Showing posts with label immigration. Show all posts

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" Favorite Latino Moment

As many of you know Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" is coming close to its last show. I had to honor is funny banter and comic relief of American politics. Here is one of my favorite show segments that is a MUST WATCH!

CLICK HERE: Jon Stewart on Immigration and Old Fashion Racism

Image result for jon stewart the daily show pictures

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart!

Monday, August 3, 2015

Opinion: Will GOP Latino Outreach Go Beyond Bush Family?

By: Stephen Nuno
NBC Latino

Over the last 40 years, a good deal of hope the GOP has had in winning over Latino voters was associated with someone named Bush. And if you watch Jose Diaz-Balart's interview with Jeb Bush on Telemundo, you'll see that isn't likely to change in 2016. Jeb Bush's seamless ability to articulate his positions in Spanish offer Latinos commonalities that have previously gone untested in such a broad space as a presidential election for the Republican Party. The shallow marketing that typifies GOP outreach efforts now has unprecedented potential with Jeb. Beyond his wife, Columba, who was born in Mexico, he has a long history of family involvement that could transcend the limitations of Republican outreach.

Jeb's father, George Herbert Walker Bush was a war hero and successful oil businessman who started his political career in Harris County, Texas in the 1960's. He went on to be the Chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1973, where he announced the first institutional attempt to integrate Latinos into the GOP with the Spanish Speaking Advisory Committee to the RNC. That committee would later turn into the Republican National Hispanic Assembly.

Seven years later in 1980, during a primary debate between George HW Bush and Ronald Reagan, both candidates were asked what should be done about illegal immigration. What followed was a discussion between the two GOP candidates that would not even be recognizable in a Democratic debate, much less a Republican debate. Rather than the familiar race to the bottom common in today's GOP discussions over immigration, the two Republicans grappled over which could demonstrate more empathy for immigrants.

It is well known today that the last big piece of immigration legislation was signed by Ronald Reagan, the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which put millions of immigrants onto the path to becoming full-fledged members of society. George HW Bush was the Vice President at the time and would later extend IRCA as President with the Immigration Act of 1990.

During the 1992 Republican National Convention, Jeb's teenage son and current Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush made a short speech and ended with a fist in the air declaring, "Viva Bush!"

However, what followed was almost a decade of Republican hostility towards immigrants, beginning with California's nefarious Proposition 187, which attempted to create a statewide citizenship confirmation system.

When George W. Bush, Jeb's brother, became President he was the last Republican to seriously compete for Latino voters, having won 40% of the Latino vote in 2004. George W. Bush was the first to record his weekly radio address in Spanish and his first State dinner was with Mexico's Vicente Fox, where he said, "This is not only a state dinner, it's like a family gathering. The most important ties between your country and mine, Mr. President, go beyond economics and politics and geography. They are the ties of heritage, culture and family. This is true for millions of Mexican and American families, including my own."

At the conclusion of President Fox' visit President Bush said, "I know there are some in this world and our country who want to build walls between Mexico and the United States. I want to remind people, fearful people build walls. Confident people tear them down."

Several days later, on September 11, terrorists made this promise a political impossibility, but it is nevertheless the Bush family that has provided the GOP with the most consistent message of openness to Mexico and to immigrants, and his current acknowledgement of anti-brown bias in society could help start a genuine discussion about the problems that afflict Latino families, such as the rigors of multi-status households, the rising costs of education, and police reform.

The weight of history and the Republican tendencies to lean on Southern Strategy tactics for electoral gain will hang heavily around the neck of any GOP candidate as the party confronts the demographic realities of the country. But if there is a candidate who can come to Latinos within the GOP from a position of history, for good or bad, his name will continue to be Bush unless someone else rises to the occasion. Unfortunately, if history is any indicator, this doesn't look very likely.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

USHCC Responds to Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign Rhetoric

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce6 hours agoGlobeNewswire

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) was disappointed by the harsh and insensitive rhetoric expressed by Donald Trump, Chairman and President of The Trump Organization and founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts, during his recent 2016 Presidential Campaign announcement. Trump has claimed that Mexican immigrants bring problems like drugs and violent crime into the United States - an extreme and exclusionary position that has no basis in fact and is completely inappropriate in our national political discourse.

According to a study published by the George W. Bush Institute, in collaboration with the USHCC, America's immigrant community is highly entrepreneurial:Critics charge that Trump is promoting a racist agenda under the protective umbrella of the Republican Party, at a time when leading candidates, including Governor Jeb Bush and Senators Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, have acknowledged the economic and political contributions of the Hispanic community and all immigrants to our country.

