William Mendoza-Euceda, a Knox County “junior commissioner” and one of the youngest delegate to the Democratic National Convention. (Photo: courtesy of Mark Harmon)
The presidential and vice presidential debates saw the Republican ticket continue to push falsehoods and racist rhetoric about immigrants, to capitalize on the fears of part of the electorate — one that is scared by change, and feels cheated or neglected.
I wish those folks could meet William Mendoza-Euceda. At age 18, Mendoza-Euceda was one of the youngest delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He raised $4,900 via GoFundMe to pay for his convention expenses. The last day of the convention, he was kind enough to make time to be interviewed via Zoom by students in both sections of my Multimedia Reporting class. I’ve known this enthusiastic young man for several years now. He started very young canvassing for Democratic candidates in Knox County, becoming a Democratic precinct chair when he was just 15, and a district chair when he was 16. This Halloween he turns 19.
“I saw a lack of Hispanic and Latino involvement and young involvement in Knoxville. So, I was looking for someone who I could look up to or someone who I could ask who looked like me, and I couldn’t find a lot of people, so I was like ‘I’m gonna be that change. I’m gonna be that person,’” he told my students.
It’s been an eventful year for William. He began the year as a “junior commissioner,” a program in Knox County where high school students shadow the commissioners and learn from the experience. William and I both live in County Commission District 2, and our commissioner Courtney Durrett knew that William was the perfect young man for the position. William told me he was pleased to learn about all the hard work and compromising that comes following elections, notably dealing with detailed matters like county departments and zoning issues.
I saw a lack of Hispanic and Latino involvement and young involvement in Knoxville. So, I was looking for someone who I could look up to or someone who I could ask who looked like me, and I couldn’t find a lot of people, so I was like ‘I’m gonna be that change. I’m gonna be that person.
– William Mendoza-Euceda
William was born in Madisonville, Tennessee, but grew up in Knoxville. His family has deep roots in Honduras. In fact, a cousin from his mother’s side of the family recently ran against an uncle from his father’s side seeking re-election to a mayoral position. His grandfather was a federal legislator in Honduras.
In this country, William’s father is a Pentecostal pastor. His is a family that freely discusses politics, respects occasional differences, and sees the moral dimensions in public policy choices. Like so many of the young activists in Knox County, he speaks about the urgency of addressing climate change, but also stresses policies to empower the working class and to protect public education.
William is particularly persuasive on immigration issues. He speaks passionately and reasonably about the need to speed processing of migration claims, lessening the pressure for undocumented migration out of desperation in this humanitarian crisis.
Of course, we had an opportunity this year to address border issues. A bipartisan bill came together, one that included many of the policies conservatives had been demanding. Unfortunately, former President Donald Trump panned the bill, and Republicans withdrew their support, killing it.
Trump and running mate U.S. Sen. JD Vance tend to bluster about scattered examples of migrant crime, but substantial research shows they are less likely to commit crimes than the native born. Further, published research by the Cato Institute shows (contrary to Trump/Vance assertions) fentanyl overwhelmingly is smuggled by U.S. citizens for U.S. citizens.
If statistics do not persuade anti-migrant voters, perhaps personal interaction with a young man like William could cause them to reconsider. He returned from the convention to start his college classes at Pellissippi State Community College — and to continue his canvassing for candidates. He is a living embodiment of how migrants embrace the American Dream, and strive to make our country a better place and a beacon to the world.