Just a few minutes after Kamala Harris’s powerful message at the Democratic Convention in Chicago, and with just under three months to go until the presidential elections, the elected female leaders in the Big Apple already have their sleeves rolled up to go out and fight, motivate the vote and seal victory in every corner of New York.
“I have never seen this emotion and determination before. New York women will be instrumental in ensuring that our candidate wins. It is a matter of freedom. We have the right to make decisions about our bodies with dignity,” said Yudelka Tapia, Assemblywoman for District 86 in the Bronx.
Tapia was one of the New York delegates at the Democratic convention and upon her return, almost as soon as she got off the plane, she began to oil the machinery of ‘Women of the Bronx with Kamala’, an organization that will mobilize electoral participation in that county in favor of the Democrats.
“We have two cards on the table: a woman who will always be on the side of the working class and a criminal. Donald Trump, to cite just one example, wants to eliminate New York’s public schools. It is based on pure lies. I have no doubt that our candidate will sweep the Bronx,” the legislator said.
In recent electoral contests, the Republican vote has made some gains in Salsa County, a territory that in some areas is dominated by conservative religious organizations that reject abortion and the rights of the LGBTQIA community.
Dominican-born Yudelka Tapia’s interpretation is that she did indeed lose a City Council seat last year, due to very specific circumstances, but in her view this is one of the most Democratic counties in the country. Her projection is that in the next election the Republican vote will be crushed.
“Stability for our families”
The first Hispanic vice president of the City Council in history, Amanda Farías, also just disembarked from the Democratic Convention.
“I know that as President, she will lead our nation to support the needs of Latino communities across our nation. Donald Trump is a career criminal and his presidency would bring economic disadvantage, with millions of potentially lost jobs and instability for our families. Kamala Harris is the future of our country, I am proud to have endorsed her,” said the councilwoman, who was born and raised in Soundview in the Bronx and is part of the second generation of Puerto Rican and Dominican immigrants.
This legislator from District 18 of Salsa County has held that position for three years, and became the “number two” in the municipal chamber.
“For immigration reform”
Also in New York’s Democratic leadership is Dominican-born Councilwoman Carmen de la Rosa, who represents parts of Upper Manhattan. Her vision as a legislator is to defend women’s reproductive rights at all costs and promote policies that benefit the migrant community.
“As the first woman elected to represent District 10 and co-chair of the Women’s Caucus on a majority-female Council, reproductive rights and maternal health have been a cornerstone of our legislative and budget priorities. The highest maternal mortality rates are in Black and Latinx neighborhoods like mine, and Black and Latinx women are at the highest end of those statistics.”
De la Rosa recalls that Harris, as vice president, has eliminated financial barriers to health care by reducing prescription drug costs and promises to take this further by expanding access to maternal care and reversing the disastrous Roe v. Wade decision.
“It is imperative that we exercise our right to vote in November, because we cannot jeopardize the safety of women and the future of our young women,” the councilwoman said.
The Dominican woman believes that Trump’s choice represents an enemy of migration and the poorest population, when he promotes messages that describe Latin American countries as those of “low” people.
“Harris is prepared to implement strong immigration reform,” he concluded.