PIERRE PRAVO RECENTLY SAT DOWN
WITH ACTRESSES AMERICA FERREA
AND AVA LONGORIA BETHSTONE.
>> WE’RE REALLY EXCITED TO
LAUNCH THIS WHICH IS A NEW
DIGITAL LIFESTYLE COMMUNITY.
IT’S A MEDIA PLATFORM THAT WILL
BE FOR LATINAS ON HOW TO
LEVERAGE OUR POWER IN A WAY THAT
TRANSFORMS OUR LIVES, OUR
FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
>> SO MUCH OF THIS WAS INSPIRED
BY SUCH INCREDIBLE WORK BEING
DONE, BY LATINAS IN THEIR
FIELDS.
STEPHANIE VALENCIA HAS BEEN
DOING AMAZING RESEARCH AND
POLLING AROUND THE LATINA
ELECTORATE.
AND WHILE A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUME
THAT LATINAS DON’T SHOW UP
BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT PLUGGED IN,
WE FIND OUT THAT IT’S THE
OPPOSITE.
THERE IS UNFORTUNATELY A REAL
CONFIDENCE GAP IN THE LATINO
COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO
VOTING AND PARTICIPATING IN
CIVICALLY.
>> LATINAS HAVE MORE TURNOUT
RATES THAN ANY OTHER DEAF
GRAPHIC.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS AT THE ROOT
OF THE LOWER TURNOUT RATES AND
DOES THIS PRESENT ABDOMEN
OPPORTUNITY FOR VOTERS IN
NOVEMBER?
>> WE HAVE A SELF-ESTEEM GAP.
WE’RE VERY INTIMIDATED.
SO EVEN THOUGH LATINOS ARE THE
LONGEST DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE
UNITED STATES, UNLESS WE BUILT A
CULTURE THAT ALLOWS LATINOS TO
ACT ON THAT POWER, THEN WE’RE
NEVER GOING TO SEE THE POTENTIAL
FULL FORCE 234 THIS COUNTRY.
WE ARE POWERFUL, WE’RE HERE AND
WE’RE GOING TO ACT ON THAT
POWER.
>> AND AMERICA, YOU KNOW, WHEN
WE TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT
FACE THE LATINO COMMUNITY, WE
TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC INEQUALITY,
HEALTH CARE.
WHAT IS AT STAKE HERE WHEN YOU
LEAVE WOMEN OUT OF THAT
POLITICAL NARRATIVE?
>> ABILITY TO SHOW UP
IN OUR DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT THE
HEALTH OF THIS WHOLE NATION.
IF YOU HAVE 32 MILLION ELIGIBLE
AMERICANS WHO CANNOT ACCESS THE
BALLOT, WHETHER IT’S BECAUSE OF
VERY TARGETED VOTER SUPPRESSION
OR BECAUSE THERE’S A CULTURAL
ISSUE, AND A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM
WITH THE ENGAGEMENT OF 32
MILLION AMERICANS, THAT’S A
PROBLEM FOR OUR DEMOCRACY.
LATINAS ARE THE FASTEST GROWING
COHORT IN STATES ALL ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY.
THE POWER THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE
THE DIFFERENCE IS UNDENIABLE.
BUT OUR CHALLENGE IS HOW DO WE
SEE THAT POWER, OWN THAT POWER
AND THEN BE RESOURCED IN A WAY
TO USE AND ACT ON THAT POWER.
>> EVA, WE SAW YOU AT THE DNC.
I WANT TO ASK ABOUT HOW VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS FARE WITH
LATINOS.
WHAT SHOULD HIS MESSAGE TO BE
HISPANIC VOTERS?
>> THE BIGGEST MISSTEP THAT
CANDIDATES DO IS FOCUS ON LATINO
ISSUES.
THEY THINK LATINOS WANT TO HEAR
ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM AND
CITIZENSHIP.
THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE LATINOS
CARE ABOUT IS THE ECONOMY.
THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THE
AMERICANS CARE ABOUT IS THE
ECONOMY.
AND SO I THINK YOU HAVE TO
APPROACH OUR COMMUNITY WITH THAT
IN MIND AND KNOW WE’RE NOT
MONOLITHIC.
OUR VOTE IS NOT A GIVEN FOR THE
DEMOCRATS AND SO YOU HAVE TO
WORK TOWARDS MAKING SURE ANY
POLICIES YOU ARE PUTTING FORWARD
AFFECTS PEOPLE LIKE US.
COVID DIDN’T CAUSE ISSUES WE’RE
FACING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ALL THE DISPARITIES, ACCESS TO
HEALTH INSURANCE, ACCESS FOR OUR
CHILDREN, IT’S ALL BEEN
EXASPERATED.
FARM WORKERS HAVE BEEN DEEMED
ESSENTIAL.
THEY ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR
FOOD SUPPLY OF THE UNITED
STATES.
34% OF ALL ESSENTIAL WORKERS ARE
LATINO.
THAT’S YOUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS,
NURSES, FARM WORKERS, DRIVERS,
DELIVERY SERVICE PEOPLE.
WE’RE ONLY 18% OF THE POPULATION
BUT WE’RE 34% OF ESSENTIAL
WORKERS.
SO WE ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF
THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THIS
COUNTRY SO WE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS
TO EQUITY AND EQUALITY TO
EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO LIVE
DIGNIFIED LIVES.
>> WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OR
PRECAUTION TO POLITICAL LEADERS
AND CAMPAIGNS ON NOT TAKING
LATINOS AS A MONOLITHIC GROUP?
>> WELL, DON’T COME FOR US TWO
MONTHS BEFORE YOUR ELECTION, FOR
ONE.
EVA AND I HAVE HAD DECADES OF
THE SAME EXPERIENCE OF, YOU
KNOW, YOUR PHONE IS RINGING OFF
THE HOOK AS YOU APPROACH AN
ELECTION.
COME ON OUT AND HELP US GET THE
LATINO VOTE OUT.
LATINOS ARE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
SMART AND PAY ATTENTION AND KNOW
WHEN SOMETHING POLITICAL FEELS
LIKE A TRANSACTION.
THE BEST LONG TERM, BE
MEANINGFUL AND THOUGHTFUL IN THE
WAY THAT YOU’RE ENGAGING THE
LATINO COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE TO RESOURCE AND EMPOWER
ALL YEAR LONG, EVERY YEAR FOR
THE NEXT FIVE DECADES OUR LATINO
COMMUNITY IF WE ARE EVER GOING
TO SEE THE POWER AND POTENTIAL
THAT LIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY BE ACTED UPON.