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Posts Tagged ‘latino vote

michael_bloombergI first noticed the Spanish language door hangers in my Latino NYC hood last week. The door hangers were promoting NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s run for a third term.

Now, I don’t think he should have been allowed to run again. Here in NYC there was this big push for term limits but now because the billionaire mayor wants to keep power, he’s using the poor economy as justification for a third term in office. I think that fear mongering, especially when his model of city as business instead of as communities of people, has hurt more people than it has helped, is a disgusting way to maintain control. Pero people are buying it and supporting him. In NYC the Latino vote is especially important which is why Bloomy is spending alot of time and effort lining up endorsers with Spanish last names.

One of the latest endorsements comes from a non-New Yorker, Puerto Rico’s pro-statehood Governor Luis G. Fortuño. .

In a statement released by the Bloomberg campaign, Fortuño called the mayor an “honest and independent leader who can make the tough, necessary decisions that will create jobs, keep the streets safe and continue the strides in education that have been made over the last few years.”

“New York also needs a leader who understands the diverse nature of the city, appreciates how invaluable it is, and works to ensure this diversity,” Fortuño added.

“When it comes to Latinos, Mayor Bloomberg wants to make sure that all of us are heard.”

Read more…

Presenting ¡PRESENTE!

5:31 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Immigration| Internet| Justice| Labor| Linking Latinos| Politics · Comments Off

30 Apr 2009

presentelg
This post comes to you courtesy of Nezua of The Unapologetic Mexican.

There’s new Latino organizing effort underway that seeks to further the political power of our communal voices, energies, strengths, and talents.

As we approach May 1st thousands of people across the country will take to streets to express their collective desire for human rights for all immigrants. Pero just as there are multiple Latino experiences, there are multiple ways to organize.

Nezua writes:

OVER AND OVER we hear about The Hispanic Vote™ and The Latino/a Vote® and it is a real thing we are talking about in all of this. Our people—nuestra gente—have long been a force in this land, be it under the golden sun harvesting the corn that has for thousands of years fed our antepasados (ancestors) or away from the sun and working hard in US places of business or doing so much to build strong familias together, as las mujeres—the women—among us are known for historically. We are a beautiful and long enduring people, and responsible for so much creation here that sustains us today: Art, Literature, Food, Clothing, Song.

And yet, our voices have yet to be utilized and enjoined in a way that can efficiently organize around the issues that affect our communities. Don’t mistake what I say: the Latina/o (or “Hispanic”) community is famous for its ability to organize on the local level, and we are proud of this. And that is why it is time to continue to tie this ability and history together and bring it to an even higher level.

It’s true that while so much joins us, we do come from many different backgrounds and hold varying views on the issues that affect us. We will not always agree, nor should we. What we can agree on, though, is that we should have a way to centralize and engage the politics that affect us on so many levels.

Are you down? Read mas.

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barack-obama-for-presidentI caught heat for criticizing President Obama’s appearance on Premio Lo Nuestro. I proposed that Obama’s use of Spanish in a way that didn’t address any real issues was pandering. Others thought I missed the point completely since after all Premio lo Nuestro is a social/entertainment event not a political one.

I still would argue that Obama’s video injected politics into an event that usually just injected with lots of silicone. A new poll shows that I may not be alone.

Recently, President Obama has been speaking in Spanish and appearing on
Spanish-language networks. AOL Latino just conducted a poll in which a
majority (54%) voted that the move was a strategic/political move, while
34% voted that he¹s just getting closer to his electorate.

Ok so the source is AOL Latino, which indicates that the poll may not be the most scientific, pero interesting none the less.

What do you all think?

Latin@s and Obama linked by hate groups

1:18 pm By la Macha · Immigration · Comments Off

26 Feb 2009

arthateI know that there’s still a big population of Latin@s that don’t care for Obama. I am growing to like the man–he seems to be actually following through on a lot of his promises, and for that I give the man props even if politically I am much more to the left than he is.

But there’s still a lot of Latin@s that don’t like him–which is ironic because there’s a growing number of white folks that are going the KKK way–because of him and us. From CNN comes this report:

The center’s report, “The Year in Hate,” found the number of hate groups grew by 54 percent since 2000. The study identified 926 hate groups — defined as groups with beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people — active in 2008. That’s a 4 percent jump, adding 38 more than the year before.

