Longtime labor activist and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta says President Trump's disparaging remarks about Mexicans show he "does not know history," and called on Latinos in California, Texas and other states to push for change in the November elections.
"
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he → say → elections
I just want to say that this is our moment," the 96-year-old told CBS News.
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old → want → News
She recalled the
of Mr. Trump's first presidential campaign: "You know, the first thing when [the president] came down that escalator, he attacked Mexicans. …
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he → recall → Mexicans
He does not know history.
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He → know → history
He does not know that Texas was once part of Mexico.
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Texas → know → Mexico
. Trump said in his 2015 campaign launch speech that Mexico was "not sending their best" to the United States, alleging: "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists.
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they → say → crime
And some, I assume, are good people."
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I → assume → ?
Huerta has been
since the 1960s, when she and Cesar Chavez co-founded the group that later became the United Farm Workers.
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that → co → group
Earlier this year, Huerta drew attention for becoming the Chavez of sexual misconduct.
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Huerta → draw → misconduct
She is known for popularizing the Spanish-language slogan "si, se puede," which has been widely adopted by political and labor movements over the decades, including in 2008, when Barack Obama's campaign used its English translation: "Yes, we can."
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we → know → translation
Huerta told CBS News that she came up with that slogan while doing a campaign in Arizona after the state had passed a law farm workers could be jailed for going on strike or "if anybody said boycott."
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anybody → tell → boycott
"So we were fighting to overturn that law, and so we were campaigning, and when I went to some of the Latino leadership there in Arizona to ask him to support us, they said, 'Oh no, in Arizona no se puede.
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they → fight → Arizona
In Arizona, you can't do any of that,'" she said.
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she → do → that
"And my responsibility to them was si se puede in Arizona, right?
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responsibility → puede → Arizona
And so it was a spontaneous response to the no se puede, and I said, "Sí, se puede."
Huerta, who spoke at the Texas Democratic Convention over the weekend, was enthusiastic about Democrats' uphill battle to win their first statewide races in the Lone Star State in decades.
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who → say → decades
State Reps. James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa are the party's nominees for senator and governor, respectively, taking on Republican candidates Ken Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott.
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Talarico → take → Paxton
A New York Times / Siena College poll released Tuesday had Talarico and Paxton tied at 47% each, while Abbott, a three-term incumbent, was leading by single digits over Hinojosa.
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Abbott → release → Hinojosa
Talarico had the support of 61% of Texas Hispanics, a crucial voting group that in the 2024 presidential race in the state.
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Talarico → have → state
Republicans have
Talarico as too far to the left for Texas, highlighting his past statements on gender and other issues.
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Republicans → have → gender
Huerta told CBS News that she thought the "attacks" that Republicans have lobbed against Talarico are "ridiculous.
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Republicans → tell → Talarico
"Pointing to the power of Latino electorate, Huerta noted that both Hinojosa and the Democratic nominee for governor of California, Xavier Becerra, are Hispanic.
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Hinojosa → "pointe → California
Becerra is favored to win in heavily Democratic California.
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Becerra → favor → California
"So, if it can happen in California, it can happen in Texas," she added.
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she → happen → Texas
But Hinojosa noted in an interview with CBS News that 2018 Texas Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke received 64% of the Latino vote, according to exit polling, helping him come within 2.6 points of unseating GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.
uncertain
him → note → Cruz
"When I get 64% of the Latino vote in 2026 I win," Hinojosa argued.
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Hinojosa → get → 2026
"People want change," Hinojosa said.
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Hinojosa → want → change
"What is happening in Texas is there is this anti-incumbency energy."
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happening → happen → Texas
"The billionaires who own the social media algorithms, who own the cable news networks, who own the politicians fighting on our screens, they are turning neighbor against neighbor, weakening that spirit of friendship that makes Texas so great, they divide us by party, by race, by gender, by religion, so we don't notice that they're picking our pockets," Talarico said at the convention.
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Talarico → own → convention
"It is the oldest strategy in the world: divide and conquer, but Texas will not be conquered at a time when these billionaires are dividing us into different tribes.
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billionaires → divide → tribes
Looking ahead to the 2028 race, Huerta said "we have a lot of great candidates that are going to be running for president," pointing to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
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that → look → Newsom
She also noted that despite being 96 years old, "hopefully I'll live within a couple of years, so I can vote in the elections."
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I → note → elections
The Aporia
