Two weeks ago, Rosario Dawson wrote a forceful letter to Dolores Huerta, the woman she portrayed in 2014’s Cesar Chavez, for her criticisms against Bernie Sanders. Huerta and Dawson find themselves pulling for opposing candidates this election season, stumping for Hillary Clinton and Sanders, respectively.
Though Dawson opened her letter by praising the labor leader and civil rights activist for her contributions to Latinos, feminism, and workers’ rights, she concluded that instead of “joining this movement to create a better America” backing Clinton made her an “instrument of the establishment.”
Instead of lashing out after being dragged in the media, Huerta shifted the blame onto Sanders. “I think that our campaign for Hillary Clinton in the Latino community is being effective and that’s why (the Sanders campaign) is asking people like Rosario Dawson to come out and attack me,” she said to the Associated Press. “I guess they think they can silence my voice by doing that.”
She added that she still supports and admires Dawson and doesn’t “hold anything against” her. Sanders’ National Press Secretary for Latino Outreach Erika Andiola said Dawson’s piece necessarily pointed out the lies coming from Hillary’s camp and opened up a conversation among the Latino community.
In the end, Huerta brings up an important point about unity. “When the dust settles…we are going to be together,” she said. “And we need to be together to defeat Donald Trump or Ted Cruz.”