Juana Esquivel of America’s Voice Responds
Yesterday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.
Juana Esquivel, AV Digital Campaigns Manager, daughter of immigrants and, as a California resident, a constituent of Sen. Kamala Harris, has this to say in response:
This is historic and inspiring. As a woman of color and the daughter of immigrants, the announcement that Senator Kamala Harris is a vice presidential candidate fills me with immense joy and hope. It is a powerful reminder of what is possible.
Kamala Harris exemplifies what happens when immigrants are given a chance. Her parents came to the United States as international students in the 1960’s. She and her sister grew up in Oakland, she worked her way up through law school and eventually she was elected to serve as the Attorney General of California. She then became a U.S. Senator and today she is making history as the first woman of color and first daughter of immigrants to be nominated for Vice President.
The Trump Administration thinks that you win on immigration by calling immigrants like my parents and her parents ‘criminals’ and ‘rapists.’ You don’t. You win and lead by being compassionate and giving us a chance to succeed. The possibilities become endless and the country only benefits from that.
Senator Harris is a fierce fighter for immigrants because she’s lived the experience. She’s stood up for Dreamers and DACA recipients; she’s fought against family separations and visited detention centers; she believes in a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants across the country; and she hasn’t been afraid to hold the Trump administration accountable for their horrific anti-immigrant policies by asking people like John Kelly, Kirstjen Nielsen and William Barr the tough questions.
Senator Harris has been a fighter for California and immigrant families like mine. I applaud Joe Biden for choosing her as his Vice President.
