We Stand with Immigrant Communities
This is personal.
My family came to the U.S. in search of a better life, one rooted in hard work and hope. That journey began with my grandparents, who have spent their entire lives working in agriculture and to this day, they continue to labor in the fields that feed this nation. My first job was picking grapes in the vineyards of California’s Central Valley. I know the physical toll it takes. I know how essential that work is.
Latino and immigrant labor doesn’t just keep things running, it moves them forward. In 2022-2023 alone, Latino contributions added $3.6 trillion in GDP, making us the 5ᵗʰ largest economy in the world. We hold $3.78 trillion in purchasing power and account for $2.7 trillion in annual consumption. These are not small figures, they are the backbone of U.S. economic strength. We don’t just contribute. We drive growth, sustain industries, and shape the future of this country.
I’ve seen the pain of deportation up close. I’ve had a family member taken. I’ve watched friends lose parents, siblings, loved ones ripped from their homes and thrown into the unknown. And while I haven’t lived in fear myself, I know many who do. People who wake up every day afraid that a knock at the door could change their lives forever.
This is not just policy, it’s trauma. It’s families being torn apart. It’s lives being uprooted while their hands are still in the soil.
At Viña de Latinas, we are not here just to talk about wine. We are here to speak truth to an industry and a country that benefits from immigrant labor while erasing immigrant lives.
Latino and immigrant workers are the backbone of the wine industry. They plant, pick, prune, ferment, and bottle. Their labor fills tasting rooms and dinner tables. They are the people behind the glass in your hand.
Imagine this:
A bottle of wine, crafted through the sweat and skill of an immigrant worker, sits on a table surrounded by laughter, clinking glasses, and celebration.
But on the other end of that bottle is someone living in fear.
Someone who picked the fruit of that joy, yet is afraid to be seen.
Afraid they won’t make it home.
Afraid that their own family dinner could be their last together.
This is the cost of silence.
And still, these workers receive little recognition. Little protection. Less respect.
ICE raids have made that clear.
They target the very people who sustain this land, tearing them from their families, their futures, and the lives they’re trying to build.
We refuse to be silent.
If you love wine, you should love the people who make it possible.
We must do more than acknowledge their labor, we must protect their lives.
Here’s how you can take action:
Call your representatives - demand protections for immigrant families
Donate to frontline orgs making a difference:
CHIRLA (SoCal legal aid & advocacy)
SIREN (Bay Area rapid response & immigrant defense)
California Rural Legal Assistance (statewide farmworker rights)
Support Latino-owned wineries, every purchase is a statement
Share this message: silence helps no one, but visibility saves lives
There is no wine without immigrant hands. No food. No care. No culture. No future.
Stand with us. Speak with us. Fight with us.
Sources:
U.S. Latino GDP Report 2025, Latino Donor Collaborative in partnership with California Lutheran University CERF - Read PDF
Latino Data Hub, co-created by 11.11 Media and the Latino Donor Collaborative - latinodatahub.org
The U.S. Latino Economy: A $3.6 Trillion Powerhouse Driving U.S. Growth, 11.11 Media via HispanicMarketingFirm.com - Read it here
