‘We will not be broken’: Ferrera, Longoria and other Latinx celebrities sign letter to community
America Ferrera, Eva Longoria and more have signed a letter published in several media outlets on Friday standing in solidarity with the Latinx community. In response to the heightened tension surrounding President Trump’s immigration agenda, the El Paso shooting that targeted Latinx people and the ICE raids in Mississippi, the letter addresses the language used to push the border wall and calls allies to action in the hopes of building a strengthened community.
“We have been separated from our families and have watched our children caged,” the letter begins. “We have been targeted with mass shootings and mass ICE raids meant to terrify us, squash our hope, and break our spirits.”
“We will not be broken,” the letter goes on to say. “We will not be silenced. We will continue to denounce any hateful and inhumane treatment of our community. We will demand dignity and justice.”
In a statement about the release of the letter, actress and producer Eva Longoria said, “We’re facing a moral crisis in our country, and we chose to use this moment to raise our voices, and speak up. Integrity starts with looking in the mirror and this letter calls on everyone, not just our community, to choose humanity and decency over hate and violence.”
RELATED: America Ferrera out and about
24 PHOTOSAmerica Ferrera out and aboutSee GalleryAmerica Ferrera out and about
America Ferrera attended the launch of The North Face’s Move Mountain initiative in partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA in New York, NY.
(Credit: Edelman)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JANUARY 07:America Ferrera and Natalie Portman attend the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards – Arrivals at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
SUPERSTORE — ‘District Manager’ Episode 317 — Pictured: (l-r) America Ferrera as Amy, Ben Feldman as Jonah — (Photo by: Eddy Chen/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
TODAY — Pictured: Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, America Ferrera and Monica Ramirez on Thursday, January 4, 2018 — (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
SUPERSTORE — ‘Amnesty’ Episode 315 — Pictured: America Ferrera as Amy — (Photo by: Eddy Chen/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 13:Actress America Ferrera attends NBCUniversal’s press junket at Beauty & Essex on November 13, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
SUPERSTORE — ‘Video Game Release’ Episode 312 — Pictured: America Ferrera as Amy — (Photo by: Evans Vestal Ward/NBC)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 16:Actress America Ferrera attends the screening of ‘Real Women Have Curves’ at The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences on October 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – OCTOBER 16:Actress America Ferrera arrives at The Academy Presents ‘Real Women Have Curves’ at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on October 16, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
TODAY — Pictured: America Ferreraon Thursday, September 28, 2017 — (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 27:Actress America Ferrera is seen outside ‘The Daily Show’ on September 27, 2017 in New York City.(Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)
LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 25: America Ferrera and Jeremy Piven chat with James Corden during ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden,’ Monday, September 25, 2017 (12:35 PM-1:37 AM ET/PT) On The CBS Television Network.(Photo by Terence Patrick/CBS via Getty Images)
SUPERSTORE — ‘Christmas Eve’ Episode 307 — Pictured: America Ferrera as Amy — (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – SEPTEMBER 15:America Ferrera attends Glamour x Tory Burch Women To Watch Lunch on September 15, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Glamour x Tory Burch)
SUPERSTORE — ‘Christmas Eve’ Episode 307 — Pictured: America Ferrera as Amy — (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 18:Actress America Ferrera attends the 32nd Annual Imagen Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on August 18, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 18:Actors America Ferrera (R) and Ryan Piers Williams (L) attend the 32nd Annual Imagen Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on August 18, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 12:America Ferrera (L) and Edward James Olmos arrive for the 2017 Sundance NEXT FEST at The Theater at The Ace Hotel on August 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)
PASADENA, CA – JULY 30:America Ferrera at the ‘The Power Vote: Latinos� Crucial Role in the 2018 and 2020 Elections’ panel during Politicon at Pasadena Convention Center on July 30, 2017 in Pasadena, California.(Photo by Joshua Blanchard/Getty Imagesfor Politicon)
PASADENA, CA – JULY 30: Patrisse Cullors (L) and America Ferrera at Politicon at Pasadena Convention Center on July 30, 2017 in Pasadena, California.(Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Politicon)
SUPERSTORE — ‘Brett’s Dead’ Episode 302 — Pictured: America Ferrera as Amy — (Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
SUPERSTORE — ‘FYC at UCB’ — Pictured: America Ferrera — (Photo by: Daniel Cristol/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 01:America Ferrera arrives for NBC’s ‘Superstore’ FYC @ UCB at UCB Sunset Theater on June 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 15:America Ferrera attends the 2017 NBCUniversal Upfront at Radio City Music Hall on May 15, 2017 in New York City.(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
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Over 200 actors, musicians, artists and activists signed the letter, including EGOT winner Rita Moreno, Gina Rodriguez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Orange Is the New Black” star Dascha Polanco, José Andrés, Salma Hayek Pinault, Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, Ricky Martin, Rosie Perez, Zoe Saldana, Roselyn Sánchez, Tanya Saracho and Wilmer Valderrama.
The stars also call for allies to take a stand and assist the community, writing in the letter, “We call on you to speak out loudly against hate, to contribute your resources to organizations that support our community, and to hold our leaders accountable.”
In Trump’s most recent move on immigration reform, his administration announced a new regulation making it easier to reject green card and visa applications, limiting the number of legal immigrants allowed to enter and stay in the U.S.
“As a Latina, my heart breaks with every attack on our dignity, humanity and lives. And as an American, I fear for the future of my country when our culture and policies lack a basic decency and respect for human life,” said actress America Ferrera in a statement. “We all have a responsibility to show up in this moment and demand decency for one another and for our country.”
See read the full letter in English (larger version here) and Spanish (larger version here) below.
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