As a Puerto Rican who experienced firsthand, the bigotry against Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia, the institutionalized attempts to keep us from education, jobs, progress, stopping us from realizing our full potential – we are all outraged by the offensive message and character assassination by so-called comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe at a presidential campaign rally in Madison Square Garden, in New York, Sunday, October 27, 2024. As President and CEO of Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM), I speak today after receiving scores of calls, texts, emails from all facets of the Puerto Rican community expressing utter shock, then dismay that a United States presidential campaign would allow such false, demeaning, leud, lascivious and incendiary remarks about fellow Latino Americans, while at the same time, courting our votes. Gratuitous ethnic trashing is not humor. It is cheap and divisive. Hinchcliffe took cheap shots and the crowd that laughed or applauded, is appalling as well.
APM President and CEO, Nilda Ruiz said, “It is so clear that this was an unprovoked, un-funny, gratuitous attack on Latino Americans and Puerto Ricans specifically. And when you must do that, you tell the world you have no real talent. Go home and get better.” Ruiz continued, “This kind of forced attempt at negative attention-getting, may be why this rally was held in New York’s Madison Square Garden in the first place. It’s the former scene of a disgraceful moment in American History, in 1939, when Hitler was on the march through Europe and there in New York, at the very same time, the German American Bund, led by Fritz Kuhn, rallied allegiance to Germany.”
Look at this Now. See it for what it is. Attacking the island of Puerto Rico, attacking Puerto Rican people to further your career — How dare you? Who are you? And what to say about Latino and Puerto Ricans who support you?
Wake Up Boricuas – Wake UP America – clearly see these guys can’t make a living without trying to trash us.”
As a matter of fact, Puerto Rico is the home of some of our nation’s finest innovators and leaders. It is also the home to an array of luminaries lighting the skies throughout the world. Perhaps they should call the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce for their list of fabulous Puerto Rican comedians and other stars of the entertainment world. If you weren’t so busy hating Puerto Ricans, you might be able to get some top talent at your rallies.
Trashing fellow Americans is just not a good idea. It’s old and boring. Far more intriguing is discovering all of this country’s treasures. We became great for the same reasons that we ARE great NOW.
It’s because we embrace anyone with great ideas, great talents and great heart. The entire world counts on the United States for these extraordinary people and no amount of attempted divisive trashing and references to garbage, will cover that up. It only makes you look like someone trying to alienate people while bringing garbage into their homes.
From our very first days, APM has always stood for the uplifting of people, especially Puerto Ricans. APM replaces emptiness with the optimism that comes from real solutions.
We strengthen our community, one child at a time, one family at a time, thousands of times, every year. We have been building better futures for over 50 years. We have always formed and currently lead coalitions of people of good will and enlightenment. Come visit our house and see our award winning, internationally recognized center of innovation.
