By Councilmember Antonio Reynoso
Who will save the American Dream? Since our founding, this ideal has been a vivid expression of the equal opportunities that should exist here and the always evolving pursuit of a more perfect nation. For the millions of immigrants who have come to Brooklyn, the American Dream was a simple promise that with hard work and a commitment to our country, they can come here and chart their own course to success.
Of course, for people of color, the American Dream was always a dream deferred, but our communities have fought hard to forge a more perfect union centered on the full humanity of all of us. But right now, our pursuit of this dream is threatened like never before by the Trump Administration’s bigotry and corruption. We must continue to fight back.
Our best hope for reclaiming power in Washington and winning the transformative changes our communities need is by electing Senator Elizabeth Warren as our next President.
For me, this fight is personal. My parents came to Brooklyn from the Dominican Republic because they knew that no other place would offer my sisters and me a fairer shot for success. They worked hard to support us. And as they did, we depended on programs like SNAP and Section 8, parts of an essential social safety net that were also investments that paid off for America, by providing the resources to succeed and thrive.
But now, the Trump Administration is working to deny families like mine a place in America’s future. President Trump cannot even bring himself to recognize the humanity of these hard working strivers, instead locking immigrants in deplorable cages at our border, pursuing mass immigration raids, and trying to eviscerate the social safety net.
At a time when our immigrant communities and the cities they live in are under attack, we need a leader who offers a bold vision for all working people of this country, and no one fits this description better than Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Senator Warren displays thoughtful and detailed policies, while also giving voice to our most vulnerable communities who have been silenced by the current administration. She has outlined a robust immigration plan that expands legal immigration, provides a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people, decriminalizes migration, dramatically expands due process, ends private detention, and commits to addressing the root causes that lead people to leave their home countries in the first place.
Senator Warren understands that immigrants are integral members of our communities and active contributors to our economy. She has proposed meaningful investments in housing, schools, and health care. And she is ready to address climate change head on. For these reasons and more, I am proud to endorse her for President.
I grew up in Brooklyn with all the experiences that come along with being part of an urban, immigrant family. My family overcame obstacles, but the opportunities I was given allowed me to become a leader in my community, working to further expand those opportunities for the next generation.
I’m proud to join so many progressives across the country to support Senator Warren to ensure the ideals of our country are fully realized and that kids that grew up like me can continue to realize an even greater vision of what our country can be. I know Senator Warren has what it takes to get it done, and I’ll be working tirelessly over the coming months to ensure that she is our Democratic nominee and the next President of the United States.
Warren 2020