The study also found that employment rates are highest among America's burgeoning immigrant community:

Also, despite his assertions U.S. incarceration rates are, in fact, lowest for the immigrant population, disproving Trump's claims that immigrants are a major source of criminal activity.

Finally, while Mr. Trump has been dismissive of our country's relationship with Mexico, it is worth noting that according to the U.S. Department of State, Mexico is the third largest U.S. trading partner after Canada and China, and our country's second largest foreign supplier of petroleum. The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the busiest, most economically important borders in the world, with nearly one million legitimate travelers and nearly a billion dollars worth of goods legally crossing the border each day.

"Donald Trump's statements - which may be dismissed as the rantings of a fringe candidate - certainly do not reflect the leadership qualities needed in 2016 and beyond, and are unwelcome in today's political conversation," said USHCC President & CEO Javier Palomarez "Mr. Trump should be well-aware of the critical role foreign-born workers play in the success of his enterprises. We commend those who have denounced Trump's extremist rhetoric, and look forward to a national, fact-based, dialogue with corporate leaders and Presidential candidates, regardless of political affiliation, that is predicated on dignity, respect, civility and compassion for all people."

Trump's anti-immigrant and anti-Hispanic positions are diametrically-opposed to those expressed by the leaders in the hospitality industry, and we are proud to see that Trump's competitors have openly acknowledged the important contributions these workers make to their businesses. In a 2013 open letter to Congress, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, whose member companies include Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Lowes hotels and others, highlights that the hospitality industry is proud and fortunate to include many immigrants among its 1.8 million associates throughout the country.

Given his announcement, the USHCC has abandoned Trump hotels as possible sites for its 2016 National Convention in Miami, Florida, and its 2016 Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., the two largest gatherings of Hispanic business leaders in America. The USHCC also commends Univision and Comcast NBCUniversal for ending their business relationships with Mr. Trump in response to his recent remarks.

The USHCC will continue to do business with like-minded individuals and corporations that are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and the fair treatment of all who call our country home.

About the USHCC

Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of our nation's entrepreneurs. The USHCC advocates on behalf of nearly 3.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses, that together contribute in excess of $486 billion to the American economy, each year. As the leading organization of its kind, the USHCC serves as an umbrella to more than 200 local chambers and business associations nationwide, and partners with more than 240 major corporations throughout the United States.

For more information, visit www.ushcc.com

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Opinion: Putting a perverse publicity stunt in perspective

Students at UT Austin

by Stephen A. Nuño, @StephenANuno

In the continuing learning process of how to act in a changing society, a conservative group at the University of Texas’ flagship university in Austin got a lesson in humility it will surely want to forget.

Young Conservatives of Texas were to hold a “Catch an Illegal Immigrant” event this week, where club members would wander around campus “wearing signs that say, ‘illegal immigrant’, and students who capture them and take them to the Young Conservatives’ recruiting tables will get $25 gift certificates”.

This level of diaper-wearing attention-seeking by the group’s chairman, Lorenzo Garcia, would be embarrassing enough to any parent. Yet Garcia was desperately seeking attention for his sick publicity stunt, and the media gave Garcia what he was looking for. A story on the prospect of “an illegal immigrant hunt” was bound to get clicks, so the media gave Garcia what he was looking for.

Yet it’s important in a democratic society to respond to the littleness of such ideas precisely because of its privileged source.

Insensitivity to human suffering is one thing, and promoting policies that needlessly contribute to human suffering is yet another. But reveling in that suffering by mocking those caught in the claws of our immigration system is a level of sociopathic behavior that can only be matched by the irony of the event being held at a university of immense privilege, in fact already a majority-minority school, by a kid with a Hispanic surname.

In fact, the same kid recently held an affirmative action bake sale. Students were sold baked goods on a price scale where minorities paid less than whites and Asians, the message being that whites and Asians are being discriminated against by affirmative action policies.

One wonders what access to privilege students like Garcia are yearning for when the median wealth of whites is almost twenty times that of blacks, and whites outpace blacks in almost any socio-economic measurement imaginable. Acknowledging our history of discrimination against minority groups is a small gesture by institutions of higher learning to consider in the admissions process, and the current gauntlet of depravity thrown at minority communities known as the “war on drugs” is yet another reason to fight for comprehensive admissions policies.

Our immigration policy is but another system of control over minorities, most of which who come here as a result of American foreign policy decisions that are impoverishing the homes of the immigrants among us we now resent, and Mr. Garcia finds so much joy in his perverse publicity stunt.

The response by the Greg Abbot for Governor campaign was to rightfully call this a “repugnant effort” and to distance itself from the Young Conservatives leader.

