By Ernesto Lopez
At the Logan City Municipal Council Meeting on September 2, 2025, Council Member Ernesto Lopez delivered a heart-wrenching appeal to the Council and the public for support of the valley’s Latinos, who are, he said, living in fear and apprehension. Below you’ll find Ernesto’s speech, “Latinos Today,” printed in full. Hè also urged the public to show support by attending the Latino Festival on September 13th.
Latinos Today
Today is September 2nd , and Hispanic or Latino Heritage Month is just a fe
days away. This month-long celebration is one that millions of people enjoy
every year. In Logan, the 5th Latino Festival will be September 13 on
Center Street. However, this year things seem to feel different than in
previous years.
Hispanic Heritage Month officially runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. and it is a
great opportunity to celebrate and recognize the contributions of the largest
ethnic minority in the country with almost 70 million people. In Utah alone,
the Latino population is over half a million people and over 8,000 of those,
live in Logan.
For some clarification, while we many times use Hispanic and Latino
interchangeably, Hispanic refers to people who have a connection to the
Spanish language, and Latino refers to people who have ancestral ties to
Latin America or the Caribbean regardless of their native or predominant
language.
During Hispanic Heritage Month we take time to celebrate the rich history,
folklore, arts, food, and accomplishments by those who identify as Hispanic
or Latinos. Given that Latino presence in parts of the US territory predate
its foundation, celebrating their heritage is only a natural part of celebrating
American history.
Today, Latinos are a very significant share of the workforce in agriculture,
construction, manufacturing, and services industries. They strengthen our
economy starting new businesses every day and contributing with
significant job creation and innovation. In 2023 their economic impact
reached $4.1 trillion dollars throughout our nation.
In light of all these facts, why do this year’s celebrations feel different than
other years? Why are festivals getting downsized, postponed, or even
cancelled in many communities? The truth is an uncomfortable one.
From the 70 million Latinos in the United States, more than 20 million are
immigrants like me. Even though we were not born in this country, we, or
our families, the circumstances, or life callings, made us part of this great
nation and we contribute in every way possible. Some of us were blessed to qualify for immigration visas from the start. Many millions were not that fortunate.
And it is the state of life for the millions of undocumented Latinos and
Latinas in this country that make our Heritage celebrations uncertain today.
Through the years, millions of the so called “illegal” demographic were
considered essential workers in various industries such agriculture and
food production industries. During the pandemic many of them did not get
to work from home like some of us. Nor were they offered any relief for not
being able to work. They were not eligible. Yet, we expected them to
continue to harvest our fields, and serve our needs.
But today we have a federal administration that promises to deport millions
of people. They promise they are only getting rid of criminals, but the truth
is that there are not enough criminals to amount to the numbers of
deportations they promise. Those facing possible deportation are
someone’s loved ones. They are fathers, mothers, and children. And they
can be your neighbors, your friends, or their loved ones. They can be
family to heroes like Officer Eric Estrada who gave his life in the line of duty
for our community.
This year you may notice a diminished presence of the Latino culture in
festivals throughout our nation. Organizers and attendees are concerned
about the safety of the community in case Immigration and Customs
Enforcement officers pay a visit to the celebrations. Business owners are
also choosing to not attend festivals as they project lower attendance and
return on their investment.
So, if you are wondering what can we do to let our vibrant Latino
community know that you feel their pain and empathize with their
uncertainty. That you understand that life is not easy, and many times it’s
unfair. Show up! Go join the celebrations and enjoy their food, music, and
culture. Tell your Latino neighbors that you value their friendship. Invite
them to a meal once in a while or accept their invitation. Reach out to your
state and national legislators. Let them know that your community matters
to you. To please stop supporting the terrorizing of the Latino communities throughout our country. There are ways to effectively arrest those who truly
are criminals. Showing up in workplaces, in masks using force, and
making an inhumane show of their capture is not the way. Arresting people
who are not criminals when they show up to their immigration hearings is
not the justice people are seeking.
While this is not happening in our city today there are stories of people
affected by this in our state, and it is happening in cities across our country.
This will never! make America great.
