Massachusetts senator puts in a last-ditch effort to appeal to California voters by acknowledging the history of labor movements in the Southland
WHEN Elizabeth Warren first announced her presidential campaign in early 2019, the steadfast Democratic senior senator from Massachusetts was a quick favorite among Democratic voters.
Since the late aughts, Warren established herself as a prominent figure in Washington best known for first proposing the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (and becoming a special advisor to the Treasury Secretary for the bureau) and fighting against Wall Street corruption and advocating for affordable higher education.
But following a strong showing for former Vice President Joe Biden at the South Carolina primary on Saturday, February 29 and the consistent success of Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Warren’s campaign risks losing traction following Super Tuesday.
As a last-ditch effort to appeal to Californians, Warren’s team on Monday, March 2 organized an evening rally at East Los Angeles College dedicated to honoring the rich history of labor movements in California, specifically those led by Latinas and immigrants.
The line to the rally snaked down Cesar Chavez Avenue and was rife with a diverse collection of supporters from all walks of life.
“She’s the only one who really considers all people, regardless of race, gender, religion, you name it,” Alana Yang, a Filipina American international relations student at Cal State LA, told the Asian Journal while waiting in the long queue before the rally. Yang, 20, was accompanied by fellow Cal State LA students she befriended while canvassing for Warren in the fall.
Yang’s comments mirror the longstanding political philosophy of Warren and her particular brand of progressive politics: appealing to Americans who feel alienated by the Democratic Establishment and are seeking a change via grassroots and progressive leaders.
“Name any other presidential candidate, and you won’t find one as dedicated to diversity and representation as Elizabeth. Like, I don’t know if I’ve seen a presidential candidate actually release [an] agenda of AAPI issues before. It actually really made me feel seen as an Asian woman,” Yang shared.
Previously mentioned in the Asian Journal, Warren’s campaign team released “A Working Agenda for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders,” an extensive agenda of initiatives and proposals specifically for the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community.
The agenda focuses on the importance of API data disaggregation, a categorization practice that examines the intricate demographic intersections among the diverse API community.
Warren’s API agenda is the first of its kind, appealing to the vast API community which has been oft-ignored by major presidential candidates.
But despite Warren’s reputation as a figurehead for inclusive politics, her speech did not mention the extensive history of the Filipino American effort in California’s labor movements.
The extensive speech — which ran for just under an hour — honored the strides made by Latina union leaders like Helen Fabela Chavez and Dolores Huerta who were major figures in the Delano grape strike.
For decades, Filipino Americans have fought for recognition of the Filipino labor leaders Philip Vera Cruz and United Farm Workers co-founder Larry Itliong, whose organizing efforts provided the foundation for workers’ rights through leading strikes and tirelessly and successfully pressuring lawmakers to institute rights for agricultural workers.
Filipina American writer Christine Bumatay attended Warren’s rally and quickly noted the exclusion of the Filipino workers’ movements in the senator’s speech.
“She just talked about the United Farm Workers history — mentioned Chavez & Huerta… but not Itliong. As a Filipina immigrant, I’m so disappointed that, yet again, [Filipinos] aren’t seen as a demo to represent. There’s work to be done,” Bumatay tweeted during the speech.
At the time of press, the results from the California primary are still trickling in, but the current polls reflect the trajectory that has been consistent since the year 2020 began. According to a poll from Data for Progress, Warren is in third place behind Biden in second place and Sanders in first.
Across poll results from other Super Tuesday primaries, Warren only leads in her state of Massachusetts, but her energy on Monday night signaled there is no backing down just yet.
“Fighting back is an act of patriotism,” Warren told the crowd. “We will get rid of the most corrupt U.S. president in living history who has caused us chaos and feeds on fear.”
After Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) suspended her campaign on Monday, Warren remains the only female frontrunner in the race. (Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii remains in the race but has been polling low.)
Monday also brought Warren a new endorsement from the pro-women super PAC Emily’s List, amplifying Warren’s campaign as the beacon of hope for voters who’ve long since called for the U.S. to elect its first female president.
Warren congratulated Biden on winning in South Carolina over the weekend but, appealing to the progressive sensibilities of young Americans and voters of color, reminded the crowd of the contemporary importance of “the fight” to change the “status quo,” i.e. dismantle the Democratic Establishment
“But no matter how many Washington insiders tell you to support [Biden], nominating a fellow Washington insider will not meet this moment,” Warren said to raucous applause. “And nominating someone who wants to restore the world before Donald Trump, when the status quo has been leaving more and more people behind for decades is a big risk for our party and for our country.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
