Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 1 June 2019

Sanders, Harris seek Hispanic votes at California forum

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD ther, who once worked as
Associated Press a chef, said she has seen
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — firsthand the struggles of
Bernie Sanders and Kama- immigrants who worked
la Harris dueled Friday over beside her.
Hispanic votes in California, Sanders “will not let it fall by
a central front in the na- the wayside,” she said. “It’s
tion’s immigration battle been so prevalent in ... his
where Latinos represent campaigns.”
the state’s largest ethnic Julian Castro, a former
group. Obama administration
As the nation’s most popu- housing secretary, spoke to
lous state, California holds the crowd about his Mexi-
a trove of 2020 delegates can heritage and argued
that are being eagerly that new immigrants are
sought by Democratic necessary to maintain eco-
presidential rivals. The nomic vitality. That’s espe-
appearance of the two cially important, he said,
prominent contenders at a as Baby Boomers grow old
forum organized by immi- and draw on Social Se-
grant rights activists kicked curity. New workers mean
off several days of intense more money to support the
campaigning in the state, In this Sunday, May 19, 2019 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, federal retirement system,
which will culminate at a D-Calif., talks during her first campaign organizing event at Los Angeles Southwest College in Los he said.
state Democratic conven- Angeles. Castro is one of two can-
tion in San Francisco where Associated Press didates in the crowded
14 candidates are sched- Trump a “racist” who was a surge in immigrants trans- arrived. Democratic field that have
uled to appear. trying to win re-election by formed the state and its When asked how she released detailed, written
Harris elicited a burst of ap- dividing Americans by skin voting patterns. The num- would assure Hispanics that policies addressing the fu-
plause when she told the color and where they were ber of Hispanics, blacks she wasn’t another candi- ture of the immigration sys-
group that she was a proud born. and Asians combined has date with an empty prom- tem, as the issue has been
daughter of immigrants If elected, “we are going to outnumbered whites in the ise, Harris told reporters, “By overshadowed on the
from India and Jamaica, do exactly the opposite,” state since 1998. Mean- pointing to my record” as campaign trail by health
then promised that if elect- Sanders said. while, new voters, largely a senator and former state care, gun violence and re-
ed she would work for com- Americans, he said, want Latinos and Asians, lean attorney general. productive rights.
prehensive immigration re- immigration reform and a Democratic. Sanders, too, said he would “It would be economic sui-
form in her first 100 days in path to citizenship for the The last Republican to carry introduce a comprehen- cide not to have them,” he
office. millions of people who en- the state in a presidential sive immigration plan short- said of immigrants.
She also promised to end tered the U.S. illegally. election was George H.W. ly after taking office. He Democratic hopeful Jay
the “hate-driven” policies He promised to bring an Bush, in 1988. also said he would expand Inslee, who has pledged to
of the Trump administra- administration to Washing- The candidates each an Obama-era program make combating climate
tion, including the so-called ton that “represents the tacked to similar themes, that shields young immi- change the top national
travel ban. needs of the working peo- including criticizing the grants from deportation. priority, faulted Trump for
“This is a nation that was ple of this country,” not just Trump administration’s im- “This is a promise that will ignoring a global warm-
founded by immigrants,” the wealthy. migration policies and en- be kept,” the Vermont sen- ing crisis that is influenc-
she said at one point. Any The Hispanic vote has be- acting comprehensive re- ator said. ing immigration and cre-
delay, she said, brings more come increasingly impor- form. Lisa Luther, who attended ating “climate migrants.”
human suffering when fam- tant in strongly Democratic However, candidates can a raucous Sanders rally ear- The Washington governor
ilies are separated or treat- California, particularly in expect a skeptical look lier in the day at a nearby said at the forum Friday
ed unjustly. a Democratic presidential from many voters, Latino convention center, said that a plan is needed to
Sanders took the stage to primary. and otherwise, who have she was confident the sen- fight global warming while
chants of “Bernie, Bernie.” California was once a reli- heard promises from both ator could deliver on immi- helping those driven from
He opened his remarks by ably Republican state in parties for years about im- gration reform when other their homes by a changing
labeling President Donald presidential elections, but migration reform that never Democrats have failed. Lu- climate.q