Democrats tout accomplishments, listen to needs of Northwest Indiana Hispanics

U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., put it bluntly — "Democrats are horrible about talking about our victories."

Sitting beside U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, on the campus of Purdue University Northwest on Wednesday, the five-term Los Angeles-area congressman said his party's habit of focusing on the next task ahead, instead of taking credit for past accomplishments, is a real problem because Democrats have a lot to be proud of over the past two years.

Cárdenas told some 40 leaders of Northwest Indiana's Hispanic community that federal programs enacted by the Democratic-controlled Congress and Democratic President Joe Biden provided the financial support individuals, communities and states needed to rebound from the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, Cárdenas said, new laws like the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have set the stage for subsequent generations to get the education, skills training, jobs and opportunities that will generate robust economic growth for decades to come.

"I know we have a lot to point to to say it needs to get better, and there are some of us in Washington trying to make sure we do that every single day with honesty and with a lot of pride for our community," Cárdenas said. "I'm here to help my friend, Frank, figure out how we can help you better from Washington."

There was no shortage of suggestions from Region Hispanics attending the roundtable discussion organized by state Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, and joined by state Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago.

They included permanent enactment of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, improved support for college students, financial literacy initiatives, access to worker skills training, more mentoring opportunities and improved outreach to Latino communities.

Mrvan said he's very familiar with those needs from his 15 years serving as trustee of Lake County's North Township.

He also said he's been working during his first two-year term in Congress to make sure all individuals have an opportunity to improve their lives through employment and other means.

"Employers are thirsting for a bipartisan immigration policy that gets people back into the workforce. And I dare say, in my opinion, if you can do that, and increase productivity and reduce demand, it will bring down inflation," Mrvan said.

"People who are living in the shadows, we want to encourage them to come forward and to be able to have a pathway to citizenship, to be part of the economy and to reduce the exploitation of that workforce, which exists here locally and throughout the nation," he added.

Andrade and Harris agreed. They said communication about these kinds of policies between Region Hispanics and elected officials at the local, state and federal level is essential for ensuring representatives truly are representing the needs of all of their constituents.

"This is very important for us to have these conversations as we continue to move forward for the betterment of our communities," Andrade said.