Colombian singer Carlos Vives defended on Wednesday the humanity of immigrants in the United States and claimed his “Hispanic pride” at a promotional event in New York prior to the kickoff of his ‘Tour al sol’ tour in the country.
Vives participated in a press conference in New York with the Hispanic food company Goya, which is sponsoring his 90th anniversary tour and made a donation to his foundation Tras la Perla, focused on social development in his native Santa Marta, Colombia.
Asked for a message for his audience when in the U.S. the government of President Donald Trump, goes ahead with the deportation campaign, Vives made a plea in favor of immigrants, thanking them for the boost to his career and recognizing himself in them.
“I have always been an advocate,” declared the award-winning artist, who praised “the capacity for work and love” of the “immigrant who came to build and make this country greater,” and assured that he can feel represented by “a Mexican tomato picker in Florida.”
“This is what the town where I was born is like, noble and hard-working people,” he added.
The actor and composer also pointed out that there are immigrants who engage in crime or are a danger to the community, but he reasoned that this scourge “has no nationality” and criticized the use of origins “to talk about things that are not right”.
“Most of them deserve a chance, most of them want to build, they want to love and they do it spectacularly,” said Vives, who reiterated that the U.S. “has been blessed that the neighbors are us” and added that the “humanity of the people is very valuable.”
The Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, who has sold millions of records, is preparing to release his new album, ‘El último disco’ on May 1, of which he has made several previews, and will begin the U.S. leg of his tour on Friday in New York, about which he was excited.
In this sense, Buzzy related the philanthropic work of his foundation, which seeks to “give freedom back” to the residents of Santa Marta, and the possibility of traveling that his career has given him, to conclude with a message of unity for Hispanic Americans.
“Music took me around the world (…), showed me my whole family, and gave me back something: my Hispanic pride, my Spanish pride. That makes me, more than a Latino, say: I am Hispanic American,” he reflected, reported Agencia EFE, calling for “returning affection to our Hispanic heritage.
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