Hispanic Heritage Month: Melissa Hernandez

Through this series, When We All Vote is highlighting some of the people who work with us to ensure their communities are registered and ready to vote. So many of us make history every day, and we are proud to honor these Latinx community ambassadors.

What has been your role with My School Votes? And why is it essential for this work to be done in your community?

I was one of the Louisiana student ambassadors and was paired with another ambassador to do outreach to high school students across the state. Whether it was through social media or through people we knew personally, we were able to engage people by hosting voter registration drives or other civic engagement activities. Most students my age aren’t usually informed on this topic even if they do have the capacity to vote. So being an ambassador was a great leadership opportunity for me.

What’s the most rewarding part about being an MSV Student Ambassador?

In the Latinx community, there’s still a disconnect between being a citizen of the United States versus being from other Latin countries. Most still like to think of themselves as those Latin countries, which is completely valid, but the disconnect leads to less participation in their communities. For example, my dad has been in this country for 20-plus years and hasn’t voted. That was a source of conflict for us because I was really passionate about voting and civic engagement in my community. So from my interactions with the Latinx community around me, whether or not I knew them from school or my personal life, I could just tell that they didn’t have a connection to the political landscape in their communities. They hold such strong values, but they’re not exercising their right to vote or participate in our democracy.

I think that being a Latinx student and working with My School Votes was an eye-opening experience for me. At first, I was very science-focused, and I still am, but being a part of this program widened my perspective — now I am currently minoring in Political Science. My School Votes really inspired me to integrate my science passion with that civic side. It was a really valuable experience and has honestly shaped my future.

How has your life personally been impacted by voting? Does a specific moment stand out to you?

I would say the first thing that always comes to my mind is my dad. Just because he’s been here for a very long time and we have struggled with our different views. He’s more conservative which resulted in a lot of clashing over the years, but at the same time, I found myself trying to understand that even if someone does have a different view than you, they still have the right to express that view. And like you, they should still be encouraged to express their opinion and go out and vote. Having that personal experience with my family made me more understanding and willing to have rational conversations and not automatically shut them out. It’s now very important to me to maintain a sense of humanity and understand the importance of bridging that gap between others.

What about our community brings you joy?

Currently, seeing myself and my peers progress through high school and into being leaders is what’s bringing me the most joy.

What is your favorite part of being Latina?

I would say first and foremost, always be proud of where you come from! My dad is from Honduras and my mom is from El Salvador, so knowing other people who come from the culture I do is so important. There is some sense of familiarity already within the Latinx community, and one of my favorite things is how easy it is to strike up a conversation. I feel like as a community we are so welcoming and always making the extra effort to invite you out, joke with you, and just feel included overall. That is extremely comforting to me, and that’s why I always go that extra mile in my everyday life as well. I know that a lot of youth growing up are not surrounded by their community. I grew up going to school with predominantly white students throughout elementary, middle, and high school, and because of that, it can be easy to feel disconnected from your culture. But remember, even if you do feel disconnected there is a community willing to take you in. It is always there as a support system, no matter where you are and no matter how you grew up.

There are no off years in democracy, so join us as we stand up for voting rights. You can get started today by registering to vote, (weall.vote/register), texting three friends (weall.vote/check), or by taking action (weall.vote/take-action).