Latino Power
I just wanted to know for anyone to care doing a comment about Newsweek issue....
Latino Power and How Hispanics Will Change American Politics...
Do you see Hispanics as a large and influencing electorate?
I will like to know what do you think about it.
2 Comments:
Yes, I feel that the Hispanic population is an influential part of the country’s electorate, but not necessarily in every level of election. I spent a year in South Florida and I met Hispanics from all places on the political spectrum. I’m almost positive that in Florida, the Hispanic vote can go either way, depending upon the voter’s community and ethnic heritage. There are many voices out there so representatives will need to address their individual concerns and tailor specific communications strategies depending upon the Hispanic demographic in their district.
8:51 PM
The problem with talking about the "Hispanic vote" (or "Latino vote", depending on which part of the country you're from--I'm from New Mexico) is that there is no single Hispanic community. Mexican-Americans don't look at a Nicaraguan or Cuban and think of him as part of the same community.
When I worked for a political consulting company in Chicago, we represented an alderman who was of Puerto Rican heritage, and represented the Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was a HUGE DEAL for him and the six other Hispanic aldermen (who were Cuban, Guatemalan, Mexican, and Honduran) to sit down and take a picture together. Their constituencies had completely different interests and did not see themselves as part of one big Hispanic community or voting block, and in fact were frequently in competition for resources from the city and local groups.
So, yes, Hispanics will start to matter more and more in U.S. politics, but they're not a monolithic voting block like African-Americans are, and I'll be surprised if they ever are.
8:16 PM
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