The Editorial Board of El Planeta Newspaper has decided for the second time in its 17 years history – the first was for Senator Ed Markey in 2013- to endorse a political candidate. Our values of freedom, democracy and tolerance are at stake in our city and in our country, so we have decided to act. We support and endorse Michelle Wu as the best choice for Mayor of Boston because we know she will work and fight for those values. The elections will be next November 2nd.
We are a Spanish newspaper in Boston which believe that fairness and progress do not come with a birth certificate. In these times of political polarization where democratic values are taken for granted for so many, everybody else has a responsibility to show that is not so. As immigrants and sons or daughters of immigrants we know that, we cannot afford to lose another country. Ex Secretary of State, Collin Powell, son of Jamaican immigrants who has just passed away, knew that. Michelle Wu, a Harvard graduate, daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, a mother of two, a small business owner and a member of the Boston City Council since 2014, where she has advocated for racial fairness, health and education services knows that. She knows, that freedom and democracy are fragile and they are by no means birth rights, she believes in fighting every day to preserve them and so do we.
Family values are important for us. When Wu’s mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia, she took responsibility for her family.
Business opportunities are important for us. Facing her mother illness, Michelle Wu decided to open a small teahouse; she struggled to make it work. She learned the hard way that something had to be done to avoid unnecessary red-tape for businesses. And she has been doing just that from her position in the Boston City Council.
Equal opportunities are important for us. Wu, 36, grew up in Chicago, like so many women, she moved to Boston and decided to run for office. She felt she would never make it in a men’s world. Understandable, Boston political heritage had been dominated by white Irish and Italian men. She, in a stark contrast is a female of color, small and soft spoken. She has succeeded with hard work and she will work to create better social and business conditions for other women to follow her path. We believe that the economic disparities in Boston made evident during this COVID pandemic requires the more inclusive city government leadership from top to bottom.
Michelle Wu has two small boys and she knows the challenges of a mother who also wants to have a career. She was the lead sponsor of Boston’s Paid Parental Leave ordinance and Health Care Equity ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender. Both were passed unanimously and were signed by Mayor Marty Walsh. She also authored Boston Communication Access ordinance, which guarantees, translation, interpretation, and assistive technology to access city services for those who have language problems or communication disabilities (Wu also speaks Spanish).
We believe in governments which acknowledge the increasing diversity in the world. Boston needs a new leadership that would be a true representative of its new identity. Boston has become an incredibly diverse city. According to the latest 2020 census, 28.3% of Boston residents are immigrants of which 19.8% are Latinos and the city’s white population has dropped from 95% in 1950 to 45% today.
In the past, her words and beliefs have guided her behavior as a citizen and also her policies as a public servant. We are sure that she will continue to do so in the future.
For all these reasons and because we want the best for the city of Boston, we endorse Michelle Wu.
El Planeta Media Editorial Board
About El Planeta: Founded in 2004 it is the largest Hispanic newspaper in Massachusetts reaching more than 500,000 Spanish speakers weekly through its print and digital platforms. It is published and owned by www.elplanetamedia.com a certified minority owned company.
