The Latino influencers who addressed the Democratic National Convention (and what they said about voting)

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) has been a celebration of hope for members and supporters of the Democratic Party. The event — which is usually solemn and bureaucratic — adopted a different and more open tone, with figures from beyond politics and business invited to speak. Not only were there addresses by top-level Democratic profiles, such as Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, there were also speeches from a long list of special guests, including activists, poets and content creators — many of them of Latino origin — who spoke about the Democratic platform and expressed their support for its policies.

This was the case of Olivia Julianna, a political activist and strategist from Texas known for fighting for reproductive rights and her work with the NGO Gen-Z for Change. The activist — who identifies as Latina, disabled, and queer — gave a speech on the third night of the DNC, in which she called on her generation to vote. “As the saying goes: if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. So Gen Z, let’s take our seat in our democracy and cast our ballots this November for Kamala Harris.” Julianna also spoke about how people’s voting rights were hampered in different ways in Texas, and highlighted the importance of fighting for the right to vote.

Personalities like Julianna are a key to connecting political parties to younger generations, who largely get their information through social media with easy-to-consume content. The activist currently has more than 600,000 followers and almost 40 million “likes” on TikTok. In one of her most viewed videos (which has more than 800,000 views), she tells her followers about the problems of voter suppression in Texas and encourages them to take action. Her videos have received dozens of comments in support of her position and her work.

In one of her posts, Julianna appears alongside Antonio Arellano, vice president of communications for NextGen America, another nonprofit that seeks to empower “the most diverse and progressive generation in U.S. history to drive change at the ballot box.” Arellano was one of several activists and influencers invited to cover the DNC. One of his most recent posts shows Ocasio-Cortez giving a message to motivate young people to register to vote. Although other videos resemble the coverage in mainstream media, Arellano is focused on making the content attractive and highlighting the moments with the greatest potential to impact his audience.

The DNC gave a special place to more than 200 influencers to cover the event, and it has been reported that they were given preferential treatment over mainstream media.

On the third night of the DNC, immigrant rights activist Carlos Eduardo Espina took the stage. As the son of immigrants, the lawyer — who has more than 10 million followers on social media — highlighted his parents’ story and recalled that the United States is “the land of opportunities where anything is possible.” He also spoke about the immigrant community, describing them as: “People who work hard, contribute to society, pay taxes because yes, immigrants pay taxes, and love this country deeply.” At one point in his speech, the young man warned that Donald Trump’s rhetoric as “dangerous and outright anti-American,” and said that welcoming migrants is not a Republican or Democratic policy, but “an American value.”

The speech was met with applause and thousands of reactions on social media. Comments in both English and Spanish flooded his posts with support for the Democratic Party and messages inviting young people to vote.

In addition to the Latino voices, there were also social media influencers from other backgrounds, such as Nabela Noor, an entrepreneur known for her YouTube channel where she shares content about fashion and her life as a Muslim American. At the DNC, Noor spoke about her fertility struggles and the importance of fighting for reproductive freedom.

“I’m here to stand with everyone fighting for our reproductive freedoms. Because my daughters and yours deserve every option,” she said.

After speaking at the DNC, Noor posted on social media that her decision to appear at the event: “Wasn’t about politics. This was for every single one of you who have ever reached out, sharing your IVF stories and your shared struggles with fertility.”

“I did not use my time on stage to idolize a candidate but rather to preserve an institution of hope that has carried so many of us through our infertility journeys while championing a brighter future,” she added in a message liked by 200,000 people.

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