On the night of Nov. 7, 2017, a Democratic Latina candidate trailed just 2 percentage points behind an independent in the Syracuse mayoral race.

In the months prior to election night, Ben Walsh was behind Juanita Perez Williams by about 7 percentage points in most polls, but he made history that night, defeating Perez Williams in the general election to become the city’s second mayor unaffiliated with a major political party.

Perez Williams’ win would have made her the first woman of color to lead Syracuse, a city that in 2015, had the highest concentration of black and Hispanic people in poverty among the country’s 100 biggest metropolitan areas. For some members of Syracuse’s Latinx community, the opportunity to elect a public officer who could echo their voices has not yet been achieved. And so several Latinx leaders in central New York have a simple message for Walsh, a month after his inauguration: Listen to the voices that want to be heard.

Jose Perez, a lawyer with offices in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, said he was surprised on election night when the polls ended up being “wrong.” To him, Perez Williams’ loss reflected the city’s desire for change.

“It’s just a matter of people looking for a different type of person. People are just fed up with the two parties,” he said.

Perez came to the United States from Venezuela in 2002 and has practiced law independently in Syracuse since 2012 as one of the area’s Latino law professionals. Among other issues, he is involved with immigration litigation.

Jose Perez is a lawyer with offices throughout the state, including Syracuse. He often works with immigration litigation. Courtesy of Jose Perez

In November, Perez spoke to The Daily Orange about the need to have someone in power who would listen to all community members amid the “Trump-fueled new wave of racism,” which he said is increasingly prevalent. He pointed to the growing numbers of Cuban refugees from Florida and of Latinx people on the city’s Westside.

“People in the community want to know that they have an elected official that can meet their needs,” Perez said.

Elisa Morales, executive director at the Spanish Action League — La Liga — echoed that sentiment.

“For many administrations, the (Latinx) community has felt a bit forsaken,” she said. “This is a new opportunity to be able to give the people that open doors to know that they can voice their concerns and that they’re going to be heard.”

Morales, a former La Liga client, has been executive director of the organization since March 2017. She previously served as a volunteer, staff member and board member for the group. Perez Williams also serves on La Liga’s board of directors.

Morales, a native of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, said central New York has seen a steady influx of Puerto Ricans seeking refuge, both from the recent financial crisis and Hurricane Maria. She said she doesn’t foresee that trend slowing down any time soon.

“These people are seeking that American dream right here in Syracuse and Onondaga County,” Morales said. “We have to come together, and we have to pay attention to this group.”

She said these additions to the community are potential voters.

“As this community continues to grow, I think that all legislators should be paying attention,” she said. “What (legislators) do today is going to impact what these citizens do tomorrow.”

 

 

So far, the way Morales sees it, Walsh is off to a good start. She met Walsh when he was mayor-elect and said she got a strong sense that he has a heart for the Latinx community. Walsh has been supportive of La Liga’s efforts in Syracuse, and Morales said he’s personally donated to the cause.

Morales said the mayor plans to do a segment on La Liga’s radio program, giving him a direct line through which he can reach Latinx people in the city and vice versa.

“I have high hopes that as we continue on this journey, we will continue together,” she said.

Silvio Torres-Saillant, a Dominican professor of English at Syracuse University and co-founder of La Casita Cultural Center, said efforts like the radio program will be essential to Walsh’s success. Unlike Perez Williams, Walsh must take a necessary step to have an effect on the Latinx community, Torres-Saillant said.

“Her winning would have made the attention that that community needs automatic, in a sense,” he said. “She (wouldn’t have needed) to learn or discover that community. One hopes (Walsh) will then do the homework that is necessary to figure out how he can make a difference for the better.”

Torres-Saillant said he thinks some of the Walsh administration’s most important homework will be to get to know its stakeholders — and not just the typical ones like public officers and organization heads.

“Who are the Latinos in health? In academia? In public school systems? In business? Look at all these sectors,” he said.

Jason Nova, a program coordinator at SU’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, discussed the potential partnerships Walsh could have at SU. Nova refers to the university as “the heart and soul of Syracuse” — where 25 percent of the student population in fall 2016 was people of color, according to the most recent diversity statistics on SU’s website.

“To me, 25 percent of the student body is an opportunity to do something and to use (these students), especially if they’re politically driven,” Nova said, pointing to groups like Lambda Theta Alpha as an example of Latinx students practicing civic engagement. He also mentioned students partnering with La Casita and doing volunteer work.

To Nova, the easiest way Walsh can form a relationship with students of color in the area is to address politics within the university on a smaller scale, not just speaking with senior staff members. Opening that line of communication between students and legislators is a two-way street, Nova said, but it’s an untapped resource that could give Walsh some success.

Said Perez: “We are all working together. We should not define ourselves by party lines or different candidates. We have to unify and not divide.”

Published on January 31, 2018 at 11:20 pm

Contact Colleen: cefergus@syr.edu | @ColleenEFergus2