[Some of the power of voting that doesn’t often get shared:
voting can directly impact some of those things that you see whether
it’s a school shooting, gun violence, people dying on the
border—voting can actually make that difference in those issues.]
[[link removed]]

YOUNG LATINAS ARE USING THEIR QUINCEAÑERAS TO GET TEXAS VOTERS TO
THE POLLS THIS ELECTION  
[[link removed]]


 

Alexandra Martinez
November 3, 2022
Prism
[[link removed]]


*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

_ Some of the power of voting that doesn’t often get shared: voting
can directly impact some of those things that you see whether it’s a
school shooting, gun violence, people dying on the border—voting can
actually make that difference in those issues. _

, Photo by Samanta Helou Hernandez, courtesy of Harness and Jolt
Initiative

 

A group of young Latinas donned their quince gowns on Oct. 29 and led
their families and friends along the streets of San Antonio, urging
them to harness their electoral voice and vote in the upcoming midterm
elections. The event was part of Ride to the Polls
[[link removed]], a national campaign
from the nonprofit organization Harness
[[link removed]] that aims to encourage young BIPOC voter
turnout through cultural milestone celebrations. At the end of the
parade, participants were invited to register to vote or even vote
early if they were eligible. Organizers of this event say the stakes
of this year’s elections could not be any higher, and it is more
important than ever for young BIPOC voters to have their voices heard
through electoral choice.

“This is an important rite of passage, and we wanted to connect that
rite of passage to the rite of passage that comes with voting,” said
Harness senior programs manager Pacita Rudder. “Voting is also an
important step in a young person’s life. We want to highlight that
through the cultural relevancy of quinceñeras but also at the same
time, building that solidarity among Black, Indigenous, Latino people
of color communities.”

Ride to the Polls is inspired by young indigenous activist Allie
Young, who led trail rides
[[link removed]] through
Navajo Nation to get young native voters to the polls in the 2020
elections. According to Rudder, the event highlighted the voter
suppression on reservations and in Native communities. Harness is
hoping to expand the event’s impact this year by bringing more
communities of color to the polls.

“Ultimately, what we’re doing is building a culture of voting,”
said Rudder. “That starts at a young age and, unfortunately, in this
country and in our system, voting hasn’t been ingrained in the way
that it should be.”

Though the young Latinas celebrating their quinceñeras are only 15
years old and not yet eligible to vote, the campaign hopes to spark
civic interest at an early age and inspire involvement from older
friends and family who are eligible voters. Midterms have historically
received lower voter turnout than presidential elections; according
to data from FairVote
[[link removed]], about 60% of the
eligible voting population votes during presidential election years,
while about 40% votes during midterm elections. According to the
Census Bureau’s current population survey
[[link removed]],
young adults ages 18-24 who voted in the last midterm elections nearly
doubled, from 17% in 2014 to 32% in 2018. Harness organizers hope to
see that number grow even further.

“Once you hit 18, there’s a lot of things that come with it and a
lot of responsibilities, one of which is voting, and if we’re able
to educate the younger folks early, then that makes it easier,”
Rudder said. “Us being able to bring in those 15-year-olds who are
celebrating to be a part of the process and a system of voting helps
them have an easier time voting once they hit the age range of
voting.”

The Ride to the Polls quinceñeras were also done in partnership with
the nonprofit Jolt Initiative [[link removed]],
whose goal is to increase civic engagement amongst Latinx youth within
Texas as a whole. San Antonio, and Texas at large, has been at the
forefront of conservatives’ attacks on abortion rights
[[link removed]],
inhumane immigration policies
[[link removed]],
and a tragic school shooting in Uvalde
[[link removed]] that
still did not incite legislative gun reform. Organizers say the stakes
could not be higher, especially in Texas, which has clearly set the
precedent for conservative legislation and policy nationwide.

“There’s a lot at stake right across the board, both nationally,
but specifically in Texas,” said Rudder. “It’s important for us
to be getting as many people of color communities out to vote so that
their voices are heard in this election because if they’re not,
we’re gonna see more of that continued pushback against initiatives
that support racial justice, reproductive justice, and immigration
reform.”

Rudder hopes that getting out the Latinx vote in the midterm elections
will lead to a “cultural shift” with greater representation from
people most impacted by legislative policy. Over 40% of Texans
[[link removed].] are
Latinx
[[link removed].],
surpassing the white, non-Latinx demographic.

“We know that the power of Latinos is very engaging and very strong,
and what we want to do is bring that empowerment and bring that voice
and bring that advocacy to young Latinas,” said Diana Maldonado,
Jolt Initiative interim executive director. “That’s one of the
investments that we feel that is important for our American democracy,
our statewide democracy, and our Latino democracy to be represented
now, as Latinos are becoming the largest demographic in the state of
Texas and other states in the nation.”

While communities of color are rightfully “fatigued” by ongoing
turmoil, Rudder hopes the celebration will inspire young voters to
retain faith in the electoral process and realize the power of their
vote. 

“[Overturning _Roe v. Wade_, harmful immigration policy, and school
shootings], those are things that can be prevented with good policies
that are really grounded and rooted in the community and are not built
to harm communities of color, especially in Latino communities,”
said Rudder. “That is some of the power of voting that doesn’t
often get shared; that voting can actually directly impact some of
those things that you see whether it’s a school shooting, gun
violence, people dying on the border—voting can actually make that
difference in those issues.”

_Alexandra Martinez is the Senior News Reporter at Prism. She is a
Cuban-American writer based in Miami, Florida, with an interest in
immigration, the economy, gender justice, and the environment. Her
work has appeared in CNN, Vice, and Catapult Magazine, among others.
Follow her on Twitter @alex__mar._

When Prism was established in 2019, it was because we knew that the
status quo media landscape wasn’t reflecting enough of the
truth—and it wasn’t bringing us closer to our vision of collective
liberation and justice. We saw a different path forward, one that we
could forge by disrupting and dismantling toxic narratives, uncovering
the hard truths of injustice alongside the people experiencing the
acute impacts of injustice, and providing a platform for people of
color to tell their own stories, and those of their communities.  

* Latinas
[[link removed]]
* texas
[[link removed]]
* GOTV
[[link removed]]
* elections
[[link removed]]

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

 

 

 

INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT

 

 

Submit via web
[[link removed]]

Submit via email
Frequently asked questions
[[link removed]]

Manage subscription
[[link removed]]

Visit xxxxxx.org
[[link removed]]

Twitter [[link removed]]

Facebook [[link removed]]

 




[link removed]

To unsubscribe, click the following link:
[link removed]