Op-Ed: It’s Time for Us Latinos to Wake Up: The Real Impact of These Executive Orders on Our Communities

I know we’ve all been watching the news, and it’s been a relentless cycle—day after day, something new and devastating. It’s exhausting. It’s overwhelming. And it’s intentional. But we can’t afford to look away. We have to pay attention.

The Cuts to USAID and Their Global Consequences

The new Administration cut the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides humanitarian and development assistance worldwide. They froze humanitarian aid without notice. This aid represents less than 1% of the U.S. budget, yet its disappearance has massive consequences.

I served as a diplomat with USAID and worked in these communities worldwide for years. I saw the impact of these funds firsthand—jobs created, small businesses supported, infrastructure built, health improved, futures changed. These were not handouts, no matter what the headlines say. They were strategic investments, not only in global stability but in U.S. allies and economic growth. And now, all of it is gone.

In communities worldwide, jobs have vanished overnight. Nonprofits and grassroots organizations are shutting down, people are furloughed, and development projects are left half-finished. Who does this hurt the most? Black and brown communities. Latinos. Our families. Our people.

Without these programs, these communities will rely even more heavily on remesas—on us, the diaspora, to send money back home to keep them afloat.

The Erasure of DEI and Its Impact on Our Progress

Let’s be clear: The momentum for growth and earning potential we were building? It’s been wiped out. The allies we were strengthening? We’ve abandoned them. The trust we spent decades cultivating? Shattered.

And it’s not just humanitarian aid under attack. The new Administration gutted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

This isn’t just about workplace trainings. DEI opens doors and creates pipelines, bringing out the hidden, untapped talent across America. It builds ramps for those with disabilities and funds literacy and science programs for girls around the world. Similarly, it ensures that voices like ours are heard in the spaces where real decisions are made. It gives us a legitimate seat at the table—not just a symbolic one.

It took decades to get here. Generations of Latinos fought to break into spaces that had been shut off to us. And now? Our gains are being dismantled in a matter of weeks. If you think we had already “made it” and don’t need these policies anymore, think again. We were just getting started. Instead of doubling down, they’re erasing us.

The Attack on Environmental Protections

I remember when I was in graduate school, teaching an EPA-funded course in inner-city Oakland. I showed students how their schools were mapped—right next to factories, dumps, freeways—the places with the worst air quality and highest asthma rates in the country. These weren’t coincidences. These were systemic choices.

And now, DEI is being slashed right alongside environmental protections. Who do you think this hurts most? Black and brown communities. Our communities. This is an attack.

The Strategic Language Meant to Divide Us

They are not just rolling back policies—they are rewriting the narrative. The language in these executive orders is strategic. They try to diminish our value with loaded words like “protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship,” “ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs,” and “stopping DEI madness.”

They claim USAID was plagued with “waste and abuse.” Yet, where is the audit? Where is the proof?

I’ve spent a lifetime in DEI. I worked at the agency for years, both as a diplomat and as a consultant. I know the layers of oversight, the checks and balances, and the systems in place for accountability. This is deliberate misinformation with the only goal to divide us and discredit the work we’re doing for and by our communities.

This Is How Democracy Falls—Unless We Act

We cannot afford to ignore this. Regardless of who we voted for, it’s time to call our representatives and demand accountability. Attend local town halls, write letters, talk about it with your friends and community, and use your social media platforms to spread awareness. Support organizations fighting for these policies and mobilizing our communities.

If we don’t act now, we will see more of our rights and resources stripped away.

Many of us left our countries looking for a better life, for the promise of democracy and equal opportunity. Some of us grew up listening to stories of how democracy fell apart in our families’ homelands. Some of us witnessed it firsthand. And we all wonder—how did they let it happen?

Well, this is how.

We cannot let history repeat itself. We must come together, not just as Latinos but as a collective force. This is a fight for all of us—the vulnerable, the silenced, the disrespected.

Let’s rise up and organize. Let’s refuse to be erased.

Dr. Esther Zeledón is the Founder of @be.act.change. With a commitment to inclusivity, Dr. Zeledón has transformed the lives of thousands worldwide, bridging gaps across communities, corporations, and countries. Drawing from her unique experiences and insights, she has crafted a powerful formula for balanced success and brilliant productivity, empowering everyone to envision and manifest their limitless life.