520 are Latino activists that I've been speaking to and they're 274 00:17:33.600 --> 00:17:38.560 just like, we think the Democratic Party and Biden Harris 275 00:17:38.840 --> 00:17:42.920 get that. So you're having a big impact on. 276 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:44.720 This, Oh, we all are. 277 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:49.080 But I will say that I feel very strongly about it, 278 00:17:49.320 --> 00:17:53.000 and for a number of reasons. You know, I'm look 279 00:17:53.240 --> 00:17:58.800 on this college tour, I'm engaged in real talk everywhere 280 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:01.879 I go. I talk about, for example, the attacks on 281 00:18:02.040 --> 00:18:07.160 dei diversity, equity and inclusion, which was born that attack 282 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:10.639 was born here in the state of Florida, and an 283 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:15.639 attempt by these extremists, so called leaders, to diminish the 284 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:18.800 significance of diversity and equity and inclusion. 285 00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:19.440 Right. 286 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:24.960 So back to the point about the state of Latinos 287 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:26.720 in America, and of course we know that this is 288 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:32.720 not a monolith either. Only two percent of venture capital 289 00:18:32.840 --> 00:18:39.439 investment go to Latino owned businesses. You look at the 290 00:18:39.560 --> 00:18:45.600 disparities across the board, and so I'm focused on issues 291 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:48.800 like equity. Understand that people don't all start at the 292 00:18:48.840 --> 00:18:52.879 same base, but they have ambition and aspiration and we 293 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:55.560 have to pay attention to the differences to make sure 294 00:18:55.640 --> 00:18:59.159 people have equal opportunity for success. This is how I 295 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.439 think about things, and so it's not just only about voting. 296 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:08.160 It's about my investment in the strength and the prosperity 297 00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:09.560 and the security of our nation. 298 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:11.840 It's not just about winning election. 299 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:15.040 As my point, my dad may he rest in peace 300 00:19:15.840 --> 00:19:19.520 was the big dream when he was born in Dampico 301 00:19:19.600 --> 00:19:22.280 in Mexico. He was like, I want to help to 302 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:25.480 create something that will have people who were born deaf 303 00:19:25.560 --> 00:19:28.480 here again. So he came to this country hired by 304 00:19:28.520 --> 00:19:31.200 the University of Chicago, helped to create the cochlear implant, 305 00:19:31.600 --> 00:19:35.040 Like your mom had a vision and my mom, like 306 00:19:35.080 --> 00:19:37.679 your mom took me out to the protests when I 307 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:41.159 was eight years old. So the nub is that that 308 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:43.199 you're like, You're like, well, I was in an a stroller, 309 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:44.880 and I'm like, well, I'm a little bit older. 310 00:19:45.600 --> 00:19:48.399 Age is more than a chronological fact, It's a state 311 00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:49.320 of mind, you know. 312 00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:51.639 So I was actually out there, but none of us 313 00:19:51.760 --> 00:19:54.399 could vote. Only my dad could vote. Right, So this 314 00:19:54.560 --> 00:19:58.520 notion of democracy as something that goes beyond the vote. 315 00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:01.560 That's a great point. That's an excellent that's an excellent point. 316 00:20:01.760 --> 00:20:04.440 And I think your point is and certainly the way 317 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:07.880 I think of it, it's about participation, and there are 318 00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:13.600 many ways to participate, right, But the alternative is unacceptable, 319 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:18.280 which is to be passive and watch things as they happen, invariably, 320 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.360 knowing they will happen to you if you're not active 321 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:23.919 and standing for the things you believe in. 322 00:20:25.040 --> 00:20:27.720 It is a criticism of the Democratic Party, though, you know, 323 00:20:28.040 --> 00:20:32.720 which is that you know you don't fight enough, you 324 00:20:32.760 --> 00:20:35.640 don't stand up for yourselves enough. You don't push back 325 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:39.399 against the Republican Party and all of that kind of 326 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:43.480 authoritarian push And it's kind of like, why don't the 327 00:20:43.520 --> 00:20:44.960 Democrats come on you guys. 328 00:20:45.760 --> 00:20:46.880 You've heard that before. 329 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:51.479 Yeah, And I will tell you that we've got some 330 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:54.920 real fighters and the party who are fighting. But we 331 00:20:55.600 --> 00:20:56.920 let me I feed on mind. I'm going to just 332 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:01.560 step back for a moment. What I'm seeing among these extremists, 333 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:09.960 so called leaders, is they are intent on dividing and distracting, 334 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:14.280 and they want to divide our country, and they want 335 00:21:14.320 --> 00:21:16.520 to distract people from the fact they're not getting a 336 00:21:16.600 --> 00:21:18.360 thing done. 337 00:21:18.520 --> 00:21:23.000 They're not getting anything done, So that's their game. 338 00:21:24.320 --> 00:21:29.280 And I say everywhere, let's not be distracted by what 339 00:21:29.320 --> 00:21:29.879 they're up to. 340 00:21:30.119 --> 00:21:30.320 Right. 