What makes this year’s report different is that hate groups have found two more things to be angry about — the nation’s first African-American president and an economy that is hemorrhaging jobs. For the past decade, Latino immigration has fueled the growth of hate groups.

Reading the whole report is pretty terrifying. And I am in no way meaning to imply a sense of “solidarity” (or that Latin@s should “like” Obama) between Obama and Latin@s just because we’re both being targeted by hate groups.

Rather instead, I guess I’m wondering is there any way to connect the politics of Obama (whatever that may mean to individuals or communities of Latin@s) to the politics of “Latin@” or “Immigration” or “Illegal immigrant” (which inevitably means Latin@)? Not sure if I’m being clear here–it’s sort of an abstract idea I’m working with.

I guess to put it at it’s very basic kernal of thought–I wonder if there’s any links between Latin@s and Obama that we need to think through on an individual or community level?

What do you think?

VoteHere.jpgI don’t think any voting bloc or assumed voting bloc was more hyped up than the Latino vote. Maybe it’s the fact that I am and have been surrounded by politically engaged Latinos that leaves me a little skeptical. When I say politically engaged, I am not just talking about voting, as many, including myself are skeptical of the power of electoral politics to bring on the change that everyone is so excited about happening.

Let’s look at some of the numbers and how people are reading them.

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VL.jpgVivirLatino’s own Maegan la Mala will be on HITN live tonite discussing the election and the Latino vote. Check your local listings. I think I’ll be on the air between 9 and 10 pm est.

As soon as I get back I’ll join you all on the chat!!!! Save me a spot.

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VoteHere.jpgThis morning some numbers on the fabled Latino vote were released. If my family is any indication, the numbers may well be true.

The Univision/Reuters/Zogby poll released on Tuesday said that 78 percent of a sample of 1,016 Latino likely voters favored Sen. Obama, with 13 percent supporting McCain, an Arizona senator.

The poll, which was conducted between October 30 and November 2, found that 54 percent of respondents said the economy and jobs were the most important issue in deciding who to vote for, followed by health care and immigration, with 12 percent and 11 percent respectively.

Wait? Immigration is an issue? I wouldn’t have known that based on the last weeks of both major candidates’ campaigns.

Via / Hispanic Tips and Reuters

Westchester County, just north of NYC, sent out as many as 20,000 mailers with a “typo” on the Spanish version only, that election day is November 9th, not today.

“I think most people do know when Election Day is, but if you get an official letter from the Board of Elections that tells you another day, you might be confused,” said Grace Heymann, director of the Westchester Hispanic Coalition.

“I would especially worry about first-time voters,” she said. “We have been working hard to get out the vote, and we are getting some questions because of this letter.”

The mailing, about the availability of ballot marking devices used by disabled voters, was in English and Spanish. The English part was correct, but the Spanish section said Election Day was Nov. 9 instead of Nov. 4.

Via / Hispanic Tips, AP,

IvOtedBTN.pngI have strong feelings about voting, and those aren’t always easy feelings. Raised in a family that always votes (and always Democrat- my dad even had a failed run for Congress once), and politicized by a Young Lord who also ran voter registration campaigns, voting has always been a complex issue. As a New York born and Rican with family who can’t vote because of their current or past criminal record or by virtue of living in a U.S. colony, it’s not a decision I take lightly.

As I went to vote, I struck up conversations with the people in my hood who can’t vote. My community is an immigrant community. The parents of many of my daughter’s schoolmates, my neighbors, the shop owners, are undocumented and they all asked me if I was voting. As I waited online for my bagel after voting, I spoke with day laborers asking what the scene at the polls was like. My vote today was more than my individual vote, it was for My tios, tias, y Abuela Lila who are in Puerto Rico now and for those who work here, put money into the U.S. economy and don’t have a say in who makes the laws and carries out foreign policy.

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Voting Problems in Queens, NYC

11:50 am By Maegan La Mala · New York City| US Presidential Race 2008 · Comments Off

4 Nov 2008

This young woman registered to vote a few months ago but when she arrived to vote at the polls today, her name wasn’t on the register.


Hola!

VivirLatino is a daily publication published by 2 Mujeres Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse and influential Latino and Latina community in the U.S.

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