00:00Welcome back to From the South. We continue in the U.S. to keep analyzing political and social
00:05landscapes during these midterm elections. We are joined by Teresa Vivar, founder and executive
00:11director of Lasos América Unida. Welcome, Teresa, to From the South.
00:21Well, this is an event that is happening right now in the United States, an historic event
00:28which they double and we have more people voting in these midterm elections compared to the 2022.
00:36And we have now the Latino vote being involved in these midterm elections that they defeated
00:43the black people that were the ones that used to be in this minority. What can you tell us about
00:49it?
00:51Hello, how are you, everybody? I think the elections, these elections are very important for us
01:00because even though what we are not electing president, I think we're going to be electing
01:08who's going to take decisions in Congress, right? So depending on each state and the state and local
01:16governments, I think these elections are going to be very crucial for us and I think our decisions
01:22can influence, of course, we hope that we can influence the politics, immigration politics,
01:30education, health, labor rights and resources that are very important for our communities. So I think
01:37it's very important that we have to recognize that all, even though not all people have the right to vote,
01:46that not necessarily means that we don't have voice. And I think it's important now than ever
01:55to recognize that the workers and their children
02:03are crucial, not only for the economic development of this country, but also because we're going to be,
02:11our vote is going to be very decisive in these elections, very, very important.
02:16Yeah, and also due to all the discontent that had the US citizens and also the non-US citizens,
02:24migrants that live in the United States and the feared by the ICE agents too.
02:34Yes, yeah, yeah, definitely. I think
02:41our families are mixed, right? We have permanent residents, we have citizens, we have people that
02:49have some power documents, people that are born in this country, and some not necessarily have all
02:56documents right now, but they've been in process of getting the documents ready. So I think it's
03:02very important for us to recognize how the political system in the United States works,
03:09and I think the youth are going to go to the polls, are going to the polls
03:15in numbers, because they're learning that the vote, when you are educated, you know, you educate
03:25yourself on the people that you want to vote for, and your civic and ethnic life in this country.
03:37When you educate yourself about this point, I think it's important how these elections can give
03:43the opportunity to this youth to exercise the voting rights, you know. So I think it's very, it's going
03:49to be very interesting to watch the polls, to watch the numbers. Many, many of us are going to the
03:56polls right now. So I think for the first time in many years, the youth are waking, that you're understanding
04:06that they can be their parents' voice.
04:10Yeah, and also that this has been the big, the huge difference that we can see at polls,
04:17and the ballots, the different, the mail-in and personal ballots, that is the difference between the
04:25Republicans and the Democrats during these midterm elections.
04:32Exactly. I think right now, I don't think it's about only about Democrats or Republicans. It's about
04:41that the vote of the people is there.
04:53Yeah, and well, we have seen a lot of differences in these midterm elections, as there are people
05:05that are demonstrating that they are not agreeing with Trump's policies. Even states that were Republicans,
05:14are at risk of no vote enough for Republicans at the Senate, at the Congress, because of these
05:21policies of the current government.
05:25That's correct. I think the, this administration way of running this country is not what we want.
05:36It's not what we need. It's not what we'd like to see in the future. And I think that's what
05:42the
05:42voting polls is getting pulled because we don't want this to continue. And, but I think it's also
05:49important, as I said, to recognize that the youth are questioning the representatives, are learning to
05:57question them. They're learning to stop the fear or showing that they have a voice. You know, and that's
06:08important for us, for everybody. I think the youth has to participate more in the civic life of this
06:13country. And what these deportations are happening, the way that these agents are, or this administration
06:21is running the country, honestly, is not something that is helpful for the workers. The community,
06:27I'm talking in, in, in my, in my perspective as a Mexican, the Mexicans are hardworking people.
06:33And from their work, the economy of this country depends off, and not only from this country,
06:39also from Mexico. And I think as a hardworking people, we deserve respect, and we deserve opportunities
06:44to work peacefully, doing the best that we can to support this country. And that's all that matters
06:50the most. So I think going to the polls today is to let people, to, to demonstrate to Democrats and
06:56Republicans that our voice matter, that we know alone, and that we watching them. And if the Democrats
07:04don't fulfill the promise of better, better system, not only political speaking, but also economically and
07:11everything, to us, we're going to continue going to the polls and, and, and, and vote for somebody that
07:17can hear us. You know, this is what we are working on right now. We want to demonstrate the voice
07:23of
07:23the Latinx kids, all the people who born this country from immigrant parents matters, are important.
07:31Thank you very much, Teresa, for being, and join us here in From the South.
