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Democrat Congresswoman Says She's More Proud to Be Guatemalan Than American

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  August 05, 2025 12:30 PM

At a conference in Mexico over the weekend, Illinois Democrat Rep. Delia Ramirez said that she has more pride in being Guatemalan than being American. 

A clip of her remarks was shared on X and quickly circulated. 

"I'm a proud Guatemalan before I'm an American,” she said in Spanish.

Ramirez’s comments sparked backlash, predictably. She then issued a statement claiming that the “attacks” on her remarks were “a weak attempt to silence my dissent and invalidate my patriotic criticism of the nativist, white supremacist, authoritarians in government.”

“Honoring my Guatemalan ancestry only strengthens my commitment to America,” she continued. “I am both Chapina and American. I am both from Guatemala and Chicago, Illinois.”

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Catalina Lauf, who previously ran for Congress in Illinois as a Republican, responded to Ramirez’s remarks. 

“I’m the daughter of a Guatemalan immigrant. This is disgraceful,” she wrote. “You don’t get elected to Congress to play diplomat for your motherland.”

“You swear an oath to the U.S. Constitution. Your loyalty belongs to the American people,” she added. “You don’t deserve that seat. Try running in Guatemala—see how far you get.”