Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus expresses anger over racist remarks made at Trump rally
Rep. Jose Giral October 28, 2024 | 12:38 PM
Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus issued the following statement expressing deep outrage and indignation over racist comments made towards Latinos at yesterday's rally hosted by former president Donald Trump:
“Dismissing Puerto Rico as a ‘floating island of garbage,’ mocking Hispanics as failing to use birth control and calling out a Black man in the audience with references to watermelon is abhorrent, disgusting and downright racist – and their claim it was all jokes is not believable at all.
“Pennsylvania is home to 1.3 million Latinos -- a half-million of which are of Puerto Rican descent, who work hard, raise their families, serve in the military, support their communities and are American citizens,” said state Reps. Jose Giral, who is from Puerto Rico, and Manuel Guzman, who is of Puerto Rican descent, represent large Puerto Rican communities and expressed dismay that the state’s Puerto Rican community would be so wantonly mocked as a comedic prop.
“The hateful, racist rhetoric of the former president and his supporters insults not just the Puerto Rican community, but every immigrant in our commonwealth and our nation.
“We all deserve better.”
The members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus are Reps. Danilo Burgos, Manuel Guzman, Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, Jose Giral, Liz Hanbidge, Lindsay Powell, Karol Kazeem, Heather Boyd and Ben Sanchez.