Día De Los Muertos festival promotes Latino vote
Hispanic leaders encourage members of their communities to vote in upcoming election
A Dia De Los Muertos festival was used to encourage the local Hispanic community to honor their lost loved ones through their voting power. Some claim that power has been weakened by new redistricting maps passed into law.
HOUSTON - An east end Día de Los Muertos festival encouraged the Houston-area Hispanic community to honor their lost loved ones through their voting power, but that power appears weakened based on new redistricting maps that have been approved by Governor Greg Abbott.
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While honoring the dead Saturday, local Hispanic leaders took turns at the event held at Hidalgo Park, asking their communities to "get out the vote" in Tuesday's election.
"We are a growing community, but that doesn’t mean anything if you’re not voting," says Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia.
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In a low turnout year, Texas’s Latino voters can sway decisions on the freedom to worship and funding to build roads, but state republicans have plans to dilute that power in future elections through redistricting maps approved by governor Greg Abbott on October 25.
Hispanics made up half of Texas's census growth that created two new congressional seats, but the maps give the new seats to majority-white areas and reduce the number of districts where Hispanics make up the majority.
"For us in Houston, our goal has always been creating one more Latino district and because of the growth of the Latinos in our area, we can do that," says Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29).
Regrettably, Republicans in Texas didn’t draw maps that reflect that growth. It reflects their need to stay in power," she says.
Representative Garcia is considering adding another federal lawsuit to several already in the works. On the new maps, her district would lose largely Hispanic neighborhoods near Hobby Airport and Pasadena. She says communities could miss out on services they need.
"They might not be able to call an office like mine in Spanish and get help with her social security [or] help with their Medicare," says the congresswoman.
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Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee says her office could also file an additional lawsuit.
"Every census, I’ve had to fight to get the courts to draw the 18th Congressional District to keep the people together," says Lee.
A previous version of the maps dismantled her district, changing representation for thousands of Black voters and pitting her against Representative Al Green, the only other Black congressperson from Houston. Despite a compromise, she says republican gerrymandering is erasing the rights of citizens.
"We're prepared to call the community again to stand with us," she adds.
Republicans say the maps weren't drawn based on race.
Back Hidalgo Park, the altars of Vanessa Guillen and civil rights activist Maria Jimenez offer reminders that there's more work to be done for a community hoping to honor their deaths by keeping voter representation alive.