America Ferrera, the actress known for her titular role in the show “Ugly Betty,” was one of the many Latinas who spoke out against Donald Trump’s recent, racist remarks. He’s stated that Mexico is sending “rapists and criminals” to the United States. In her letter to Mr. Trump she thanked him because he “ignited a fire” in the Latino community that she believes will negatively affect him on Election Day.

Ferrera argued that his remarks would encourage a great Latino voter turnout for 2016. She stated that the Latino population had grown over 49 percent from 2000 to 2012, and in order to win the election, Mr. Trump would need the support of the Latino community he had so blatantly insulted.

Ferrera has a point that the Latino voters will affect the outcome of the 2016 election, but I’m worried that the remarks made by Trump might not be enough to provoke a big voter turnout. The Pew Research Center shows that Latinos have a lower turnout than white and black voters, but this election could make that change — or at least that is what I hope. There has to be more done to encourage Latinos to pay attention to the candidates and vote because there are many issues, not just immigration reform, that they need to be aware of.

Only 48 percent of the eligible Latino voters showed up during the 2012 Presidential elections. That means 12.1 million eligible Latinos didn’t vote, and of those non-voters, two-thirds were of Mexican origin. The lowest voter turnout among Latinos was with 18- to 29-year-olds, as well as those with less than a high school diploma. Only 49.8 percent of the eligible Latina voters participated in the 2012 election, yet 100 percent are affected by the laws and actions taken by the U.S. government.

As a Latina with family members that fit into some of these categories, I’m worried that without enough awareness on presidential issues, the comments made by Donald Trump might not be enough to get big turnout expected by Ferrera.

Trump’s racist remarks are receiving less attention in the media, and by the time the election comes around, they won’t be as highly circulated. Life happens and sometimes we forget to pay attention to big political issues going on around us. However, we must not forget to keep listening to the candidates as they continue their campaigns, so that when Election Day arrives, we are well informed and ready to cast our ballot.

The fervor for respect and equality must continue with or without Trump’s comments. I think we need to better inform the less educated Latino communities about voting and explain to them that both the presidential candidates and the issues they are trying to confront will affect their lives.

After two GOP debates and many campaign speeches, it is obvious that immigration, wealth inequality and women’s rights are big issues for most — if not all — candidates. If you haven’t been able to keep up with the debates or the speeches, just log onto the candidates’ websites and read the issues they have highlighted.

As a Latina, I know that any decision made on these three issues will impact me. However, these issues aren’t solely applicable to Latinas — in fact, they will have an affect on many Americans. To those who want a college education, a higher minimum wage, residency or access to health care, listen up, because these are the issues being addressed by the candidates who want to be the next President of the United States.

It’s time to show Latinos care about America just as much as any other American. It’s time for the Latino turnout to grow in order to prove that this is our home and that we are proud to be Americans. I agree with Ferrera that the number of Latinos can have a great impact, but in order for our votes to count, we must first become aware of the issues that each candidate stands for.

Agueda is a senior in LAS.

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