Latinos have increasingly become an important facet of the Occupy Wall Street movement’s diffusion. By translating messages, the newspaper and website into Spanish and mobilizing others to join in on the protest, participants are creating an increased awareness of the cause.
As supporters rally on in New York and most other major U.S. cities, the growing presence of minority groups is helping the movement expand its foothold. Whether or not Latinos have been involved since the beginning, observers agree that the issue at the heart of the movement – the skewed distribution of wealth and resources – echoes strongly with the Latino community, and their participation will only increase.
Guillem Alvarez, a young student originally from Spain, said, “This isn’t about Americans, nor about people who subscribe to a concrete political ideology. This is about individuals that have seen themselves affected by the system. The important thing is to be here, to come and fight.”
Occupy Wall Street’s success and importance is said to be rooted in its inclusiveness and the rallying around fundamental principles.
“This is a movement that – we have to recognize it – started among white, middle-class youth, but it has since opened up, because the crisis is affecting us all,” opines Luis Barrios, a criminal justice professor at John Jay College and an Episcopalian minister.
Excellent! One of these days, it will go viral and ya won’t have the time for the likes of us. I’ll be proud to say “I knew ya when.” Except, of cousre, nobody will believe me (they never do) and I don’t exactly know ya.But isn’t it great that the internet exists, so that really talented people like yourself can expose that talent to us, the 99%, without the filter of some cigar chomping fat cat?Of cousre, this looks really professional, so you probably have backers. Tell us?