Author: Paola Nagovitch
The latest Scripps News/Ipsos poll shows that 54% of voters support Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations, making it the largest deportation effort in American history. This includes 86% of Republicans and 25% of Democrats. In addition, the poll reveals that more voters have a favorable opinion of Kamala Harris, but still believe Trump would handle immigration better. Immigration ranks among the top three concerns for voters, with securing the southern border being a priority. The majority support limiting asylum applications and granting local law enforcement the power to detain immigrants. The poll also shows 54% of voters backing the…
In the 1940s, in New York, a Puerto Rican woman named Lucrecia considered giving away her daughter, Nina, for one reason: the little girl was too dark-skinned with curly hair. Lucrecia’s family pressured her to give Nina up for adoption to maintain their “white” lineage. Fortunately, Lucrecia chose to ignore her family’s demands. Years later, Nina’s daughter, Tanya Katerí Hernández, grew up embracing her Afro-Puerto Rican heritage. Hernández, now a law professor, delves into Latino Anti-Blackness in her book, “Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality”. She challenges the taboo of discussing racism within the Latino…
Despite not officially holding the position of “border czar,” Vice President Kamala Harris has faced criticism from Republicans and some Democrats for the handling of the migration crisis at the U.S. southern border. The Biden Administration’s focus on addressing root causes of migration through diplomatic efforts in Central America has been met with mixed reviews. Republicans accuse Harris of failing to secure the border, while Democrats and pro-immigration groups criticize her for dissuading potential migrants from making the journey to the U.S. Despite private sector commitments to invest in the region, illegal border crossings continue to rise. The Biden Administration…
Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, has escalated his crusade against the federal government by targeting immigration policies, particularly focusing on the U.S.-Mexico border. Abbott recently criticized Joe Biden’s decision to endorse Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate for president, vowing to increase border security measures in response. Despite Harris never overseeing border or immigration policy, Abbott and other Republicans have labeled her as a “border czar” and blamed her for increased illegal crossings. In reality, Harris has been working on diplomatic relations with Central American countries to address the root causes of migration, which is thousands of miles…
Meet Valeria, a street vendor of Ecuadorian origin selling fruit at a subway station in Brooklyn. Despite facing fines and jail time, she continues to take the risk to support her family. Valeria’s story is just one of many; countless migrant families resort to street selling due to lack of childcare options. An initiative called Algún Día conducted a survey revealing the challenges faced by these vendors, including limited access to resources and support. The main struggle for these families is finding someone to care for their children while they work. Surprisingly, many are unaware of existing aid programs in…
Guesnerth Josué Perea recounted his experience with the latest United States census in 2020, where he identified as Colombian and Black, classifying himself as an Afro-Latino of Colombian origin. However, he believes the government did not accurately count Afro-Latinos like himself, instead categorizing them as multirracial. This misclassification has led to a significant undercounting of Afro-Latinos in the country, with estimates suggesting there are around 6 million, far more than the official census figure of 1.2 million. The Census Bureau recently announced a change in how Hispanic/Latino identity will be recorded, consolidating the race and ethnicity questions into one. While…
A poignant scene unfolds on Manhattan’s Eighth Avenue outside the Row Hotel as New Yorkers and tourists prepare to witness the April 8 solar eclipse. Amidst the bustling crowds, Hedgie, a 30-year-old Ecuadorian woman, remains almost unseen with her belongings, awaiting her husband’s help to relocate from the hotel that has been their refuge for two months. Their family of four, all undocumented migrants, must now move to the Watson Hotel until June, only to face further uncertainty as they apply for shelter in New York City’s overwhelmed migrant facilities. The city’s new regulations, introduced by Democratic Mayor Eric Adams,…