SNELLVILLE, Ga. — Every flower in Yesenia Salazar's garden brings her peace, and each bloom grows in honor of her family.
"It started from my mother-in-law," Salazar said. "She passed away four years ago. I started planting but they all died. All the time, I planted all that. She told me, 'Never give up, they’ll grow some time. You just got to give it some time.”'
Salazar immigrated from Mexico more than 20 years ago and now has a family of four. She thinks about the next four years and who will lead the United States of America as president.
There is controversy over the heated presidential debate Thursday night when it comes to the rhetoric around immigration. Concern is growing among Black and Latino communities after President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump went toe-to-toe at CNN Studios in Atlanta, trading statements and claims about what they've done for minority communities.
"We provided thousands of millions of jobs for individuals in all communities, including minority communities," Biden said.
Meantime, Trump repeatedly pointed to what he claimed was an immigration crisis at the Southern border. He said the number of immigrants "pouring into the country" would "destroy America."
"(Biden's) big kill on the Black people is the millions of people he's allowed to come through the border," Trump said. "They're taking Black jobs now. It could be up to 20 million people. They're taking Black jobs and Hispanic jobs. He’s lost much of the Black population because he’s done a horrible job for Black people and Hispanics. Wait till you see the millions of people pouring into this country, and they’re going to take the jobs, and it’s already started. You haven’t seen anything yet. It’s a disaster.”
Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs said Trump should turn down the rhetoric. He said while both Biden and Trump have contributed to success in the Black community, each one can do more.
"I think they're talking at Black America and not with Black America," Griggs said. "To say Black jobs are being taken, I want to know what Black jobs he's talking about. Black people are not a monolith. We have all kinds of jobs and careers. With one individual having the inability to tell the truth and the other person having the inability to complete a sentence, there's great concern and a feeling that the top candidate right now is the couch."
A recent Pew Research poll showed President Biden currently leading among Black voters. Pew also points to Latinos being the biggest voting bloc this year, with more than 36 million people being eligible to vote this year. Their support could make all the difference in a battleground state like Georgia.
Back in her peaceful place, Yesenia Salazar just wants a better future for herself and her family.
"Honestly, I don't think they get here to get our jobs because we all have opportunities in one way or another to get a job," Salazar said. "My mother-in-law reminds me for anything, never give up. Never give up on your dreams. Never give up on your garden."