Ramirez He is the CEO of the Chicano Federation and lives in San Diego.
I am the proud CEO of the Chicano Federation. The Chicano Federation was founded 55 years ago in the midst of the Civil Rights and Chicano movements. Our mission is to develop opportunity and advocate for a more just society. community.
One of our closest allies and fiercest champions in this fight is Nora Vargas, Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
Like you, I grew up on both sides of the border. I come from a first-generation immigrant family and speak both English and Spanish. And like Nora Vargas, it is an honor for me to lead a community that comes with great responsibility.
So a racist attack on Nora Vargas feels like an attack on all of us who are part of this journey as strong Latina women. This is not a “sideshow” as some claim.
Nora Vargas is the first Latino immigrant to be elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, earning her the respect and admiration of her community. She is one of us too.
That’s why I was shocked to see and hear Bridget Browning, leader of the San Diego-Imperial County Labor Council, mocking Nora Vargas with Spanish slang and implying that she had performed oral sex on a white male colleague. That’s why I took it. The video can be viewed on her byebrigette.com.
This has no place in public debate, and Browning, a white woman purporting to represent workers, has no right to mount this kind of aggressive attack on a widely respected Latinx leader in our community. There is no right to do so.
The Chicano Federation has a long history of supporting workers, so I want to be clear that we are not undermining unions. We continue to stand in solidarity with workers, but we cannot tolerate discriminatory, vulgar and racist behavior. No one is allowed to act aggressively. no one.
So let’s put aside election year and internal politics and condemn hate speech. There is no space in our community. We are better than that.
The Chicano Federation joins over 130 other organizations in condemning Brigette Browning’s racist and offensive attack on Nora Vargas. These include organizations such as the Latina Victory Fund, the San Diego National Association of Latinx Business Women, Hispanas Political Equality Organization, MAAC, and MANA National. 100 Latino leaders from across the state.We all stand together and say “no” To hate it. Because if we don’t do it, who will?
We cannot sit back and allow the kind of vulgar language used by Bridget Browning to become the norm. Do not do it!
If people feel comfortable mocking Spanish speakers and brown people in public press conferences, I can only imagine what they’re doing behind closed doors. You can’t ridicule workers and claim to be pro-labor at the same time. culture. You can’t say you’re representing workers if you’re simultaneously denigrating them.
It’s time for Bridget Browning to step down. And if she won’t do it herself because it’s her honor, it’s time for the labor board to do her job and force her to resign.
Our employees need better leaders who lead with compassion and vision, and most importantly, who represent their values ​​and aspirations.
We must not only demand and promise leadership, but also ensure that all workers are treated with dignity and respect.
San Diego is better than Browning.
