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Eva Longoria, Latino Victory Project Call On Latinos To Combat Ugly Rhetoric By Sharing Their Family Stories

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Actor and activist Eva Longoria is the latest in a string of high-profile Latinos to fight back against the toxic, anti-immigrant and anti-Latino rhetoric from Republican Presidential candidates — and she bringing some back-up, too.

The Latino Victory Project co-founder is calling on Latinos and immigrants to submit their personal, family stories for the “Firsts Campaign,” which will “highlight Latinos who were the first members of the families to graduate high school or college, open their own business, or vote in a U.S. election.”

“I am inspired every day by our community as we constantly dare to dream big. I’m talking about those who become the first in their family to achieve milestones – whether they’re the first to graduate from college, own a home, or vote on Election Day,” said Longoria in a statement.

“The Firsts Campaign is about celebrating everyday victories in our community that are integral to the future of the nation.”

Over the past few months, a host of Latin@ entertainers and personalities have dedicated huge efforts to combat the xenophobic rhetoric of leading Republican candidates like Donald Trump.

Recently, Emilio Estefan enlisted the help of Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Thalia, Carlos Santana, and Wyclef Jean to record the star-studded “We’re All Mexican” song. In August, Ricky Martin penned a Univision op-ed calling Trump’s campaign “racist, absurd, and above all incoherent and ignorant,” with Marc Anthony offering Martin support on Twitter. And in a searing bit of comedy, George Lopez created the “Donaldo Trumpez” character, who is on a mission to “Make Mexico Great Again.”

And, as much as Trump may keep insisting “the Hispanics” love him, the facts say otherwise.

New polling from NBC/Telemundo/Wall Street Journal has a whopping 72% of Latinos viewing Trump negatively, with 67% saying they view him “very negatively.” Trump’s rock-bottom approval rating from Latinos is dragging down the Republican Party in general, too: Only 6% of Latino respondents say they view the Republican Party very positively.

And when Republicans need 42%-47% of Latino voters in order to win the 2016 presidential popular vote, things aren’t looking too rosy (for Trump and Republicans).

Latinos are engaged and mobilizing. Over a year away from the 2016 general election, NBC’s poll showed 56% of Latino respondents are already rating themselves as 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 regarding how interested they are in the election. Now, Longoria and the Latino Victory Project hope Latinos continue to fight back against ugly stereotypes and falsehoods.

“So far in this election cycle, we have seen an unbelievable amount of negativity about our community and a litany of hostile policies,” said Latino Victory Project President Cristóbal J. Alex.

“This campaign is designed to celebrate the considerable contributions that the people in our community make every day, and remind young people that their story matters. When we use our vote as our voice, candidates that reflect Latino values, which are American values, will win.”

Click here share your own “First” with the Latino Victory Project and help combat ugly rhetoric from 2016 election season.