It may be fun to celebrate affinity months, but the act of living as a Latine person certainly does not end when the 30 days are up. In fact, most of the year anti-Latino rhetoric feels rampant — and one study from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism found anti-Latino hate crimes rose between 2021 – 2022.
A new organization called Aquí is here to remind society that more Latine representation needs to be a goal all year long.
Led by Nathaly Arriola Maurice, a political strategist who served in the Biden administration, Aquí will zero in on underrepresentation of Latinos in positions of power, and shine a bright light on harmful narratives and stereotypes — as well as the erasure of Latine people in entertainment.
According to Aquí’s website, their goals include: “fair and accurate portrayals of Latino peoples in American life,” denouncing “the underrepresentation of Latino peoples in positions of influence and power across industries,” and forcing “a public reckoning when public or private actors try to advance policies or actions that harm Latino communities.”
“Aquí intends to hold major institutions in our society accountable in countering this hate,” said Arriola Maurice in an interview with the Hill. “It’s time for them to center Latino communities and their interests: in the leaders they hire, whose stories are told, and who tells them.”
Check out Aquí’s video announcement and stay tuned for more: