AUSTIN, Texas — At a recent potluck in Austin, pots of chicken and creamy potato soup simmered on the stove as about two dozen Latinas gathered with salads, cheese and fruit platters for their monthly meeting of Las Comadres Para Las Americas, or Godmothers for the Americas.
Founder Nora de Hoyos Comstock started the group 25 years ago while searching for her Mexican roots.
“I didn’t feel included in the Latino community. I always felt left out,” she said.
Since then, Las Comadres has grown into a national nonprofit. De Hoyos Comstock, now 80, describes it as a “Latina culture club.”
But as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary this year, many U.S. citizen Latinos say increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement and political rhetoric have left them questioning whether they fully 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,” de Hoyos Comstock said.
Though the group typically avoids politics, members recently set that aside to discuss what they view as the Trump administration’s actions toward Latinos.
“It hurts me seeing all this injustice,” said Gina Vazquez, a naturalized U.S. citizen. “Sometimes I cannot take it. I’m angry.”
When asked whether they or family members voted for President Trump, nearly half the women raised their hands. Some said they felt frustrated with relatives who supported him but also described feelings of fear and uncertainty.
“People are not understanding that there are no real rules right now,” said Carolina Pérez, a U.S. citizen and daughter of Cuban exiles. She said she fears for the safety of her Cuban-born husband and their 19-year-old son as federal immigration enforcement intensifies nationwide.
Many members said they feel conflicted about celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday — proud to be American, yet not in a festive mood.
“Just the word celebration alone is triggering,” said Evelyn Escamilla. “I’m Mexican-American. I was born in this country. I was raised in this country, yet because of my heritage, I’m afraid. I’m afraid to be out in the street. I don’t think we have much to celebrate.”
Although millions of Hispanics voted for President Trump in 2024, nationwide polling shows growing dissatisfaction with the administration’s immigration and economic policies.
Daniel Garza, founder and president of The Libre Initiative, said not all Latinos feel threatened by the immigration crackdown.
“If you’re undocumented, yes, you should feel threatened. But if you’re an American, naturalized or born citizen Latino, you don’t have the same priority as that community does. Your priorities right now are the economy, jobs, opportunity,” Garza said.
Latino contributions to the U.S. economy are significant. A recent report from University of California, Los Angeles found that Latinos account for about 70% of growth in the national GDP and labor force.
Latinos are also overrepresented in several branches of the armed forces.
Proud and Patriotic Latino Veterans
At Joe’s Bakery in Austin, a longtime family-owned restaurant known for traditional Mexican breakfasts, several veterans gathered for a morning meal.
Chris Sanchez, 75, a third-generation American with Mexican roots, said service has long been part of his family’s identity.
“Latinos in the military, for us, we’re not liberal. We’re not conservative. We’re Americans,” he said. “I went into the military in 1968 and I got activated for Desert Storm. Latinos have always been very patriotic. They’ve been involved in every war.”
He described a family legacy of service stretching from World War II and the Korean War to Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Army today.
Benny Aleman, who served 42 years in the military including two deployments to Vietnam as a helicopter mechanic, said he no longer recognizes the country he served.
“We are in chaos! Our country is in chaos,” he said.
He criticized the administration’s threats toward countries including Greenland, Iran and Venezuela, and objected to federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota.
“Do I disagree with Minneapolis? 100%. Period. You know, beating up on people, shooting people,” Aleman said. “That’s not America.”
Col. Frank Maldonado, 81, a Vietnam helicopter pilot whose parents emigrated from Mexico, enlisted straight out of high school.
“My mom did not want me in the military,” he said, his eyes filling with tears. “My dad was proud that he had given one of his sons to his adopted country. He was so proud.”
Maldonado said he joined out of patriotism and would serve again if needed.
“War is terrible, especially for soldiers. But if my country really needed me, I would go right now, without even thinking.”
While he disagrees with how Trump is leading the country, Maldonado said he remains hopeful.
“One day we’ll get back to what America should be. I’m not giving up,” he said. “It’s never going to be perfect, but every little bit that we can do to make it better, we got to continue.”
Despite his concerns, Maldonado plans to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with his children and grandchildren on the Fourth of July, complete with fireworks.