As the U.S. celebrates its 250th birthday, many Latinos question whether they belong

"I didn't feel included in the Latino community. I always felt left out. Las Comadres has since become a national nonprofit organization. De Hoyos Comstock, petite with a warm smile, describes Las Comadres as a 'Latina culture club.' The current political rhetoric, characterized by the most aggressive immigration enforcement in modern history, is forcing many U.S. citizen Latinos to question whether they belong."

"I look for myself on TV and in the media and I don't see myself because all I see is Latinos as criminals. I think about this every day. Typically, the group stays away from politics, says de Hoyos Comstock, but today they break that rule to talk about what they see as the Trump administration's assaults on Latinos as the U.S. turns 250 this year."

"It hurts me seeing all this injustice. Sometimes I cannot take it. I'm angry. Many U.S. citizen Latinos are feeling afraid. Several women at the gathering say they are angry at relatives who sent President Trump back to the White House, but they also feel hopeless and afraid."

Las Comadres Para Las Americas, founded by Nora de Hoyos Comstock 25 years ago, is a national nonprofit organization where Latinas gather monthly to connect and celebrate their culture. Originally created to help de Hoyos Comstock find her Mexican roots and feel included in the Latino community, the group has evolved into a cultural organization. Despite typically avoiding politics, members recently discussed concerns about aggressive immigration enforcement and negative media representation of Latinos. Many U.S. citizen Latinos, including some group members, express fear and anger about current political rhetoric and policies affecting their community, even as some family members supported the Trump administration.

Read at www.npr.org