President Donald Trump’s historic re-election is due in no small part to the unprecedented shift in Latino voters, in particular Latino men. With 55% of the Latino male vote, President Trump achieved the largest share of Latino support for any Republican president in history. But now some bitter Democrats are lashing out at me and millions of others who didn’t vote the way they wanted us to.

Latinos are accused of betraying our communities for daring to vote for someone like Trump. But this narrative shows how little respect some Democrats have for us. Instead of acknowledging our right to think for ourselves, they expect us to shut up and fall in line. If we don’t, they reduce us to stereotypes and make us out to be less than who we are.

A recent example of this came from The View, where Alyssa Farah Griffin snapped after Sunny Hostin tried to attribute Latino support for Trump to “misogyny.” Griffin fired back, stating that for many Latinos, “the border crisis is on their doorsteps.” Meanwhile, Joe Scarborough from MSNBC called Latinos, not just misogynists but racist for not wanting a Black woman to “lead them”.

The issues that matter most to us—immigration reform, the cost of living, and safety—often get brushed aside by those who think Democrats are entitled to the Latino vote. Latinos, like other Americans, care deeply about our wives, our mothers, and our sisters. The baseless claims show these pundits only value our voices if we agree with them.

On social media, I’ve seen countless left-wing accounts post messages telling us that we will “get what we deserve” when we’re deported. If these individuals truly cared about the well-being of Latino immigrants, they would fight for our rights regardless of whom we support. They can’t claim to stand for our rights one moment and then turn on us the next simply because we don’t vote the “right” way.

Growing up, I’ve had my fair share of experiences with these kinds of racist attacks. As a Latino who doesn’t fit the cookie-cutter image of what the Left wants, I’ve been called a “coconut,” accused of “wanting to be white” or that I have “el nopal en la frente,” a racist slur against Mexicans.

But this is not just my experience, it is the experience of countless Latinos that has been going on for decades and continues to this day. Take for example a teacher from Moreno Valley in California who recently was caught ranting about how Latinos who voted for Trump “want to be white.” Again, many on the Left don’t care about our views or beliefs. They care only about our votes.

So why do Latinos vote for Trump? The answer is simple: We want a candidate who will fight for our rights, our security, and our freedom. Immigrant Latinos, especially those like me, are deeply proud of our heritage. We hold our culture close, but we also believe that the American Dream is worth fighting for. We want policies that promote job growth, secure borders, and a strong economy. We want leadership that values our hard work and sacrifices.

If the Left truly respected us, they wouldn’t insult us when we speak up. They would recognize that we, too, are capable of independent thought and decision-making. They would understand that when we vote for Trump, it’s because we’re standing up for our future. Democrats need to stop playing identity politics and start listening to our concerns. Until they do, they’ll keep showing us the truth — they only value our voices when they can control our choices.

Gabriel Nadales is the National Director of Our America, the nation’s premier non-partisan organization dedicated to building a broad, diverse coalition of people who support the timeless American values that empower everyone to thrive, including: equal opportunity, mutual respect and freedom of expression. Nadales is a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of Citrus College.