Garcia was forced to cancel the event when the President of UT-Austin voiced his denunciation of the young conservatives’ proposed stunt and the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement objected to the event by calling it a violation of the student honor code.

Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed, but only because social media and our institutions of information compelled others into the admission that the sources of power are changing.

Lesson learned, for now.

Opinion: Putting a perverse publicity stunt in perspective stephen nuno nbc final e1370610376199 news NBC Latino News

Stephen A. Nuño, Ph.D., NBC Latino contributor and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University. He is currently writing a book on Republican outreach into the Latino Community.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Marco Rubio Follows in Charlie Crist’s Immigration Footsteps

thumbsupcr

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank

By Javier Manjarres

Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it.

Before...

Marco Rubio - "No, no - never have been. In fact, I'm strongly against amnesty...So I am not and I will never support - never have and never support - any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty who have entered or stayed in this country illegally." Shark Tank video

Charlie Crist - "It's certainly worth a very good debate and research," Crist said. "If there are people here that aren't paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that's in essence a form of fraud on the system," Crist said he doesn't support amnesty." - (circa 1998)

Now....

Charlie Crist - Talking to reporters afterwards, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure.

"I like Sen. Martinez' and Sen. McCain's approach," Crist said. "I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up here would help it get it done." -(May 19, 2009 - AP)

Marco Rubio - "Gang of Eight" immigration reform bill (2013)

By JAVIER MANJARRES Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank

thumbsupcr By JAVIER MANJARRES

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank

Like Charlie Crist, Senator Marco Rubio was against amnesty for illegal immigrants, before he was for it. Before… Marco Rubio-“No, no – never have been. In fact, I’m strongly against amnesty… So I am not and I will never support – never have and never will support — any effort to grant blanket, legalization amnesty to folks who have entered or stayed in this country illegally.”-Shark Tank video Charlie Crist- ”It’s certainly worth a very good debate and research,” Crist said. “If there are people here that aren’t paying into the system, which everyone agrees there are, that’s in essence a form of fraud on the system.” Crist said he doesn’t support amnesty.”-(circa 1998) Now… Charlie Crist-Talking to reporters afterward, he said he would support an immigration bill similar to the failed 2007 legislation that many Republicans opposed because it provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. President George W. Bush, eventual Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Martinez supported the measure. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach,” Crist said. “I thought they had the right idea and maybe just a little more support up there would help it get it done.”-(May19, 2009-AP) Marco Rubio- “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill (2013) - See more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/#sthash.oob6ow5E.SpRrVZ6h.dpuf

Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/06/25/marco-rubio-follows-in-charlie-crists-immigration-footsteps/ | The Shark Tank

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Univision's Jorge Ramos A Powerful Voice On Immigration

Los Angeles Times - By Meg James

Jorge Ramos' march for immigrants began 30 years ago when, clutching his guitar and a student visa, he took a nervous walk through Los Angeles International Airport.

He had just quit his first reporting job after his bosses at a Mexico City TV station demanded he soften a segment critical of Mexico's government. Ramos had refused.

He sold his Volkswagen Beetle and used the money to buy a plane ticket to Los Angeles and enroll in UCLA Extension journalism classes. Within months, the 25-year-old had landed an on-air job with Los Angeles' Spanish-language station KMEX-TV, then a shoestring operation in a run-down house on Melrose Avenue.

"To me it was a palace," he recalled. "The United States gave me opportunities that my country of origin could not: freedom of the press and complete freedom of expression."

Today Ramos anchors the evening news with Maria Elena Salinas at Univision, the fifth-largest TV network in the U.S. More than 2 million viewers tune in to "Noticiero Univision," Spanish-language TV's No. 1-ranked newscast.

That's three times the audience of CNN's "The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer."

On Sunday mornings Ramos interviews newsmakers on his political affairs show, "Al Punto," which recently grabbed headlines after New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez said the Senate lacked the votes to pass a bipartisan immigration reform bill.

A fixture behind Univision's anchor desk for 26 years, the silver-haired, blue-eyed Ramos has been called the Spanish-language Walter Cronkite, a trusted source of news. But he is more than that for his viewers, including some of the 11 million immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally or overstayed their visas."

"Spanish-language news has almost the same pull as the priest in the pulpit," said Congressman Xavier Becerra, a Democrat from Los Angeles. "And Jorge Ramos is the pope, he's the big kahuna."

President Barack Obama talks with Univision's Jorge Ramos in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

He is also an unapologetic proponent for immigration reform.

Long before the current debate over immigration policy in Washington, Ramos was on a crusade to demand changes in the law by chronicling stories of broken dreams and broken families.

