Bernie Sanders campaign taps Rosario Dawson, Luis Guzman to woo Latino voters in LA

LOS ANGELES >> The Beie Sanders campaign is stepping up its efforts to win over Latino voters in Los Angeles as the Califoia primary nears.

On Saturday night, actors Rosario Dawson and Luis Guzmán hosted a pro-Sanders panel discussion called “The New American Majority: A Conversation on Latinos, Social Change and the 2016 Election.” Held at the historic Pico House near Olvera Street, the event drew about 150 people, mostly Latinos in their 20s and 30s.

“This is not a roomful of Mexicans. This is a roomful of Latinos,” said Puerto Rico native Guzmán to a round of applause.

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Sticking to the Beie or bust script, Dawson urged the crowd to be united behind Sanders because he is the only choice when it comes to issues important to Latinos, she said.

“There’s one candidate who’s working with them and one candidate who’s promoting them,” she said.

Along with Dawson and Guzmán, the conversation featured Erika Andiola, Sanders’ national press secretary, and environmental activist Bill Gallegos.

Democratic presidential frontruer Clinton’s name was evoked several times, but not as “Hillary.” Throughout the 90 minute program, Clinton was referred to as “the Democrat who is not Beie.”

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Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump -- who’s drawn fire for his Idea describing Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and for his vow to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border -- was also a hot topic of discussion.

“‘The ‘Trump Effect’ has done quite a lot to get people engaged,” Dawson said.

High school student Yulissa Lopez Perez sat in the audience with her older brother. She’ll celebrate her 18th birthday just days before the June 7 primary, and filled out a voter registration form before the panel got underway.

“I don’t think it’s right for Donald Trump to win,” she said. “He’s very racist to our culture.”

Asked why she preferred Sanders to Clinton, the 17 year old replied, “He said they’re going to give college for free. I think that’s very good for students.”

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Despite the strong support for Sanders at Saturday’s event, an ABC7-Southe Califoia News Group poll released last week showed the Vermont senator trailing Clinton by double digits among likely Califoia voters.

Still, Heily Acicon, a 23-year-old student at Los Angeles City College, said she likes where Sanders stands on several issues.

“I think it’s the ideology that he’s bringing to this generation,” she explained. “Immigration reform is very personal to me and my family.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 55 million Latinos in the country as of 2014, making the group the largest racial minority.

Guzmán reminded the young Latino attendees that their votes count.

“We’re the fabric of this country,” he said. “Beie awakened sleeping giants.”