WASHINGTON, D.C. — People For the American Way announced a TV ad blitz, beginning this weekend, focused on Puerto Rican and Latino voters featuring Puerto Rican American Rita Moreno, the most acclaimed Latina actress in history and the first and only Latina woman to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony award.
In the ad, “Proud Boricua Rita Moreno Says Vote,” Moreno urges viewers to send a clear message to leaders that the Puerto Rican community deserves respect and has the power, with their votes, to ensure that the American dream is available.
“We need to send a message to our leaders that we deserve respect,” said Moreno. “We need to make sure the opportunity to live the American dream is available to everyone. And right now, only Kamala Harris can make that happen.”
The ad comes after fallout from despicable racist comments made by a speaker about Puerto Ricans at a major Trump rally in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Evidence of the backlash includes Latino activists protesting Trump appearances in Allentown and Philadelphia, PA; high-profile Puerto Rican artists expressing support for Kamala Harris as the next U.S. president; and ongoing criticism from the Latino community. Many believe this could move previously undecided Latino voters.
The ads will run through Election Day in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia/Allentown/Lancaster), Arizona (Tucson/Phoenix), North Carolina (Raleigh/Fayetteville), and Wisconsin (Milwaukee), states with significant Puerto Rican eligible voter populations and where razor-thin margins could decide who wins the presidential race.
“Rita Moreno is a legendary icon and a trusted voice for our core American values. We are excited that she is helping us inspire people to vote for those values and for our futures and energizing us with the message that we will win,” said People For the American Way President Svante Myrick. “Between now and November 5, we can show the world that we are united in our desire to choose unity and hope over hatred and move America forward together.”
There are around 36 million eligible Hispanic voters in the U.S. Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens, make up the second-largest Hispanic voting group in the country with nearly 6 million eligible voters living in the mainland U.S.
About 900,000 Puerto Ricans live in battleground states. The overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania’s Latino population is Puerto Rican, and the state has approximately 500,000 Puerto Rican voters. In North Carolina, Puerto Ricans are roughly 12 percent of the total Hispanic population. Although the Puerto Rican population in Arizona and Wisconsin are smaller, the number of eligible voters exceeds the margin of victory.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND: In 2018, Rita Moreno joined People For the American Way's Hurricane of Change campaign, which focused on Puerto Rican voters after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. People For launched that effort after images of Donald Trump disrespectfully tossing paper towels to a crowd waiting for supplies and as Puerto Ricans relocated to states including Pennsylvania. Media reports later confirmed that Trump's administration intentionally withheld financial support for recovery efforts.
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FULL AD SCRIPT
“PROUD BORICUA RITA MORENO SAYS VOTE”
Hi, I’m Rita Moreno. And I’m a proud Boricua.
We need to send a message to our leaders that we deserve respect.
We need to make sure the opportunity to live the American dream is available to everyone. And I’m telling you right now, only Kamala Harris can make that happen.
This election is in your hands. We can do this.
¡Sí Se Puede!
Vote, voté, voté, vote.
DISCLAIMER: Paid for by People For the American Way and not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
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About Us People For the American Way is a national progressive advocacy organization that inspires and mobilizes Americans to defend freedom, justice, and democracy from those who threaten to take them away. For more than four decades, we have been dedicated to making the promise of America real for everyone and have worked toward a vision of a vibrant America where basic rights and freedoms are upheld for all, not just the wealthy and the powerful. Learn more: http://www.peoplefor.org