Last fall, when no Latinos were chosen to moderate any of the presidential debates, Ramos complained that the debate commission was "stuck in the 1950s" and then made news when Univision held its own candidate forums with Mitt Romney and President Obama. Ramos didn't go easy on either one.

He sparred with Romney over the Republican candidate's proposed "self-deportation" policy, which Ramos considered an insult to Latinos. Later, he confronted Obama for the deportation of more than 1.4 million people, and for reneging on his promise to tackle immigration during his first term.

"A promise is a promise. And, in all due respect, you didn't keep that promise," Ramos told an uncomfortable-looking Obama.

English-language networks played the clip on their own programs; Ramos made sure of that. He switched to English from Spanish when confronting the president.

Our position is clearly pro-Latino or pro-immigrant ... We are simply being the voice of those who don't have a voice."
— Jorge Ramos

"I didn't want the words to be lost in translation," Ramos said during a recent interview at Univision's Miami headquarters. "I wanted him to know how important immigration was for us."

A year ago Washington Monthly magazine called Ramos the broadcaster who would most determine the 2012 election. His increased stature has led some to question Ramos' advocacy approach.

"We do have this antique notion that a newsman will be disinterested and stay above the fray but Ramos reports like he is a lobbyist for the National Council of La Raza or a Democratic pundit," said Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative watchdog group, Media Research Center.

Ramos makes no apologies for his or Univision's forceful stance.

"Our position is clearly pro-Latino or pro-immigrant," he said. "We are simply being the voice of those who don't have a voice."

Supporters say Ramos is continuing a long tradition in ethnic media of fighting to correct social unfairness.

Federico Subervi, a communications professor at Texas State University, pointed out that Univision's coverage is in sharp contrast with that of other networks and cable channels.

"Immigration is the top story on almost every newscast," Subervi said. "Most of the news on English-language television depicts Latinos as causing problems or the ones having problems. Spanish-language TV tells the stories of people trying to change policy: It is solution-oriented."

Ramos insists that journalism is his first priority. He complained to Obama's election team when his likeness was used in a campaign ad. He told his TV audience, "We have always defended our journalistic integrity." Still, he concedes that he is closer to the immigration story than most.

"I am emotionally linked to this issue," Ramos said. "Because once you are an immigrant, you never forget that you are one."

Jorge Ramos reports for KMEX in Los Angeles in 1984. (Univision) More photos

In Los Angeles during the mid-1980s, City Hall officials didn't take him and his KMEX cameraman seriously.

"No one would speak Spanish to us," Ramos recalled. "Some politicians dismissively would say: 'Well, my gardener speaks Spanish' or 'My driver speaks Spanish, but I don't.'"

He was shy and ill-prepared when he was tapped, at age 28, to be Univision's news anchor. He struggled to use the teleprompter, which often went on the fritz.

Things have changed. Days after the Los Angeles election, Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti granted his first national TV interview -- in Spanish -- to Ramos on "Al Punto."

Ramos now provides a steely cool presence on the air, and is known around Univision for his discipline.

A pull-up bar is mounted in the doorway to his sparsely furnished office. Younger colleagues groused when the trim, 55-year-old Ramos bested them by performing 17 pull-ups in an impromptu competition.

Spanish-language gossip sites were intrigued when the twice-divorced father of two began dating Venezuelan Chiquinquira "Chiqui" Delgado, host of Univision's dancing competition, "Mira Quien Baila." The couple is still together.

In addition to the two Univision news shows, and a third one being planned for an English-language cable news channel that Univision intends to launch with ABC News, Ramos writes a weekly column and is the author of 10 books -- the most recent is "A Country for All: An Immigrant Manifesto." A voracious reader, Ramos quotes Alexis de Tocqueville and the Declaration of Independence.

"What I find most interesting about the U.S. is this idea of equality," Ramos said one evening as he prepared to deliver the news, applying his own makeup by glancing at his reflection in a window. "That's what I'm trying to do with immigration. If what the founding fathers said is true, that we are all equal, then let's fight for that."

For Ramos, conflict is a central theme. He approaches his interviews with world leaders in the context of warfare. "My only weapon is the question," he said.

The cover of Jorge Ramos' book "La Ola Latina." (Handout) More photos

He also has demographics on his side. Latinos are a growing constituency -- 50 million strong in the U.S. -- with increasing political clout. Obama was reelected with 71% of the Latino vote.

Ramos is not discouraged that many in Washington seem unwilling to change immigration policy. "This is our best chance since 1986," he said, referring to that year's big immigration overhaul. "Politicians know there are consequences, and that Hispanics will always remember who voted for it and who voted against it."

