Kamala Harris supporters from across the Southland gathered in Boyle Heights Thursday afternoon to watch the presidential hopeful accept her party’s nomination live from the Democratic National Convention.
The energy was high at Distrito Catorce, a neighborhood bar on 1st Street, where Latinos from Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Valley watched political figures give speeches in support of Harris while mingling over mango-flavored beers and IPAs.
“As a first-generation Latina with immigrant parents, I think it’s so important that we support someone who sees us as important members of the community here, not only in Boyle Heights but also Latinos across the U.S.,” said Lupita Martinez outside of Distrito Catorce.
The 27-year-old resident of South Whittier has committed to voting for Harris and said events like political watch parties are crucial in Latino-dominant neighborhoods because they help people connect and start conversations about what it means to be politically engaged.
“Using our voices like this is a refresher in helping us build community, to then continue the advocacy on the ground,” she said.
The event was hosted by Latinos for Harris-Walz, a volunteer group standing in solidarity with the Democratic party’s nominations for the 2024 election. Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, joined as a co-host, rallying support for Harris and Walz.
Securing the Latino vote could prove critical to any nominee on the November ticket as nearly 36 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the upcoming election.
On Monday, the Harris-Walz campaign launched the bilingual Latinos con Harris-Walz WhatsApp channel to communicate with Latino and Spanish-speaking voters across the country. The channel, the first of its kind for any presidential campaign, has garnered over 3,000 followers in its first week.
According to 2021 Pew Research data, about a quarter of Americans use WhatsApp, and 46% of users are Latino. Black Americans make up about 23% of the user base and White Americans make up close to 16%.
Outside of the Latino demographic, the Harris campaign has worked to reach America’s youngest voters on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and as of Thursday, Twitch.
Back at the bar, volunteers from Latinos con Harris-Walz passed out blue signs for patrons to take home in support of the Democratic candidates.
Carlos Santana, 72, picked up a few signs for his home in Van Nuys. He and his wife, Susannah, 70, fought Los Angeles traffic and made the trek to Boyle Heights to show support for the Harris-Walz administration. Santana said he admired President Joe Biden’s decision to step down and pass the torch to his VP after his weak debate performance.
“I was a Kamala fan, even when she ran back in 2020. [Biden] put the country ahead of his party and his own aspirations. And I feel that Kamala is going to do a great job,” the retired LAUSD teacher said.
Across the street at Women’s March Action, a political organization, a similar watch party drew a crowd of residents from across the greater Los Angeles area. Dressed in blue, 68-year-old Cynthia Ruiz showed enthusiasm from the back of the space. The El Sereno resident said she was excited to be among other women supporting the potential first woman of color in the White House.
Ruiz said that she’s recognized more women being politically active as reproductive rights are continuously being threatened.
“To me, the future looks bright. Whether it be the future around women’s reproductive rights or the future for Mother Earth and the environment,” Ruiz said.
