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The unprecedented turnout of Latino voters for Barack Obama signaled not just a desire for change in the country but a change in how federal immigration policy is adversely impacting Latino communities.
The importance of the Latino vote is now an irrefutable fact. Not because Barack Obama was able to garner 67 percent of the Latino vote versus Sen. McCain’s 31 percent, but because Latinos turned out in record numbers in key battleground states turning the electoral college tide in Obama’s favor.
Analysts agree that without the Latino voters in these must-win states, Obama’s victory would have been questionable. So what happens now?
Since this is politics, the kind of support Latino voters gave the Democratic Party did come with strings attached. The big question is does that payback come in the form of a key Cabinet position going to a Latino/a or can it be satisfied with the Obama Administration addressing in his first 100 days an issue that was among the top three for Latino voters and one that has soured many against the Republican Party — immigration reform?
There’s no denying that it would be “sweet” to see Bill Richardson assume the position of Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. Yet, from examples of past administrations that have appointed Latinos/as to high positions within their “inner circles,” it’s one thing to have the ear of the President and quite another to have his attention.
So I vote that Obama make immigration reform a priority. Unlike the financial help being afforded Wall Street and debated for the auto industry, which takes a trickle down effect to reach Main Street USA, the Obama Administration can implement a form of help that would immediately relieve countless Latino communities across the nation — put a moratorium on immigration raids.
So far in 2008, the immigration policy of the Bush administration has been responsible for the apprehension and deportation of nearly 350,000 people. Government officials like to say that they are only after the criminals but though a small portion of undocumented immigrants really fit a criminal profile, the vast majority are guilty of only returning to reunite with their families after they’ve been previously deported.
These immigration raids are exacting an emotional and financial toll on the children and spouses left behind in these communities while also creating repercussions for the larger communities.
Two separate economic studies focusing on the fiscal impact of immigrants in Nebraska and Long Island, New York arrived at the same conclusions: the benefits felt from the presence of immigrant residents (studies didn’t account for citizenship status) can be seen in an increase in buying power, job creation and a significant contribution to the local tax base. Their removal from their respective communities negatively impacts those local economies.
Immigration raids also serve to perpetuate a misguided message to the ignorant that it’s OK to hunt for undocumented immigrants. The latest evidence is the senseless murder of Ecuadorian immigrant Marcello Lucero of Long Island who was killed on his way to visit a friend. Seven teenagers, who in their own words, said, “Let's go find some Mexicans to f--- up,” beat and stabbed Lucero to death simply because he was Latino.
This is not a new phenomenon. The FBI’s 2007 Hate Crime Statistics Report revealed that Latinos comprised 62 percent of the victims of hate crimes committed by someone with a racial bias.
Change can’t come fast enough for some Latinos in this country. The only way to start fostering the kind of positive attitudes needed to safeguard Latino lives, while Congress puts immigration reform back on the frontburner, is for Obama to return the favor afforded him on November 4 and take a stand to stop the needless suffering that is threatening the next wave of Latino voters.
Comments (5)
Hola Marisa,
this is not about buying a favor with 67% of the vote. It is about Latina/os fighting with all they've got - including their vote - to protect their families and their loved ones from the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Bush ICE gang.
Let's go back to the Declaration of Human Rights passed December 10, 1948 by the United Nations. This declaration was pushed by the United States. Eleanor Roosevelt played a major role in its passage.
"Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
[...]
Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
[...]
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
[...]
Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State."
Please read the rest of the Declaration for yourself: many more of its articles are relevant to the situation of our out-of-status loved ones.
But my point is: Latina/os did not vote for Barack Obama to get special favors. It is not a quid pro quo. Latina/os have been suffering a nightmare of a human rights crisis for the past several years and voted for Obama because they expect his goals to match their own: protection of human rights of all the people in the United States. Protection of all the people, and most especially of those who cannot pay fat cat lobbyists to buy them favors. Protection of all people, and especially of those who work disproportionately hard for especially little pay, providing their sweat and muscle to build, feed, and nurture the country.
I hope that Barack Obama sees protection of human rights of all these people as his goal as well. If so, he will stop the ICE raids.
And if he has not yet realized that stopping the ICE raids is necessary to protect the human rights of millions of people, of three million children who are US citizens, and of millions of people who are not citizens, our job is to clarify this for him very emphatically.
Stop the ICE raids!
Posted by laura | 13 de Noviembre 2008 a las 12:48 PM
Posted on 13 de Noviembre 2008 12:48
You confuse the disdain of having millions of illegal aliens in our counry with racism. It has nothing to do with racism. It has everything to do with the violation of our immigration laws and our soverignty as a nation. It is mere coincidence that Mexican illegals are the recipients of this hostility by the fact that they comprise the largest ethnic group in our country illegally, Duh! Do the math!
As for the false hope of amnesty for these illegals by voting in Obama, here is what one of your very own has to say about it.
Ruben Navarette: Look for Obama to avoid immigration...enjoy!
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/opinion/102307.php
Posted by sandra | 13 de Noviembre 2008 a las 10:31 PM
Posted on 13 de Noviembre 2008 22:31
Unfortunately, this blogger does not seem to understand that the US is a Nation of Laws.It is not a third world country, not a dictatorship, nor a Police State-yet.
Entering the US illegally- no matter what the reason, or the way,is breaking the law.Did these
illegal aliens manage to caste a vote? If some have,it is also illegal.They are breaking the law, again.
Their votes cannot be counted, no matter what anyone says.There is NO excuse for breaking the law, and the only choice for these aliens is to leave, or be jailed.
They are running California's budget over by $7B, reportedly.They are costing the American People hundreds of billions of dollars in education, welfare, almost half of these home foreclosures, housing, healthcare, and NOT the least_ in regards to crime and prison sentences.We owe you nothing.We owe ourselves
the rule of law as is exercised in a democratic republic.
Posted by C Barnett | 14 de Noviembre 2008 a las 05:20 PM
Posted on 14 de Noviembre 2008 17:20
Apparently blacks and hispanics have called a temporary truce in their low-level race war to unite again Whitey. It'll last about as long as the "rainbow" coalition that brought in Villaraigosa.
MT wrote:
"...though a small portion of undocumented immigrants really fit a criminal profile..."
Undocumented=illegal=criminal.
Repeat the above until you understand it.
Re: "Hate" crimes:
"The largest number [of hate crimes in LA] involved Latino suspects against black victims; the second largest involved black suspects against Latino victims."
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jul/25/local/me-hatecrime25
Posted by Mike in NYC | 14 de Noviembre 2008 a las 07:02 PM
Posted on 14 de Noviembre 2008 19:02
Sorry Latinos, but America will not stand for illegal immigration. They cheated by putting the people trying to do it the legal way on the back burner. They steal id's to work, take jobs from Americans, steal social services, overwhelm out health care system, and they cost more in taxes than they put in. Sorry, but the economy WILL not let you give amnesty to criminals!
Posted by Red | 14 de Noviembre 2008 a las 10:33 PM
Posted on 14 de Noviembre 2008 22:33