Arizona State Senate
1700 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Press Release
PHOENIX – Senators Catherine Miranda (LD11) and Anna Hernandez (LD24) released the following statement condemning the hateful rhetoric recently on display at former President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden Rally:
“Our words matter,” Senator Catherine Miranda stated. “The way we talk about our fellow Americans will shape the future of our nation. We must always aim to empower and uplift our fellow Americans, which includes the citizens of Puerto Rico. Anyone using their national attention to make disparaging comments and engage in derogatory, cheap and racist comedy at the expense of our neighbors should feel ashamed. We are better than that. I will not hold my breath waiting for an apology from the former President, but I will say to every Puerto Rican living in Arizona: you matter, you have contributed to our state in ways that we can never repay, and you belong here.”
Senator Anna Hernandez added, “Puerto Rico is not garbage. Puerto Ricans make up nearly 10% of the Hispanic population in the U.S. Instead of denigrating the people of Puerto Rico, we should be recognizing their contribution to strengthening the fabric of our nation. They are U.S. Citizens, just like you and me and they deserve our shared respect. I want to personally apologize to the Puerto Ricans living in Arizona and across the country. The entire Latino community has shared their culture with this nation, spurred our economy forward in times of great crisis, and served our nation with great pride. We are a nation made stronger by our differences. This type of hate has no place in this country and when individuals use this divisive rhetoric to vilify hard-working Americans, good people of this country must stand up against the spread of hate.”
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