The data now undeniably show that immigrants, refugees, and low-income communities of color are bearing the brunt of this COVID-19 health crisis.
Front line workers at the McDonalds on First Street near East Brokaw in San Jose, walked off the job to protest lack of protective gear and basic cleaning supplies. (Linda Zavoral/ Bay Area News Group)
They are impacted physically, mentally, and economically. They don’t have the privilege or luxury to work from home. Many work in the fast food, janitorial, and restaurant service sectors of our economy. They are considered essential workers, putting themselves and their families at risk.
Many others had their work sector shut down due to state and local shelter in place orders and can’t work to support their families and provide the basic necessities such as groceries and rent. This crisis impacting all of California is magnified ten-fold in the immigrant communities due to a lack of a safety net.
SIREN Action’s sister organization Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN), has received thousands of phone calls from distressed immigrant community members seeking financial assistance. The federal government has also increased the penalties for immigrants seeking any aid such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) commonly referred to as food assistance.
Reports have shown that throughout the state, immigrants and communities of color are testing positive for COVID-19 at alarming rates, several times higher than more affluent communities. In Santa Clara County. The Mercury News reported last month that four zip codes with heavily immigrant populations are among the worst hit. These are the neighborhoods that many essential service workers live in.
On top of the physical and economical adversities that immigrant and refugee communities are continuously facing, Asian and Pacific Islander communities are experiencing a rise in racist and xenophobic attacks all over the country.
SIREN Action was created to give a stronger political voice to multiracial and intergenerational immigrants and refugees in California and bring these communities to the decision-making table to weigh in with elected officials and candidates running for office. Its mission is to shift the political landscape in our state to make California a welcoming place for all immigrants and refugees through voter engagement and increasing civic participation among immigrants, refugees, and youth of color.
In order to achieve this, we need to change the hearts and minds of our communities and create a relationship with them that is not transactional, but with long-term multi-year commitment. As we begin the road to open more of the economy, we need the wealthier communities to join with all Californians and support efforts to leave no communities behind.
Through community organizing and political engagement, we have seen a yearning from our community to stand up and push back against the hateful rhetoric and policies against immigrants unleashed by the Trump administration, as well as the inequities in health, housing, economic security, and criminal justice system that this pandemic has further exploited.
Come election day on Nov. 3, there is no guarantee of any changes to our political discourse, but we can’t let that stop us from having our voice heard. There is too much at stake.
Immigrant, refugee, and youth voters will stand up for their families and communities on Nov. 3 and cast their vote as if it’s a referendum saying that we will not continue to tolerate the racial injustices that have shone through this pandemic. We need the more affluent communities to join with us and cast their vote to truly make California a welcoming state for everyone.
Maricela Gutierrez, Louis Rocha and Huong Nguyen are members of SIREN ACTION’s board of directors.
