She became the first Afro Latina on the city council, a body that has represented few Latinos over the years. Mejia and Ricardo Arroyo, who represents District 5, are currently the only Latino council members in a city whose population growth has not least been driven by Latinos. However, with Boston city council expected to experience the biggest change it has seen in an election in nearly three decades, with four of the five mayoral candidates coming from the council, Mejia is the only Latina in the September advance for the big one Competition . In the district races there are four other Latino candidates in addition to Arroyo in this year’s important election.
During COVID-19, “the importance of having someone standing up and fighting for Latinos and their communities became very real and not theoretical,” said Ricardo Arroyo, a Boston city councilor for District 5.Nathan Klima for The Boston Globe / The Boston Globe
It may seem like a small number for a city where almost one in five residents is Latino. But the effect of only having two Latinos was significant. Before her election, that number was zero. It is reminiscent of another political saying: representation matters. Mejia and Arroyo stand as examples of elected colored officials who have made city government relevant to a broad Boston Latino community that is often not seen.
In theory, representation is important because it creates more representation. Once People of Color see what their government can do for them, they stay involved in politics and are therefore more likely to vote for more People of Color.
Griselda Polanco spoke at a “Get out the Vote” event in Hyde Park.Nathan Klima for The Boston Globe / The Boston Globe
That was the energy and hope behind a Hyde Park meeting on Sunday organized by some of these Latin American communal candidates in Boston, including Mejia and Arroyo. “She helped Latinos like me during the pandemic,” said Griselda Polanco, a Mejia supporter. Polanco spoke of Mejia’s Retail Kitchen Ordinance, which went into effect in late April and allows Bostonians to cook and sell groceries right from home. “This is a way to support immigrants and entrepreneurs and remove some barriers to generate income,” Mejia told the Globe at the time.
For Oscar Guerrero, who hosted the meeting, which was attended by around 70 Latinos, Mejia’s inclusion on the council during the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn meant she was able to stand up for Latino businesses like barbershops and hair salons, which “Were” in the dark about pandemic aid. “
Angelina Camacho, an Afro-Latina of Honduran and Puerto Rican descent, is a second candidate now running for District 7 seat.Nathan Klima for The Boston Globe / The Boston Globe
During COVID-19, “the importance of having someone standing up for and fighting for Latinos and their communities became super real and not theoretical,” Arroyo said. “In some cases it was actually a matter of life or death, eviction or stability, loss of a business or survival.”
It is also about fostering a collective understanding that there is complex diversity within Latino communities. Just ask Angelina Camacho, an Afro-Latina of Honduran and Puerto Rican descent who is now running for the second time for District 7.
“The challenge [when she first ran in 2017] We were still a black and white city, ”said Camacho. “We thought of it as ‘Are you a black candidate, a white candidate, or Latinx?’ “She said she needed to redefine what it means to be a candidate who is part of the Latino diaspora, but not the way Boston understands her. Camacho said Afro-Latinos felt neglected on issues including asking elected officials to engage in recreational activities important to Latino culture, such as football. “It seems like a small thing, but it’s important to social fabric and community building,” said Camacho.
Around 70 Latinos took part in the “Get out the Vote” meeting in Hyde Park.Nathan Klima for The Boston Globe / The Boston Globe
There are approximately 130,000 Latinos in the city; According to estimates by a local campaign, around 50,000 of these are voters. Because of this, Kendra Hicks, an Afro-Latina running for District 6, wants to give non-citizens of Boston the right to vote, part of a growing nationwide movement. Hicks is the daughter of two undocumented immigrants and grew up in Egleston Square. “There has never been a black person to represent this district,” she said.
Latino voters are unlikely to move as a single bloc. But it’s a good bet that they will play a bigger role in determining the outcome of the mayoral campaign and the composition of the city council.
Marcela García can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @marcela_elisa.
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