Lin-Manuel Miranda to Lead Election Panel With Joe Biden, Jennifer Lopez, and More

On Tuesday, Lin-Manuel Miranda will headline a conversation with former Vice President Joe Biden and Latinx celebs like Jennifer Lopez, Zoe Saldana, America Ferrera, and Eva Longoria about the 2020 election and the importance of increasing Latino representation in government. Journalist María Elena Salinas, Texas State Representative Ana María Ramos, and Florida Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell will also be part of the virtual conversation, titled "The Future is Now" and presented by the Latino Victory Project. Tune in to "The Future is Now" today at 3:30 p.m. ET on NowThis.

“Effective leadership and representation are essential for every community to move forward," Lin-Manuel tells People CHICA. " I am humbled to sit with Vice President Joe Biden to discuss these vital matters in a very critical moment in history, and also join other Latino voices who are making a difference in nurturing leadership and causing positive change based on equality.”

"As the Latinx community becomes the largest minority voting bloc in the United States, we are reaching out to voters in communities all over the country. We need a radical departure from the politics of division, insults, and white supremacy that are weakening all of our democratic institutions," he added in a statement. "We need leadership that will restore civility in our social discourse, and enact desperately needed economic and social policies based in equality."

Luis Miranda — Lin-Manuel's father and board chair of Latino Victory Project — talked to People CHICA about the power of Latinx voters to make a real difference. "Voting is key all the time, but in this election it's particularly important because we can make a difference in changing the tone of the nation, the anti-immigrant rhetoric that we hear every day," he says. "There is always hope when you elect people who care about communities. When you elect people who only care about themselves or their family, then it's a different story. When you elect people with a history of community service, it's going to be easier to get to the other side of the tunnel."

Nathalie Rayes, the president and CEO of Latino Victory Project, also talked to CHICA about the importance of being politically involved in 2020. "Everything is at stake in this election," she says. "People are saying ya basta — let's change the dynamic and let's change this country and the world for the better."

"Let's elect leaders that care about our community, that will make sure we have a robust economy, that we have an education system and health care system that work for every American," adds Reyes, "and have an immigration reform that helps those who are helping our country every day."