Ramos said his most difficult decision was leaving behind his family and homeland "to come completely alone to the U.S." His father, who envisioned a career for his first-born as doctor, architect or engineer, did not support his son's decision to become a journalist.

"He said, 'What are you going to do with that?'" Ramos recalled. "I told him, 'You'll see.'"

In his father's final years in Mexico City, a satellite dish allowed him to watch his son's broadcasts from Miami. The two would talk on the phone each night. Now Ramos has thoughtful conversations with his own son. Nicolas, who turns 15 this month, was born in Miami, is fluent in English and doesn't watch much Spanish-language TV. He frequently corrects his father's English pronunciations.

Not long ago, Nicolas asked whether it was difficult to pose tough questions to leaders such as President Obama.

"I told him, 'Yes, it is,'" Ramos said. "But what is so great about this country is that you can do it and nothing happens to you. If I had stayed in Mexico, it would be a completely different story."

Yet it took many years for Ramos to become a U.S. citizen. Deeply conflicted, he had long considered himself just another "Mexican with a green card."

But five years ago, to mark his 50th birthday, Ramos took that step. He had lived in Mexico 25 years and 25 years in the U.S.

"You have to go through a mental and emotional process to recognize who you really are," Ramos said. "I finally recognized that I cannot be defined by one country. I am from both countries. It took me many years to make peace with that thought, and that I was never going back to Mexico."

Monday, December 3, 2012

Op-ed: 10 things the GOP can do to turn the tide with Latino voters

(Pedro Yazzie, 27, makes phone calls Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 in Phoenix to registered voters from the offices of Mi Familia Vota, a non-partisan effort to increase voter participation among Latinos and others. (AP Photo/Matt York))

by Samuel Rosado and Brittney Morrett

The 2012 elections were a wake-up call to Republicans and conservatives. Many were not expecting Obama to win reelection decisively, much less win at all. While the chorus of blame and finger-pointing ran rampant on television, radio, the blogosphere and social media, one underlying issue has been accepted: the GOP and conservatives must reverse the devastating trend with the Hispanic vote.

Since George W. Bush’s peak of receiving 40 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004, the GOP has been hemorrhaging support from this key electorate, with Romney receiving an embarrassing 27 percent of the Hispanic vote in his defeat. Meanwhile, the Hispanic electorate is likely to double by 2030 to a potential 40 million Latinos eligible to vote.

This is a primer not to place blame or say, “I told you so.” This is a plan that is meant to be a comprehensive starting guide for GOP insiders, politicians, and grassroots conservatives to address the problems we face with earning the Hispanic vote, while providing specific, targeted solutions. These are substantive strategies which can and should begin as soon as possible.

The more comprehensive primer we put together is available at the bottom of this piece.

I. Start Building the Ground Infrastructure — Now
At its core, the biggest problem the GOP and conservatives have with Hispanics and minority groups in general is a lack of a ground game. The GOP lags behind the Democrats because for years, the middle-aged to elderly white voting class has been the most reliable voting bloc, and they have traditionally voted for Republicans.

Therefore, conservatives and the GOP have never had the need for a major ground effort to bring them to the polls. The changing demographics in the United States necessitate a concerted ground effort from the GOP.

II. Head Into the Urban Centers
A subset on the issue is the seeming fear of urban outreach. The GOP and conservatives must accept they are going to have to do the hard work and reach out to Hispanics and other minority groups in what are generally Democratic strongholds: large cities and urban areas.

Facts show more and more people are moving towards the cities, and the GOP is running out of rural and suburban voters to engage with. In addition, these urban areas are where the vast majority of Hispanics and other minorities live. If conservatives and the GOP do not begin to set up an infrastructure now, we will not win in 2016.

III. Show Up!
Republicans need to start showing up at events and in the community, and this requires investment of time, effort, and leg work. It would be wise for campaigns and local GOP offices to keep track of cultural festivals in the area and reserve a booth in order to disseminate information. These are perfect venues for voter registration drives!

GOP candidates need to be appearing at these events because the Independent and Democrat candidates already do. And don’t just attend these events – hold them! If you are a GOP office or a local conservative group, hold cultural events or utilize Hispanic cultural celebrations to engage the community. For example, hold a family-friendly Three Kings Day Block Party at a local school with booths, food, dancing, and performances.

For a more educational twist, have an event promoting freedom on Jose Marti’s birthday (time to Google search who Jose Marti is). These are great ways to unite people while also having fun.
When phone banking and canvassing, go into the urban neighborhoods!

One consistently sees liberal candidates going door to door in black and Latino neighborhoods but never conservatives. How can conservatives expect minorities to vote conservative if they are never exposed to conservative principles?

