With Hundreds of Thousands of Puerto Ricans In Swing States, Including Those Relocated After Hurricane Maria, PFAW’s Latinos Vote! program is Working to Mobilize New Voters to Shift the 2018 Map

Washington, DC—Today, People For the American Way’s Latinos Vote! program launched the Hurricane of Change campaign focused on Puerto Rican voters, with a TV and digital ad featuring Rita Moreno, among the most acclaimed Latina actresses in history and one of only 12 people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony award. The campaign will include earned and paid media efforts to empower and engage Puerto Ricans—especially the more than 135,000 who came to the mainland after Hurricane Maria—to hold elected leaders accountable for the horrible treatment of the island and raise their voices through the power of their vote.

Watch the English language version of the ad here: https://youtu.be/8YHg1J2C67Y

Watch the Spanish language version of the ad here: https://youtu.be/4px_sfI4xqE

“These elections are so critical for our community. We have much at stake, which is why it’s so important that we register and make sure our voices are heard,” said Rita Moreno. “Too many in Washington think our needs can be ignored. Showing up at the ballot box is the best way to tell our elected officials that Puerto Ricans deserve the same respect and fair treatment as every other American. I’m pleased to partner with People For the American Way for this project. It is so important for each of us to focus our energy and make sure our community is ready to stand up on Election Day.”

“Citizens of Puerto Rico are citizens of the United States,” said People For the American Way Political Director Lizet Ocampo. “Puerto Ricans who moved to the mainland and are residents can register to vote today. They have the power to make a huge impact in the 2018 election cycle. That’s why we’re putting a special focus on reaching out to Puerto Ricans, especially in swing states, to make sure they understand that they can stand up for themselves against the hate and disrespect of Donald Trump and his allies. We’re thrilled that we could partner with the legendary Rita Moreno, an American idol born in Puerto Rico, to launch this campaign to let everyone know how critical it is that they register to vote right now and get ready to create not just a blue wave, but a hurricane of change in November.”

The ad will run on Spanish language TV in Orlando, Florida, and appear in both English and Spanish online across the country, including key swing states like Florida and Pennsylvania, to which significant numbers of Puerto Ricans relocated after Hurricane Maria, and contrasts the devastating impact Hurricane Maria had on Puerto Rico with images of Donald Trump disrespectfully tossing paper towels to a crowd. PFAW’s past work with its Latinos Vote! program has included extensive paid and earned media in critical elections including the 2012 and 2016 presidential campaign, plus numerous federal and statewide races.

The Latinos Vote! program works to hold leaders accountable to immigrant and Latino communities. It also exposes and counters anti-immigrant, anti-Latino rhetoric and policies. For eight election cycles, PFAW has run bilingual paid and earned media campaigns in swing states where the Latino vote can be decisive.

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.

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