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This week, The Rally recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18.
Here in Texas, our Hispanic population has grown dramatically in recent decades. The 2020 Census showed us that Texas' Hispanic population is now nearly as large as the non-Hispanic white population, with just half a percentage point separating them. Texas gained nearly 11 Hispanic residents for every additional white resident since 2010. Non-Hispanic white Texans now make up just 39.8% of the state’s population — down from 45% in 2010m whereas the share of Hispanic Texans has grown to 39.3%. Meanwhile, Texas Republicans are working to minimize Hispanic population gains through gerrymandering to prevent Hispanic Texans from electing representatives that reflect their communities.
To reflect the richness and diversity of our Hispanic Community here in Collin County, we've invited prominent members to contribute short essays on what their heritage means to them, and what it means to be Hispanic in Collin County or Texas. Those essays are included below - keep scrolling!
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Join the Fight! Join Us At ARD! | Texas Democrats have fought hard to stop the onslaught of bad bills in Austin, but they still know how to have fun. Join State Representatives Ana Maria Ramos, Michelle Beckley, and James Talarico at the Ann Richards Dinner and Masquerade Ball on October 16th and support our biggest fundraiser of the year to help get Democrats elected in 2022. Contributions of $1000.00 or more get 2 tickets to the best party in town AND receive VIP pre-party access. Get your tickets TODAY before they’re gone! | |
Rep. Ana Maria Ramos, Rep. Michelle Beckley, Rep. James Talarico | |
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Visit our Ann Richards Dinner web page for details on the food, fun, and sponsorship opportunities! Sponsors will enjoy special perks not available to other attendees. Sponsor package availability is limited, so don't wait!
For the safety of everyone attending, only individuals fully vaccinated for COVID-19 should attend this in-person event. Face masks will be required for all venue staff and guests.
When: Saturday, October 16, 7-11 p.m.
Where: Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center, 7121 Bishop Rd, Plano
Cost: Individual tickets are $150 per person. Sponsorships are also available.
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The Register Collin Campaign wraps up this weekend! We'll be canvassing Wylie and Lavon on Saturday and Sunday, October 9 and 10, to register new voters! This is the last official weekend, though of course you can use our tools and process to register voters any time, anywhere in Collin County. As always, you can sign up below to join us to canvass neighborhoods, and as we always appreciate your donation. | |
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Learn about the REGISTER COLLIN campaign.
Want to know when we'll be registering voters where you are? Check out the schedule on collindemocrats.org!
Help keep #RegisterCollin teams marching! Click the Blue Donate button below and send a donation to support the team's work.
#Blue2022 #RegisterCollin
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HISPANIC VOICES OF COLLIN COUNTY AND TEXAS | |
As part of our commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic activists from Collin County and Texas to write to us about their Hispanic heritage and its personal meaning, how their heritage influences their activism, and what it means to be Hispanic in Collin County or Texas. Here are some of the responses we received. | |
Jessica González – Representative, Texas House District 104
Ever since I was a kid, my Latina identity, or my “Latinidad” as I like to say, has always been something I have proudly held close to my heart. I grew up in Oak Cliff, one of the largest communities of color in Dallas County. And as the daughter of two Mexican immigrants, I saw with my own eyes the struggles that we, and many other families in my community, had to endure. I remember in high school being verbally abused on the soccer field by players from rival schools, mocking the language my family spoke on the sidelines, and belittling the color of my skin. At the time, I remember promising myself that I would fight the hardest for every volley and run faster for every pass just to show others that “Latinas don’t back down!” That passion has lived inside of me ever since, and it is something I take with me everywhere I go. It has kept me motivated and has given me a reason to keep fighting, especially on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives.
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Francisco Javier “Harvey” Oaxaca Sr. – McKinney ISD Board of Trustees Place 7 (at Large)
My Hispanic Heritage has thought me the value of the love of family and a strong support system and the importance of preparing the next generation to share these same values.
Growing up in a large family in East El Paso, 7 sisters and 6 brothers, gave me a sense of belonging, pride, sacrificing, doing for others, loving, and serving others. Our parents taught us the value of hard work and being there for others. They lived out for us daily the following lesson: “El que no sirve, No Sirve!” roughly translated it means…If you are not serving others your life has little value.
