Latinos Rise to Kennedy

American Values 2024 Hosts Event for New York-area Latinos

On Monday night, at midtown Manhattan restaurant, Frida’s, some thirty members of the Latino community met with key figures from American Values 2024, the super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's 2024 presidential campaign. 

Intrigued to learn more about Kennedy’s positions, especially how they will impact their communities across New York and New Jersey, the mostly Latina attendees mingled with AmericanValues co-founder, Tony Lyons; national outreach head, John Gilmore; and director of communications, Trevor FitzGibbon.

American Values’ Alejandra Chaparro, one of the hosts of the event, talked about the importance of organizing such gatherings as a means of giving voice to the concerns of her community. She stressed that such meetings are great opportunities for Kennedy to share his views and vision for the campaign, and to be heard and seen as he resists attempts to silence him. 

Following brief introductions by FitzGibbon, attendees were shown a video that Kennedy had exclusively recorded for them while on the road in Iowa. He emphasized the need to meet and hear from them directly, and talked about issues impacting Latino and Hispanic communities: better healthcare and childcare facilities; more benefits and protections for the middle class; and the sensitive border issue. 

At the event, attendees were asked to raise their concerns. They shared heart wrenching stories of border crossings and eventual immigration. The majority voiced the need for smoother and more transparent immigration policies. Kennedy has repeatedly said he will work on these if elected president. 

Another topic of concern was mental health, for children and teenagers, especially undocumented immigrants. Attendees spoke of the lack of facilities for maternal mental healthcare, and the need to educate undocumented immigrants who are vulnerable to exploitation and substance abuse. And with the same level of energy and focus, the conversation moved between the importance of supporting small businesses, making higher education more accessible, and the need to protect the dwindling middle class.

The Kennedy Beacon spoke with some of the attendees. One, Alma (who wouldn’t disclose her last name), hailed from Jersey City. She talked about how her two-fold support for Kennedy stems from the Kennedy family history as well as RFK Jr. 's promise to take care of America’s poor. Like her friend, Liliam, who also declined to provide a last name, she appreciates Kennedy’s concern for underprivileged Americans, and she wants to see him make education accessible for all.

Nicholas A. Politis, an engineer, said he supports Kennedy’s environmental policies. Although he admitted to being a Trump conservative, he likes that Kennedy is not afraid to speak the truth and is a bridge between Republicans and Democrats. “Kennedys have always been about social issues,” he said, adding, “Kennedy knows what is going on with America, he understands the issues. . . . I love hearing him speak because he never attacks and always speaks facts. That is what I like about him.” 

“I think there are millions of Latina women who are beginning to recognize that Kennedy will fight for their rights against a corrupt system that is ignoring the issues that are important to them,” American Values co-founder Lyons told The Kennedy Beacon. “They see through the censorship and targeted propaganda and recognize him as a genuine, open problem solver, a corruption fighter willing to risk his life to make their lives better.

The meeting ended on a hopeful note. The Latina women, in particular, offered a crucial observation. While they acknowledged their support for Kennedy for “having the balls” to boldly take on challenges, they also expressed their hopes to see more Latino representation. They emphasized that appointing more Latinos will help Kennedy understand the issues and concerns of the community—because the core problems cannot be solved in the absence of the people who actually live them.