America Ferrera visited San Antonio on Saturday. The actress was in town to help mobilize young voters in the city through the “Quince to the Polls” parade, an event focused on increasing first-time voter participation among Latinos.
Team members from Harness, an organization founded in 2016 by America Ferrera, Wilmer Valderrama and Ferrera’s husband Ryan Piers Williams, were joined by partners at Jolt Initiative and When We All Vote. The event started with a press conference at La Veladora of our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio’s West Side and continued as a festival at Collins Garden Park. The parade featured a dozen teenagers in quinceañera dresses who used their special birthday celebration to promote voter turnout.
“Did you know that every 30 seconds, every single 30 seconds, another young Latino turns 18 and becomes eligible to vote? That is incredible, tremendous power in our community,” Ferrera told the crowd.
Other speakers at the event included Jolt Initiative Executive Director Diana Maldonado, San Antonio District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, activist Rosie Castro, and a young woman celebrating her quinceañera.
Local icon and civil rights activist Rosie Castro talked about how voting got her two sons, Julian and Joaquin Castro, elected into office.
“We have so much to be proud of in San Antonio. I’m proud of the fact that you all have done us a great honor by electing both of my sons,” said Castro. “We will always fight to make sure that you are well represented. But that can only happen when we vote.”
Fourteen-year-old Eulogia Rodriguez, one of the dozen young girls in a quince dress, explained the importance of young people educating themselves on voting.
“Not a lot of teenagers know what goes into voting or how issues impact them in their daily lives, so it’s just a matter of educating them so that in the future they feel well prepared and confident in voting,” said Rodriguez.
Also on the stage was 25-year-old nurse and college graduate Maggie Soberanes who encouraged people to get their friends and family civically engaged.
“I’m proud to say I’m my ancestors' wildest dreams, and you can be too,” said Soberanes. “It starts with voting, and making sure your friends, your neighbors, your tia and your abuela also vote.”
At Collins Gardens Park, Ferrera spoke to festival attendees about the young women celebrating their quinces by encouraging people to vote.
“They can’t even vote. They’re not old enough to vote! And they’re standing here saying ‘Vote for us.
Vote for our future,’” said Ferrera.
Early voting is happening now through Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8.
