“It’s important that we turn this anger into real action, otherwise it doesn’t make sense,” said José Lopez, executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, which organized the event.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, at a rally for Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday, joked that Puerto Rico was a “floating island of garbage.” Hinchcliffe made crude jokes about other Latinos, black people and Jews. Other speakers at the rally also denigrated minorities.

Puerto Rican stars, including singer Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, expressed their disgust at the prank to their millions of followers on social media.

Some Trump allies have expressed concern that the rally, meant to highlight the former Republican Party president’s closing message a week before the election, instead served as a distraction, even a liability, given the electoral importance of Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania and other key states. Swing states.

With nearly 6 million eligible voters in the United States, Puerto Ricans make up the second-largest Latino voting group, according to the Pew Research Center.

Chicago is home to more than 93,000 Puerto Ricans, according to 2020 census data.

Given the opportunity to apologize at events and in an interview Tuesday, Trump instead leaned in. Speaking at his Florida resort, he said “there has never been a more beautiful event,” referring to the New York gathering.

Later Tuesday, Trump held a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a city with a large Hispanic population, where Puerto Rico’s U.S. shadow senator, Zoraida Buxo, endorsed him. She expressed support for Trump on X, saying Trump is the “strong leader” Puerto Rico needs.

Still, there was anger in Allentown. Ivet Figueroa, 61, stood outside the room, holding a trash can with the words “Trash Trump” on it.

She said of the slur and Trump: “Whoever said that was fact-checked by him. This is what he authorized. He must therefore take responsibility for what he said. Now it’s too late to say “sorry.” I don’t want excuses, I want justice, and justice will happen on November 5th.

At Humboldt Park, U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez did not mention Hinchliffe by name during Tuesday’s news conference, but she called him a “point-of-sale comedian.”

She said the reluctance of Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, to denounce the joke reflects their true attitudes toward Puerto Rico and its people. Ramirez called on Puerto Ricans with friends and relatives in key states to reach out however they can and urge people to vote.

Other elected officials who spoke Tuesday included City Clerk Anna Valencia, State Rep. Lilian Jimenez, State Sen. Natalie Toro and Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th).

Comedian and actress Melissa DuPrey, born and raised in Humboldt Park and of Puerto Rican descent, said she was “almost grateful” when she heard about the slur at the Trump rally because it woke up her community on the issues of this election. .

“To see that we are not safe under the (Trump) administration,” she said. “Our island would be stripped of its value, its humanization and its natural resources under his administration, so I said thank you for showing us your true colors.”

Lyrik Cruz, a Humboldt Park native who now lives in Los Angeles, wore a shirt with “RSPETO,” a truncated version of the Spanish word for respect, and waved Puerto Rican flags while listening to speakers.

He said the remarks were “like a slap in the face” and a reminder of how the Puerto Rican community has felt weakened and mistreated by some politicians. He said this time they would be able to do something.

Contributor: Associated Press