As the founder and Executive Director of Hispanics of Lenawee Alliance (HOLA), a non-profit organization established in 2006 to advocate for Latinos in Lenawee County, Michigan, I have maintained public restraint in the face of mounting anti-Latino rhetoric emanating from federal levels and various segments of our community. Today, that silence ends.
I stand firmly to denounce the vile, discriminatory, harmful, and false fear-mongering rhetoric that has plagued our nation over the past eight years. While I have personally rejected this vitriol, I have, until now, refrained from making public statements. My reluctance stemmed from a principled decision to not lower myself to the level of those who propagate such discourse, including recent deplorable assertions that Latinos eat cats and dogs, and the reprehensible characterization of Puerto Rico as “an island of garbage.” I attempted to dismiss these statements as words born of sheer ignorance, spoken by individuals and groups who hold no significance to me, my family, or my friends.
However, I can no longer remain silent. The recent denigration of a Latino servicemember who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, criticized over the cost of her funeral arrangements, crosses a line that should never be approached. I must ask: Is there nothing sacred anymore? For some, it appears the answer is no.
As a proud Latino man and community leader, I stand resolute in defense of our heritage, our contributions to this nation, and our fundamental human dignity. Our community has enriched the fabric of American society through our culture, our work ethic, and yes, even our ultimate sacrifices in military service to this nation.
In these challenging times, we must be guided by the eternal principles of basic human dignity and the teachings of Christ. As Jesus reminded us in Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” These words call us to embrace love, charity, and tolerance, not division and hatred. When we demean and marginalize any group of people, we fail to honor these sacred principles and move further from the path of righteousness that Christ laid before us.
The time for silence has passed. We must confront this destructive rhetoric that seeks to divide our nation and diminish the humanity of our Latino communities. We are, and will always be, an integral part of America’s story. Let us stand firm in our commitment to treat all people with the dignity they deserve as children of God, remembering that our actions toward the most vulnerable among us reflect our true Christian values and our character as a nation.
— Ben Negron, Executive Director of Hispanics of Lenawee Alliance (HOLA), Adrian
