With all of the hate-filled rhetoric during this presidential campaign, it's easy to feel pessimistic about politics and the direction of the country.
But for a few minutes during Wednesday's Democratic debate, Lucia Quiej and Univision reporter Enrique Acevedo reminded us just how powerful elections can be.
Quiej's husband, an undocumented immigrant whose petition for political asylum was denied, was pulled over in 2011 while driving with an expired license and deported, according to the Miami Herald. Quiej has raised their five children on her own since then.
Quiej, who also is undocumented, attended the debate with her children and made history when she asked both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Spanish about their plan to reunite families like hers that have been separated because of deportation. As both candidates answered in English, Acevedo stood next to her and whispered a translation in her ear.
The touching moment captured so much of what makes America exceptional -- showing that politicians at the highest level are accountable to all.