341 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:32.840 They want to create unnecessary debates. They want to create 342 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:37.800 a debate about whether enslaved people benefited from slavery. No, no, 343 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:40.600 I will not get distracted from the things that we 344 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:43.040 need to deal with, such as the fact that you're 345 00:21:43.080 --> 00:21:46.359 proposing that women and people don't have a right to 346 00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:50.960 make decisions about their own body. So we are fighting, 347 00:21:51.040 --> 00:21:55.080 but we're going to fight the fights that are worth having, right, 348 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:58.080 and the most important thing is that we have been 349 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:00.679 able to achieve things that are actually moving the needle, 350 00:22:01.520 --> 00:22:04.440 like the climate issue, like capping insulin at thirty five 351 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:06.960 dollars a month, like allowing Medicare for the first time 352 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:10.760 to negotiate drug prices on behalf of Medicare recipients, so 353 00:22:10.800 --> 00:22:13.040 that we're going to bring down the cost of prescription 354 00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:15.800 medication cap it at two thousand dollars a year for seniors. 355 00:22:15.800 --> 00:22:18.879 That's a big deal. How many people in our country 356 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:21.760 are suffering from medical debt which is messing up their 357 00:22:21.800 --> 00:22:24.600 credit score, not to mention, you know, putting them on 358 00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:29.560 the verge of bankruptcy. So we're fighting four things for 359 00:22:29.600 --> 00:22:34.720 the people right and we're going to have a fight 360 00:22:34.760 --> 00:22:37.160 in front of us in this election to make sure 361 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:40.880 that folks vote. And that's one of the reasons I'm 362 00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:43.679 doing this college tour to remind people they've got to vote. 363 00:22:43.760 --> 00:22:44.720 They have to vote. 364 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:50.320 The elections make a difference. And let's not forget where 365 00:22:50.320 --> 00:22:52.920 we were just a couple of years ago and what 366 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:53.960 we were dealing with. 367 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:59.760 So for the first time that we know of reproductive 368 00:22:59.800 --> 00:23:02.920 right now, abortion access have ended up in the top 369 00:23:03.040 --> 00:23:05.720 five issues that Latino and Latino voters care about. 370 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:07.040 Can you talk a little. 371 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:11.000 Bit about that particular issue of reproductive rights and why 372 00:23:11.040 --> 00:23:13.240 it matters so much for Latinas and what you're going. 373 00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:13.880 To say to them. 374 00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:16.080 Well, first of all, it goes back to your point 375 00:23:16.119 --> 00:23:19.320 about the stereotypes about who cares about and thinks about what, 376 00:23:19.520 --> 00:23:23.959 because what I know is the majority of Latinos and 377 00:23:24.080 --> 00:23:28.200 Latinas support the right of the individual to be able 378 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:32.439 to make that decision and not the government. And so 379 00:23:32.560 --> 00:23:36.240 contrary to some stereotypes about based on religious beliefs that 380 00:23:36.280 --> 00:23:39.640 there would be a different perspective now and especially depending 381 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:42.600 on who you're talking about and when they arrived in 382 00:23:42.600 --> 00:23:46.000 the country and from where they also know personally a 383 00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:49.160 history of a government taking their rights from them, right, 384 00:23:49.560 --> 00:23:51.879 So this is a big issue for a lot of reasons. 385 00:23:52.280 --> 00:23:55.320 And when you look at the impact, of course, the 386 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:59.600 impact is significant. You're looking at, you know, states like Texas, 387 00:23:59.600 --> 00:24:05.960 states like Florida with huge Latino Latina populations who are 388 00:24:06.040 --> 00:24:08.959 now being restricted in terms of their access to essential 389 00:24:09.040 --> 00:24:12.359 reproductive health care. You're looking at when you still look 390 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:16.560 at disparities around income and then what that means to 391 00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:21.280 a woman in Texas or in Florida who has the 392 00:24:21.320 --> 00:24:25.119 majority of women who seek abortion care have children, right, 393 00:24:25.240 --> 00:24:28.640 So what that means, god willing, she has a job 394 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:31.920 that gives her paid sick leave. God willing she has 395 00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:34.840 affordable childcare because she's got have to leave the state 396 00:24:35.520 --> 00:24:38.879 and think about childcare, think about the day she's going 397 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:40.800 to miss from work and what that's going to mean 398 00:24:40.840 --> 00:24:43.520 in terms of her ability to pay rent or buy groceries. 399 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:46.879 So the thing is that I think that there are 400 00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:51.360 lots of stereotypes about where Latinas are on this issue, 401 00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:55.960