Actress and political activist America Ferrera is on the campaign trail with "She Se Puede," a new digital platform dedicated to empowering Latinos during this pivotal election year. Spectrum News spoke to Ferrera, who has long been an outspoken advocate for Latino rights.
Five Things You Need to Know:
- A group of 10 Latina leaders, actresses, and activists launched She Se Puede, a digital platform and community dedicated to empowering Latinas.
- The project aims to inspire, affirm, and inform Latinas so they can leverage their power to transform their lives, their families, their community, and their nation.
- According to some studies, this year, there are 32 million eligible Latino voters in the U.S., yet Latina turnout rates are 14 to 20% lower than non-Hispanic Black or white women.
- According to Ferrera, "There’s a lot of work to be done to bridge the gap between certain communities that are completely disengaged, because no one engages with them or engages them in the conversation and I think it’s particularly true when it come to the Latino community."
- When we spoke to Ferrera, she had just returned from Arizona, where she'd been encouraging Latinos to get out the vote. "This is not just about voting, this is about shifting and changing the cultural narrative around Latinos," Ferrera said. "How we see ourselves, how others see us and how we act on the power that sits within the growing Latino community."