IV Community Service
Have some free time on a Saturday? Take your family to do volunteer work or help a charity that focuses on the Latino community. This is a great way to give back, show compassion, stick to our cherished idea of private charity, and make connections in your local Latino communities. Hispanics are disproportionately affected by high unemployment, poverty rates similar to those in Latin America, and lack of quality education.

V. Know Your Voter
With the success of the Obama campaign, it is now more important than ever that the party and grassroots organizations know who the potential voters are to the last detail. This realization is especially critical with the Hispanic population. Overall culture, traditions, political priorities, and even dialect of Spanish differ among Hispanic nationalities, so do your research prior to making those initial phone calls and setting up that first booth.

Also, realize that Hispanics are a young demographic and that Latino youth may not find ACDC cool – they may prefer artists like Jay-Z, and Wisin y Yandel. Turn to more creative mediums like spoken word, music, and dance when attempting to engage Latino youth. Become more culturally aware – pick up your local Hispanic newspaper and look through the events section, follow some conservative Latinos on twitter, and engage the Hispanics around you.

VI. Stop Throwing Out Nothing But Spanish TV Ads and Start Engaging Spanish Media
Because of the lack of a ground operation, the GOP has left itself to overly rely upon television ads and indirect forms of communication to try and reach the Hispanic audience. The problem is that television ads in general don’t have a very good return on investment, and will reach only a limited audience, especially in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. The way you speak to and spread a message to Hispanics is through direct, personal communication. Not through external and relatively “easy” marketing like television and radio ads.

The solution here for the GOP is to embrace and engage Spanish and minority media outlets; don’t just simply purchase airtime. Candidates should be doing interviews on radio and television and appear on the Sunday shows on Univision and Telemundo. Are they biased? Perhaps. But has that stopped GOP politicians and pundits from appearing on MSNBC, etc.? Of course not. Bear in mind that it shouldn’t just be Marco Rubio, Susana Martinez, or Raul Labrador doing all this work in Spanish media. Non-Hispanic politicians should be willing and able to go on these venues as well.

VII. Using and Speaking Spanish is a Must
Going beyond the ads, it appears that there are many in the conservative movement who are antagonistic about the use of Spanish-language media or communication. We hate to break it to some, but while we and many others are of the agreement that English should be the language of government, many Hispanics prefer to speak Spanish within their community.

Even those who are bilingual will speak Spanish with family and friends, as well as watch Spanish-language media. Since the end of the Mexican-American War, Spanish has been an integrated language in the United States. We say this only to address the hostilities some conservatives have towards the language. If you are going to reach out to the Hispanic community, Spanish must be a key component of it.

VIII. The Conservative Grassroots Must Get Involved and Help
In addition to not having a presence on the ground, non-Hispanic conservatives have been woefully inadequate at assisting Hispanic conservatives in spreading the message and lending support. This is a trend that must change. Because Hispanic conservatives are greatly outnumbered by Hispanic liberals, we desperately need the support of the grassroots movement help spread the message. Hispanic conservatives do not have the infrastructure to communicate on our own.

IX. The Rhetoric Must Be Addressed – But the Policy Need Not Completely Change
Immigration is an issue that must be addressed. There’s no going around it. And the biggest problem behind the immigration issue with the GOP and conservatives is the rhetoric used to advocate our position. The GOP/Conservative position has always been the rule of law. In other words, if one is to come to this country to live or work, one must adhere to the proper channels.

But the rhetoric, whether or not it is accurately described by the media, has been among the primary reasons Hispanics are turned off by the GOP. Statements like, “self-deportation,” “deport them all!” and “speak English! English only!” are slogans that are instant turn offs with Hispanics, regardless of whether you try to explain your position or not. It is an instant non-starter.

We’re not saying those conservatives who support the hard-line stance do not have a valid point or that they should cave into the “free and clear amnesty” advocates, but that the manner in which they articulate their position must change. In addition, the conservative position on immigration reform differs among the movement. This is an internal debate that conservatives all around must have.

RELATED: Latino Conservative Launches Pro-Immigration Super PAC

X. Take the Initiative on Puerto Rico
One specific issue that the GOP can utilize and take the initiative on is the status of Puerto Rico. For the first time the island voted made clear the desire to obtain statehood. The ironic aspect of this issue is that the more prominent Hispanic Democrats in the House are hostile towards statehood. The GOP has the opportunity to be champion and advocate for what is a growing Hispanic demographic. The right to self-delineate has been supported for Puerto Rico in the GOP platform for years.

Conclusion
The Latino vote, regardless of what the media says, is an opportunity we can no longer ignore or approach half-heartedly. Latinos are hard-working people who gave up their lives in their home countries to risk everything for a piece of the American Dream.

