Clatsop County Local Elections

This election cycle has been a contentious one, and for Latinos in Clatsop County, the choice should be clear.

The United States has entrenched ethnically based ideas of who can be an “American.” Latinos for Trump is counterintuitive, especially considering the vitriol he spews on Latinos as the backbone of his 2016 and 2024 campaigns.

Until 1952, there was a racial prerequisite for becoming a citizen. The selective and symbolic enforcement of who can obtain citizenship has attached an arbitrary definition to Latinos. Initially, Mexicans were historically placed in a racially ambiguous position and had to fit into Western ideals to ensure legal status and receive better treatment. 

I plead to other Latinos, por favor no voten contra su propia comunidad e identidad. Aunque sean ciudadanos, el retórico dañino de Trump sobre nuestra comunidad los va a afectar a ustedes también. Even when non-citizens are the primary targets of certain laws, strategies, or discriminatory practices, the results still affect citizens and influence their treatment too. 

In support of my hometown and community, I urge you to carefully consider the candidates for this election cycle, especially local candidates. Check who is endorsed by the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation which did not support Farmworker Overtime Pay in 2022, considering that the majority of farmworkers are Latino. 

If you have the opportunity to vote, please do. Please protect our Latino population in this county. Don’t support local candidates who support presidential candidates that spew hateful rhetoric towards Latinos such as Darlene Warren.