New billboards, sponsored by Voto Latino and the Oakland Corps, have appeared in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, aiming to inspire Puerto Rican pride and encourage their support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The billboards, which went up Thursday, showed pictures of Puerto Rican landmarks and beaches, including La Perla, a colorful neighborhood in San Juan overlooking the ocean, with the text reading: "This isn't garbage. And neither are we. Boricuas, this time, we vote for her," The Hill reported.
They aim to strengthen pride and support among the 470,000 Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania, and 130,000 in North Carolina.
The $500,000 campaign was the latest move in the "garbage" debate sparked by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at former President Donald Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The comedian had compared Puerto Rico to a floating island of garbage at the rally.
The issue grew when President Joe Biden made a slip-up on a call hosted by Voto Latino on Tuesday.
Voto Latino President María Teresa Kumar said, "Sunday's hateful insults against Puerto Ricans were just the latest example of Trump and his campaign showing us that they do not consider Latinos to be 'real' Americans."
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign denied any connection to the joke, and the former president said he hadn't heard it. However, several media outlets have called the incident the "October surprise" of 2024.
President Biden became involved when he made a confusing remark, which some understood as him calling all Trump supporters "garbage" or describing the language used at the rally that way.
The Trump campaign took the first interpretation, criticizing Biden -- and Harris by association -- to shift the issue in their favor. Trump on Wednesday appeared in a white garbage truck with his name on it in Wisconsin, saying it was "in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden."
However, Puerto Rican and Latino leaders, especially in states like Pennsylvania, have noticed that the original comment insulting Puerto Rico has quickly spread and gone viral in their communities.
The President of the Hispanic Federation Frankie Miranda said, "I think that [Trump is] not going to gain one vote for playing the garbage card. By the way, the garbage language started with him. He was [the] first one to say that America was a dump for the world. I don't think that he's gaining voters, any significant voters, by playing that narrative," The Hill reported.
"However, we know for sure that the Sunday comments have generated additional energy in the Latino community, for people to come out and vote in protest of what they saw was an unfair treatment ... of or characterization of Latinos and Puerto Ricans."
Spokesperson for Oakland Corps Chuck Quintero said, "Donald Trump has denigrated Latino communities for years. It started with his first campaign statements in 2015, and it has not stopped since."
"His hate for our community was on full display for the world to see this past weekend with fresh attacks on Puerto Ricans at his Madison Square Garden rally. We all have the power to stop the racism and the hate by getting out and voting in this election, and we're proud to partner with Voto Latino to get that message out in these final days."
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