Democrats are merging to an ‘anti-Latino party’: Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Jr.
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Jr. on how the Latino community and their votes will impact the midterm elections on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.’
As we head into the midterms, it’s a new day for Hispanic Americans, the nation’s second-largest population group.
Hispanic Americans are achieving greatness in every sector of American society. As Forbes has noted, if the U.S. Latino market was its own country, it would be the eighth-largest economy in the world, larger even than Brazil’s and twice the size of Mexico’s.
We have the fastest-growing middle class in America, larger than Whites, Blacks, and Asians. Prior to COVID, we had the lowest unemployment rate.
We are not marginalized, oppressed or victimized regardless of the stereotypes woke culture tries to impose upon us. Those are antiquated beliefs from a bygone era.
We are not a one-issue voting bloc, whose greatest concern is immigration. As far as our "Dreamers"—those who came to America as children and received temporary relief from deportation—89 percent are employed. They are more likely to start a business and have better graduation rates compared to other non-citizens.
We have held our own against racism, prejudice and ridicule, and emerged victorious. We are successful, imaginative, entrepreneurial and industrious.
Our concerns are American concerns. Coming up to the midterm elections, we are most concerned about inflation, individual liberties, the power of choice, parental rights, limited government, expansive entrepreneurship, religious freedom and having an influential voice in leadership.
Our communities overall are more entrepreneurial, hard-working, and value-driven than the general population. We are far and away the fastest-growing sector in home-ownership, with almost half of us owning our own homes. We are raising our children to lead the world we will leave them. Seventeen percent of our community hold bachelor's or even higher educational degrees.
We account for 13.3 percent of all eligible voters, and our values are now shaping elections. Many Hispanic voters cast liberal ballots for years, but that is rapidly shifting. We haven’t had a sudden moment of change. We are conservatives by nature. We aren’t changing our priorities. We’re being driven right by the sudden left turn made by liberals.
The moment Democrats started embracing a socialist, communist mantra, the Party became a repudiation of who we are. We have watched our friends and family members in other nations struggle under socialism and communism. This has strengthened our beliefs in free markets and self-determination.
To us, the Democrat Party has become an extremist party on issues such as life, religious liberty, and parental rights. By doing so, it has emerged as an anti-Latino party.
Some Democrat leaders said Roe v. Wade would galvanize voters, but it's alienating Latinos. Not many Latinos embrace the idea of late-term abortion. I have yet to find one Latina who says, "Yes, I believe in late-term, partial birth, and even post-birth abortion."
Such liberal policies serve as a firewall against engaging Latinos. The exodus among our ranks from liberal to conservative is unprecedented and could well be the undoing of the Democrat Party.
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Yes, it’s a new day for Hispanics. Because of that, it’s a great day for America. We are the vaccine this nation needs to fight the present-day ideological virus that is trying to undermine the Constitution and reduce our nation to a socialist state.
The organization I lead, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, will be meeting on Nov. 30 in Tampa, Florida, to discuss the future of our churches, and of our people. This year’s gathering will prove to be a turning point in how we express our faith in God as Americans.
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We accept our role as beacons of hope for all Americans. This November, we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. We pledge allegiance to our families. We pledge allegiance to our God. And we pledge our allegiance to a republic that strives for liberty and justice for all.
That is our heritage. And that is our future.
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