Rhode Island Representative Enrique Sanchez discussing Economic Issues, Immigration, and Housing

My grandfather, Enrique Sanchez Mora, opened the first Mexican market, ‘Tortilleria Sanchez,’ in Providence in 1988. He worked hard running that store for 25 years, always with the community first in his mind ­– whether it was giving people goods when they couldn’t afford it, offering them a job, or helping people migrate to the US from Mexico, just like he had in 1973. He always remembered where he had come from and all the people that had helped him along the way. I’ll never forget the sacrifices my family made and the love they’ve provided to help me reach where I am today, and I am committed to helping the rest of my neighbors have the same opportunities. My mom raised my brother, my sister, and me mostly by herself, and when I was in high school, she had to make the difficult decision to put our family on food stamps to get by. Every weekend I earned $280 working at a chicken farm, where I would clean up rows of chickens and load pallets of eggs. Each week, I would give my mom the money I made. After high school, I enrolled in CCRI, ultimately graduating from Rhode Island College in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations. Every day, teaching Spanish at Central High School, I see students who are struggling to have their own chance to go to college or build their own life for themselves, and I see how much is stacked against them. As an educator, I have seen how much more we owe students in Providence schools, and I want to do everything I can to make these opportunities available for everyone, regardless of whether they come from Armory Park or the Hartford Projects, Olneyville or Cranston Street. I want to build bridges between all neighborhoods that will move us forward together. As State Representative, I will prioritize fixing our public schools. I have seen firsthand the ways these schools have failed their students, and I’ve watched as the state has taken over the district in a misguided attempt to fix the problem. My brothers and cousins are all Providence public school students, and I worry that the chronic underfunding of Providence schools will leave them and thousands of other students behind. I will fight with every vote, on every budget, for a fairer funding formula. The state budget is where so many representatives compromise to get ahead, and I will never put anything ahead of our students.

I first became seriously involved in politics and community organizing after the pandemic hit. I helped create a mutual aid group, Wide Awake PVD, that distributed food and aid across the state. After George Floyd was murdered, I couldn’t stay silent, and I joined Providence in the streets and then in town halls, becoming the Political Director for the Black Lives Matter PAC in Rhode Island. I’ve also been an active member in the Olneyville Neighborhood Association. As part of these groups, I’ve pushed for the recently passed legalization of marijuana that included automatic record expungement for people with marijuana convictions. I’ve helped organize vaccination clinics in hard-hit neighborhoods. And I’ve worked closely with groups like Sunrise and Reclaim RI to fight for progressive priorities like addressing the climate crisis.