Appeal to that passion for life, the yearning for success, and the traditional values that celebrate family and community. Conservative principles are more beneficial for Latinos, and for everyone, than liberal ideology. We just need to put in the coordinated effort to make that crystal clear.

Full primer on conservative outreach to Hispanics

Samuel A. Rosado is an attorney residing in New Jersey. He served as Executive Director of the Republican Hispanic Assembly of New Jersey in 2010, and has been a freelance contributor and writer on Hispanic issues and engagement for Politic365, The Daily Grito, and Misfit Politics. Follow him on twitter at @sarosado.

Brittney Morrett currently works promoting economic freedom to US Hispanic youth with a non-partisan, non-profit. In the past she has worked for the Leadership Institute and the Center for a Free Cuba. She has spoken at events and universities across the country on youth and Hispanic outreach. Follower her on twitter at @bmorrett.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Message to BOTH the Democrats & Republicans!

A few posts ago I posted the open letter from Jorge Ramos, Univision's anchor, to the Republicans. Many thought he was going easy on the GOP, but I thought it was definitely in the right direction. Below is a piece from "Latino Rebels" in response to an open letter from Jorge Ramos again, but now to the Democrats.....now I know why (again) I am a huge fan.

Read this and you will understand my political viewpoints as well. Both parties, Republicans and Democrats, have not stepped it up in really trying to get the Latino vote. You will see in this article what I really mean...enjoy!

Latino Rebels' article (CLICK HERE)

What My Friends Are Saying About Jorge Ramos’ Open Letter to the Democrats

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012 BY JULITO

Last week, I shared a post that included what my friends were saying about an open letter Univision's Jorge Ramos wrote to the Republican Party. I wrote that post because in the end, no matter what you think about Ramos, he is still the most popular and well-known Spanish-language news anchor in the United States. To me, it was the equivalent of a Brian Williams writing a similar letter. The responses I received were very passionate, to say the least, but one thing was clear: I have smart friends. Any of them could easily grace a Sunday news roundtable and discuss issues with grace, intelligence, and professionalism.

This past weekend Ramos followed up on his promised to write an open letter to the Democrats. The full letter can be seen here on his personal site. Titled, "NO LOVE LOST," Ramos offers his take on how the Democrat Party has its own issues with U.S. Latino voters. Here is just a sampling of what he wrote:

The relationship between our community and the Democratic Party is like that of an old married couple who have been together for so many decades that the enthusiasm that once made the relationship interesting is long gone. As comfortable as we have become with each other, keep in mind that love can be unpredictable. Have you forgotten the presidential election of 2004, when Republican President George W. Bush won 44 percent of the Hispanic vote?

During Obama’s first three years in office, political conditions in the United States started to become favorable for a similar upset. As a candidate running for the presidency in 2008, Obama had promised to submit to Congress a proposal for immigration reform within his first year, but then he failed to do so. And Democratic lawmakers did not show any urgency in moving forward with fulfilling Obama’s promise—not even when the party control

led both chambers of Congress in 2009 and 2010. That should have been a priority. Instead, undocumented immigrants living in the shadows were left without hope. The current administration has deported more than 1.2 million immigrants, more than any other in U.S. history. And despite the White House’s policy of prioritizing for deportation those undocumented immigrants who break the law, many thousands who have been deported do not have a criminal history. The president is likely responsible for having split up many Hispanic families with children who have American citizenship.

After saying that the Republicans essentially lost a golden opportunity to capitalize on many U.S. Latinos' disappointment and frustration with President Obama, Ramos closes his letter with the following:

But that’s not enough to keep us together. So why don’t we just concede that ours is a love that has conditions attached?

The strength of our relationship is based on Democrats’ history of standing with the Hispanic community in matters that involve discrimination—recently by challenging anti-immigrant laws and launching a federal investigation into Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s policies. Democrats share our community’s concerns about expanding educational opportunities and increasing access to health care. Also, though it hardly counts as immigration reform, Obama’s courageous decision to halt the deportations of almost 2 million undocumented students is proof that he is sensitive to an issue that is important to us.

So let’s make a deal: In exchange for Hispanic votes, we want you to stop taking us for granted.

Do not assume that we will always cast our ballots in your favor.

Do not assume that we’ll happily vote for you after a few Democrats speak Spanish during your upcoming convention in North Carolina.

Do not assume that boisterous campaign promises are all that’s needed to keep us together. Promises are no longer enough.

We want to be part of the process, and we want to be heard. We want to be part of the party’s future. So, Democrats, either make a real effort to include us in your political agenda, or run the risk of divorce.

