July 15, 2019

New Americans Caucus Co-Chairs Torres and Espaillat Call Out Trump’s Racist Tweets

Torres and Espaillat are respectively the first Guatemalan and Dominican Americans to serve in Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Co-Chairs of the Congressional New Americans Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump's tweets asking "Progressive Democrat Congresswomen" to go back where they came from:

"The President's tweets are as small as his world view. There are many Members of Congress who were born in foreign countries. We represent a wide range of viewpoints, but we all love America and are grateful for the opportunity to serve. It is our rich backgrounds and diverse perspectives that strengthen our ability to shape policy that is reflective of the communities we represent. Many of us are working hard in Congress to improve the countries that we came from—that includes reforming corrupt governments that are not working on behalf of their people. To question the patriotism of any Member is as low and un-American as it gets."

The Congressional New Americans Caucus is comprised of first-generation immigrants and provides a forum to educate all Members of Congress about issues related to New Americans and public service. In the 116th Congress, the most diverse Congress in history, Caucus members hail from Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, India, Taiwan, Ecuador, Somalia, and Cuba, among other countries.

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