I almost didn’t make it to the Latinos in Social Media Top Blogueras Retreat in Washington D.C. this Monday. It felt like the airline goddesses were giving me signs but I made it just in time to attend a special policy briefing at the White House. Neither the President nor the First Lady would be there since they were in Chicago for the NATO Summit, but I snagged a seat close to the front just in case. As I walked to the briefing room, I passed by the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and thought, “Too bad Cecilia Muñoz isn’t in that office anymore so I could speak with her”. Then I saw the agenda.

And she would be taking questions. Those who have been reading VivirLatino or following my work know that I have written here and in other places about Muñoz and the role she plays as a Spanish language cheerleader for President Obama’s immigration polices. I quickly crafted my question in my notebook.

Muñoz opened up the briefing speaking about how important her job was in terms of representing not just Latino interests but all interests and how her position and the positions of so many other Latinas in the Obama administration were proof of the importance and power of the Latino community. Then she took questions and my hand shot up.

“Hi and thank you for taking my question. I’m Maegan Ortiz from VivirLatino.com. Given how you are held up as a role model for Latinas because of your success in the non-profit world and now government, how would you answer critics who question your promotion of policies that have proven to harm Latinas, especially undocumented women, for example survivors of domestic violence being put into deportation because of Secure Communities, the thousands of kids put into foster care because their mothers were deported, and a lack of both real prosecutorial discretion and administrative relief for DREAMers?”

Photo Credit : Chantilly Patiño.