Noche Buena, Bonita, Pero no Barata
December 20, 2023
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Bueno… it should be.
We are racing towards Noche Buena: la familia está por llegar, los niños are excited for Santa’s arrival, el arbolito is up… but, behind the smiles of our loved ones, we notice an air of worry.
Jose Mallea, the CEO of The LIBRE Initiative, explains why anxiety is permeating the season in his op-ed, “Why this Holiday Season is hitting Hispanic Americans in their Pocketbooks.”
In the article, Mallea cites a LIBRE Institute poll that shows “69% of Hispanics disapprove of the economy.” It indicates that inflation has hit the Hispanic community particularly hard, forcing them to stretch their dollars to make ends meet. Now, added holiday expenses threaten to unravel their already tight budgets.
This poll ought to raise alarm bells in the White House, especially considering that Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the voter population. However, the White House is projecting the message that, regardless of the polls, they are pushing forward with this failed economic strategy.
In fact, just last month, President Biden delivered a speech on the successes of ‘Bidenomics’ in Colorado. This was a stunning choice of location, as Colorado residents specifically have seen their cost-of-living rise by nearly $15,000, the worst of any state. It is difficult to feel hopeful about the future when the White House is so blatantly out of touch with the American people. To evidence that, the op-ed further cites that 80% of Hispanics “worry that America is declining and that [their] children will not have the opportunities [they] hoped they would have.” This alarming statistic calls into question the role of our elected leaders, mainly, did we not elect them to represent our interests?
That is a question to carry into the New Year, where we will have an opportunity to show our dissatisfaction with the current economic climate. In the meantime, Noche Buena ya viene por ahí, and it is indeed good. It is a night to celebrate that we are rich in things that cannot be bought- familia, paz, amor y fe.