This philosophy has stayed with me and has inspired me to “Pay it forward.” So many people have supported, guided, served and loved me that I feel “a calling” to give back to my community.
As the first Hispanic to win an “At Large” seat on the MISD Board of Trustees, it is an honor to serve the McKinney Community, especially the students and staff, as a Board Trustee. My goal is to give back as much as has been given to me and to inspire others to do the same.
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Beatrize McKnight – Collin County Democratic Activist, CoChair, CCDP Events and Outreach Committee
Having been born in Mexico (I became an American citizen two days after 9/11), I often feel like an outsider in this country, especially with the election of 2016. The election of trump (use of lowercase on purpose) definitely opened my eyes to the importance of engaging in politics - especially after hearing President Obama's farewell speech where he said "If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clip board, get some signatures, and run for office yourself. Show up, dive in, stay at it.” I ran for precinct chair (that race went into a runoff), became active with the McKinney Area Democrats, and have served as co-chair of the CCDP Events and Outreach committee. My activism is spurred by a desire to make a difference and show that people of Mexican descent are a valuable part of this country's beautiful patchwork of multiracial cultures. The differences we bring as individuals should enhance and make us stronger, not serve to divide us.
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Elisa Klein – Activist, entrepreneur, former candidate for Plano City Council, Co-Chair, CCDP Candidate Development Team
The best thing about being a Hispanic and LatinX person in Plano is it connects me in many ways to our diverse population and that fuels my passion for advocacy. Although we make up a significant portion of the community, the immigrant or minority experience is something that is under-represented in the leadership roles. However, I have discovered that we have tremendous influence and must use it to engage with existing leaders, mentor our people, and step out of our comfort zones to amplify our voices. We must get involved at all ages and levels, whether it’s exercising our right to vote or running for student council. I applaud the efforts of Plano ISD and local PTA’s who highlight inclusive events like Hispanic History Month and teach children about the importance of our heritage. Finally, I want to encourage my Hispanic and LatinX community to get involved and have confidence in knowing you are far from alone. Let’s build on our influence together!
| MORE HISPANIC VOICES BELOW! | |
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Covid Update: Collin County has 125,057 confirmed Covid cases. That’s 2,447 more cases than I reported last week and 1,036 of our Collin residents have died (an increase of 32 people gone in 1 week). Delta cases may be trending down but we’re not out of the woods yet...
(Read More)
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Collin County: Thousands of Collin County residents attended several of the over 600 marches for abortion rights across the country held in response to SB8. If Republicans actually cared about public sentiment, this might chastise their hubris in trying to control women’s bodies but they’re not worried, at least at the larger level. However, they might care at the local level if we bombard their offices with calls, emails, postcards, and social media posts. So, please let Angela Paxton, Justin Holland, Jeff Leach, Candy Noble, Scott Sanford (who’s retiring!), and Matt Shaheen know how you feel. At the very least, it’ll annoy them. If mosquito bites are all we’ve got at the moment, we need to use them.
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Allen ISD Board of Trustees: Allen ISD is having a moment. I might feel bad for the school board and administration but they’ve truly brought this on themselves. I do feel sorry for the students, teachers, staff, and parents who’ve been deeply affected by all of their nonsense. They deserve better.
On September 20th, AISD experienced a network outage that negatively affected a variety of systems, including phones, printers, WiFi, ID card access, and lesson plans. They soon discovered it wasn’t an ordinary disruption (which negatively impacted classroom instruction for at least a week) but was instead a cyberattack. The attackers claimed they’d downloaded the personal information of students, families, and district staff and demanded millions in exchange for the data. Law enforcement and the cybersecurity experts AISD hired to deal with this advised against paying the extortion money. Superintendent Robin Bullock told everyone that there was no proof the cyber attackers had access to personal data. She was wrong. Parents started getting threatening emails yesterday...