I asked nationally syndicated columnist Esther J Cepeda (@estherjcepeda on Twitter) to offer her thoughts about Ramos' letter. What I love about Esther is that she is not shy in engaging her readers and her social networks in a way that I think speaks to the era of the "new digital columnist." She writes what she writes, doesn't shamelessly self-promote her works, but also takes the time to respectfully reply to her readers. It is no wonder that Voxxi recently named her one of the "most powerful Latinas in social media."

This is what Esther had to say:

I couldn't agree more with Jorge Ramos' take on the Democratic Party's treatment of Hispanics as sure-thing voters, and his demand for more respect and consideration.

But, to extend the author's metaphor, any spouse that has been in a long-lasting marriage knows that just telling your mate that you don't want to be taken for granted anymore isn't going to change your relationship. And telling him or her for the hundredth time won't do it either.

It usually takes a big, meaningfully symbolic event to get the attention of the partner who underestimates their loved one's value. Maybe that event will end up being President Obama's loss in the fall.

Either way, both parties should wise up and follow Ramos' advice to make a real effort to substantively include Hispanics in their political agendas.

Esther and I will occasionally tweet examples of the "Hispanderfiesta," and yes, Democrats do it too, just like Republicans. I liked what she had to share here, and I was honored that she took the time to write back to me.

Another friend I asked was award-winning journalist Isaac Cubillos (@IsaacCubillos on Twitter), named as one of the "100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S.." by Hispanic Business Magazine in 1999 and the CEO of La Raza Unida 21. Isaac is a true journalistic padrino.

Isaac offered a different take that also resonated as well:

Ramos' focus on immigration is fine, but nary a word for the 75% of Hispanics born in the U.S. So his letter is from an immigrant's perspective. He can't be faulted for his narrowly written message. He works for a Spanish-language organization primarily viewed by immigrants. So his message to the Democrats is from that perspective. The Democrats are looking to woo voting Latinos—and jobs, education and civil rights are the primary concerns for the majority of Hispanics.

Isaac's perspective makes sense to me. Even though the I-word is an issue, there are many other issues that matter. As US Latinos continue to make their mark in the bigger democratic experiment that is the United States of Americans, Democrats cannot just assume they will get the votes because they are not Republicans. They must show it through their actions as well.

Finally, even though I included him last week, I HAD to ask Professor Stephen Nuño (@stephenanuno on Twitter) about the letter.

Stephen has become one of my favorite political pundits. I am a loyal reader of his NBC Latino columns, and I always love to talk and tweet politics with him. Here is what El Profesor told me:

Mr. Ramos' letter to the Democrats is more tortured. A sense of scorn for the Democrats betrayal of Latino families who were promised an administration who would be friendly to their loved ones seeking a pathway to legitimacy.

When a Republican administration tried to fix the immigration system, during the George Bush presidency, Democrats were hesitant to help a Republican. Ramos sees that despite the rhetoric, there are political forces at work that are too tempting to ignore even for those claiming to be our friends.

Until the Republicans see a political future in the Latino vote, Democrats will have less pressure on them to address those issues most important to us. That said, the only solution for Latinos is to talk to their neighbors and work to integrate more people into the political process.

So that was what what my friends said. Each one brings a perspective that makes this issue a bit more nuanced and complex.

It is no wonder that according to Gallup, more and more US Latino see themselves as independent, although they tend to lean more towards the left of center than right of center. However, Ramos is right in one aspect: promises were made in 2008 and those promises were broken. Democrats can blame it on the other guys all they want, but my sense is that voters are pretty much done with hearing it is all about the other guys, and they are actually smart enough to figure out for themselves that the GOP has been mediocre at best the last few years. Imagine if the GOP actually put forth a candidate with gravitas, and not a Republican John Kerry.

And that is why many US Latino voters are stuck. I keep hearing that at least the Democrats are the "lesser of two evils." Maybe so, but that sentiment is so disappointing. Why can't we demand to for all politicians to raise the bar and the discourse? Why can't we keep saying, "Basta ya con las Hispanderfiestas?" Why are we still allowing major political parties to be the ones in charge when in fact, it is we the voters who have the final say? And why aren't third parties taking advantage of this dissatisfaction? I mean, REALLY taking advantage of the voter apathy? Like engaging millions who don't think they have other alternatives besides a donkey and an elephant?

Some would call me naive for wishing that politics in this country become more transparent, more authentic, and more real, but stop and think for just one minute: four years ago in 2008, I didn't even know people like Esther, Isaac, or Stephen. Now we are sharing our thoughts and ideas on a daily basis through posts and tweets. We are learning from each other and realizing that yes, there is power in numbers. The question is: will we ever take advantage of that power?

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