As a Latina, a Military Spouse, and a Mother, I Grieve For Our Nation

As a daughter of Puerto Rico, not a day goes by that I don't think about my island, my people, and all the Latinos who contribute so much to this nation. During Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate those contributions and recognize how the Latino community enhances every aspect of American life. We are small-business owners, innovators, professional athletes, performers, and elected leaders. We are teachers, nurses, doctors, and support staff on the front lines of this pandemic. And we are service members drawing on the legacy of those who came before us like the Borinqueneers — the 65th Infantry Regiment of the US Army that served during the Korean War.

I was proud to join the Biden campaign as national Latino adviser to elect a leader who not only recognizes the contributions of the Latino community but who also celebrates them and has a plan to build our country back better for Latinos and for all people. It has been heartbreaking to watch as Donald Trump denigrates the Latino community, undermining our economic security and health, tearing families apart, abandoning Dreamers, and neglecting Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Maria and Irma and ongoing earthquakes. Enough is enough, and I'm proud to join in the fight for my community.

As a military spouse, I see day in and day out how Latinos contribute to our nation's security and well-being, and I've felt firsthand the many hardships our service members and their families face. We value la familia above all else, so the fear and anxiety about your loved one coming home safe is only compounded by the difficulty of being separated for extended periods of time. And then there are the day-to-day challenges like finding child care or employment or dealing with a broken VA system. That's why I've dedicated much of my career to advocating for our service members and military families and pushing for additional resources for our community. They need support. They need visibility. And they need a leader who will fight for them, and that's Joe Biden.

Biden doesn't view our service members and veterans as losers or suckers. He honors their sacrifices and their duty to our country. Not only that, he has a proven record of standing with our military along with wife Dr. Jill Biden, who created Joining Forces, a national initiative to support military families and veterans. Former Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden will keep the faith with men and women serving in uniform and their families by relaunching and strengthening Joining Forces and making it a priority for a Biden-Harris administration. They will support service members by paying them a competitive wage; providing their spouses, caregivers, and survivors with the resources they need to get by and get ahead; and ensuring their children have every opportunity to succeed. And they'll work to ensure veterans have world-class health care through the VA, eliminate homelessness, increase access to mental health treatment, and create meaningful employment and education opportunities.

In so many ways, Biden will stand with the Latino community and build a brighter and more secure future for us all. A Biden-Harris administration will get a handle on this pandemic — which has disproportionately affected Latinos — and not downplay it and lie to the American people. A Biden presidency will focus on expanding access to quality, affordable health care, safe working conditions, good-paying jobs that will allow them to support their families, well-funded schools, and clean air and water. And instead of spreading hate, Biden and Kamala Harris will provide a roadmap to citizenship and return dignity and respect for immigrants — many of whom serve in our military. They will treat us Puerto Ricans as the fellow American citizens that we are, and they will stand with our Dreamers who lend their talents and service to communities across this country.

As a Latina, a military spouse, and a mother, I grieve for our nation and the crises we are facing, but I find hope in the vision that Biden and Harris have put forward for a better future for all of us. It's a future we must fight for, so as we celebrate Latinos throughout this month, I urge everyone to visit iwillvote.com to make a plan to vote early. It's about family and community, and it's up to us to make a difference.