(Read More)
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Plano City Council: The “sexy” news from this meeting was the ordinance changes allowing for backyard chickens. I think it’s a terrible idea. Too many humans are irresponsible with their pets and this will prove to be no different. Concerns about backyard chickens include zero lot lines, local vets without adequate experience with fowl, end of life care (what will they do with the carcasses?), rats & other vermin, incorrectly sexed chicks, and no space in shelters for unwanted hens and illegal roosters. Plus – and this really makes me angry – this issue got the most press even though homelessness should’ve taken center stage... (Read More)
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MORE HISPANIC VOICES OF COLLIN COUNTY AND TEXAS | |
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Coty Rodriguez Anderson – President of Collin County LULAC Council #4537*; Educator and TWU alum; a former Texas Public School Counselor of the Year.
My heritage is the link that connects my culture with my ancestry. As a high school counselor, heritage allows students to see that Hispanics can aspire to achieve higher education. Representation matters.
My activism is rooted in how I was raised: love your neighbor, treat the less fortunate with kindness, advocate for educational opportunities.
My mother was an undocumented immigrant who came to the U.S. from Mexico. My father was a US citizen. Both advocated for education equity/equality, women’s rights, and for our “gente” (people). Both were business owners and advocates for the undocumented population.
We have made advancements in the areas of education/civil rights, yet, Hispanics are still discriminated against. Hispanics are part of every societal class. We must acknowledge history and divisions created by certain groups. We are the majority-minority. We are voters.
*League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is a non-profit organization and is non-partisan.
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Lorenzo Sanchez – 2020 Democratic Nominee for Texas House District 67;
DFW Democratic Organizer
We’re so fortunate to live in a very diverse area of Collin County, where many cultures meld. I understand that I am only a small part of the fabric of a much larger community, so it’s important to me to provide Hispanics and Latinos with the best representation, especially in government. Given my mother’s sacrifices and tireless work in order to provide my sister and me with opportunities, I feel I owe it to future generations to continue to fight. I’m driven to work hard and organize because I was provided with an excellent public education and had a nurturing, safe community to thrive.
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Summer Joy Gonzalez – Influencer, activist, and a community organizer for the LatinX community; LULAC Institute
Being labeled Spanish is largely a misconception. 500 years ago, when Spain was conquering the world with violence the Mexica people faced genocide. We lost our language in a large part, but we did not lose our customs.
Many people celebrate Hispanic heritage with Tequila, Tacos, Tamales, and Tortillas; all of which are not Spanish at all. These foods are in fact Meso-American. I myself have never been to Spain, I don't know any of the customs of that country. Yet, in the USA I am labeled as “Spanish” because of my surname. Many of the Spanish words I use are not Spanish at all. They are Nahuatl; perhaps you have heard of Elote, Aguacate, Chocolate, Chili, Chipotle, or muchacha?
During this month, I celebrate the resilience and the survival of my people. Yes, my DNA is tied to those who came from Spain 500 years ago. But I am native to the Americas. During this time, I celebrate my native ancestors who survived the genocide imposed on us by European monarchs.
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MEET AND GREET
JOE JAWORSKI FOR TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL
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If you haven't met Joe yet, now is the time. One of our amazing AG candidates Joe is coming to Collin next Friday afternoon! Spread the word & hope to see a LOT of DFW residents there who are ready for a change.
When: Friday, October 8, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Cambria Richardson-Dallas Hotel, 3605 Shire Blvd, Richardson
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McKinney Area Democrats Friday Social | |
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The McKinney Area Democratic Club is inviting area progressives to the Wing Bucket for a social get-together. Complimentary appetizers will be served, and a cash bar is available. Please RSVP!
We encourage masks* (when not eating or drinking) and social distancing.
When: Friday, October 15, 7-8:30 p.m.
Where: Wingbucket, 3510 W. University Dr., McKinney, TX
*only vaccinated individuals should attend.
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PLANO AREA DEMOCRATS OCTOBER VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR | |
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This is a "Save the Date" for our October Plano Area Democrats Virtual Happy Hour! We're finalizing our October guests (yes - guests!) and we are putting together a really amazing discussion. You don't want to miss this one!
When: Friday, October 22, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual, via Zoom. RSVP for Zoom details.
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The CCDP physical office is closed until further notice for safety. Our office staff are, however, working for you from home and available by telephone at 972-578-1483 or contact us on the web at collindemocrats.org.
Check our Online Events!
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Collin County Democratic Party (CCDP) | 972-578-1483 | www.collindemocrats.org © 2021
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