Latinos need role in stopping gun violence
This month, many of us will be celebrating the invaluable contributions Latinos have made to American society. We have been pillars of the great American experiment, economic and cultural backbones to this country we all love so much.
But talking about the positives is only half the story. If America truly values Latinos, it has to talk about the things that are killing us.
At the top of that list is gun violence.
According to recently released research, Latinos are twice as likely to be shot and killed as white, non-Latino Americans. I’m a member of the Latino community who lost her father to gun homicide. This statistic breaks my heart. Even more devastating is the fact that we almost never talk about it, both within the community and outside it.
When I was in Congress, I spoke to Latino parents who lost their kids in Parkland, as well as Latinos who lost friends and family members at Pulse. But my Latino constituents, who make up a large majority of the district I represented, were the least vocal about the issue of community violence that leads to Latinos being twice as likely to be shot and killed. The long-term costs of not addressing these issues in our communities is a story that has long gone untold.
Whether it’s voter suppression laws, climate change or gun violence, you almost never hear the Latino perspective. Even when it comes to criminal justice reform and police brutality against people of color, our experiences are often ignored, even though Latinos are the biggest minority bloc. There’s a singular focus on immigration when it comes to our communities.
This myopic mindset is not only uninformed, it’s harmful. Latinos should be actively involved in crafting and supporting solutions to gun violence. After a white supremacist murdered 23 people and injured 23 more at an El Paso Walmart in August 2019, many Americans rallied around the Latino community and united to stand up against hate.
But it’s not enough to condemn one hate-filled individual. Just as the problem of gun violence is much broader and deeper than mass shootings, the impact of gun violence on the Latino community extends far beyond El Paso.
We deserve a seat at the table. Many of us left our home countries to escape gun violence, only to find ourselves the targets of the highest rates of gun violence in the United States.
It’s ironic that my state, Florida, has a heavy Latino population and also very weak gun laws. Elected officials are letting their constituents die in devastating numbers: more than 2,800 Floridians died of gun violence in 2019. Marco Rubio is an example of a politician — and a Latino — who has turned his back on these devastating numbers, choosing cowardice and allegiance to the gun lobby over taking action. Our elected officials have a duty to take on this crisis.
To tackle gun violence head on, we need greater education both within and outside the community about how gun violence affects Latino communities. We must engage our communities on these issues, involve them in the political process and encourage them to raise their voices and demand change.
We need to ensure that community violence intervention and prevention funding allocated by federal and state governments also go to Latino communities. Policies and educational materials related to domestic violence and suicide prevention should be crafted with diverse communities in mind and in direct partnership with affected communities. Material should also be easily accessible and well distributed so that it reaches those who need it most.
It’s up to us to treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves. We must keep educating, keep advocating, and keep encouraging others to tell their stories, especially in communities where pain and trauma are too often swept under the rug. Only then can we turn back the tide on this deadly epidemic.