Opinion: Reeling under Trump, Latinos can determine a different outcome

This election is a critical reminder of how far the Latino community has come in Texas since the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. A lot has changed since that time. Back then, it wasn’t uncommon to see signs in Texas restaurants and stores that read “No Dogs, No Mexicans, No Blacks Allowed.” And discriminatory tactics such as poll taxes and literacy tests kept thousands of Latinos and African Americans from voting in our state.

But change didn’t happen because of inertia; it was due to the hard work of Latinos and communities of color who took their fight to the streets, the courts and the voting booth.

In 2020, we have a lot to gain – and a lot to lose.

Over the last four years of the Trump administration, we have seen unprecedented attacks on our community and the programs for which we have worked so hard and for so long. These assaults were not a surprise. Trump, after all, called Mexicans “rapists” and “criminals.” And while he has failed in his promise to “Build the Wall,” under his administration we have seen unprecedented efforts designed to diminish the rights and power of Latinos. From attacks on the DACA program that benefited over 630,000 Latinos, to attacks on legitimate asylum seekers from Latin America, to efforts to undercount Latinos in the U.S. Census and thus erode our representation in Washington, Austin and statehouses across the country, this administration has done more to reverse the progress of the Latino community than any in modern history.

These attacks have left the community reeling, yet ready to act because Latino voting power increases every year. Across the U.S, since 2016, 4.7 million Latinos have become eligible to vote, the greatest increase of any ethnic group in the country. Each year over 900,000 Latinos turn 18, many in key swing states such as Texas, Florida and Arizona. And in Texas alone, an average of 210,000 Latinos will turn 18 each year, with 95% of them U.S. citizens – roughly one-half of all new eligible voters coming of age in the state. In short, young Latinos represent one of the largest and fastest-growing political forces in America.

Unfortunately, demographics alone are not destiny.

In 2018, nearly 60% of eligible Latino voters reported they were not contacted by any campaign or candidate in the weeks before the election. Getting young Latino voters out requires sustained investment in community-led “get out the vote” efforts and Latino voting rights organizations. Still, most Latinos say candidates and their campaigns don’t talk to them.

Some ambitious young Latinos are working to change that. People like 22-year old Esther Ramos, who is working tirelessly to register Latino voters at her church and in her local Dallas neighborhood of Pleasant Grove. According to Esther, “Latinos want to be involved and vote, but we are being forgotten and ignored - so no one speaks to us. I want to change that.”

In 2020, our country faces one of the greatest threats to our democracy - another four years of Donald Trump.

For Latinos, it’s not just about reclaiming our democracy, it’s also about a refusal to go backwards, to give up on the gains that leaders fought for and died for in the civil rights movement. It is about realizing the potential of a young, vibrant and growing community – one that has just witnessed the unfortunate perils of standing on the political sideline.

In 2016, Trump may have seen few political consequences for attacking Latinos. But in this election, Latinos have the power to determine a different outcome for our community and country. Let’s be sure not to let this opportunity slip from our hands.

Ruiz is the former chairman and CEO of AMD. His career in the technology industry spans decades and he has served on the boards of the RAND Corporation, Rice University, and Harvey Mudd College.

Tzintzún Ramirez is a former Democratic U.S .Senate candidate and founder of Jolt and Workers Defense Project.