By lifting up the contributions Latinos have made to America, we can fight back against the president [Opinion]

When Donald Trump announced his candidacy for presidency back in June 2015, he did so by calling Mexicans criminals and rapists and promising a Great Wall.

Hearing his words, I was overcome by fear for what his words would do to my community and how they would affect families like mine. I immediately thought of my mother and father, both first-generation Mexican-Americans who always emphasized the importance of hard work, a good education and belief in God. I then thought about my brothers and sisters, who like me were raised on a small farm in Palito Blanco, Texas speaking Spanish with our parents and hearing stories about how their parents immigrated to the United States. Lastly, I thought about the predominantly Hispanic and Latino community in Houston I was fortunate enough to represent at the time in the Texas Senate. It's a vibrant community of compassionate people with a fighting spirit and a desire to help their families achieve the American Dream.

Many did not take him seriously when he spoke so cruelly about Mexican immigrants, but I understood the significance of what he was saying. The reality of a Trump presidency has turned out to be worse than what anyone honestly expected.