The Latino Vote | VivirLatino

Posts Tagged ‘The Latino Vote’

Reflections on Primary Day : The Latino Vote (or Not and That’s Ok)

9:14 am By Maegan La Mala · Politics · 2 Comments

14 Sep 2010

In lots of places across the country it’s primary day. Yours truly spent much time last night and this morning researching and planning who to support in the voting booth.

VivirLatino doesn’t endorse candidates but I will tell you that some decisions for me today were easy, like NOT voting for Hiram Monserrate who is running for NY State Assembly in my district. Other choices are not so easy.

Much is being said in the media and in other spaces about the “Latino Vote”, that is nothing new. What is new this election season is the discussion about if Latinos will stay home and sit this one out. Often this discussion is more a chiding (even from within our own ranks) treating the Latino electorate like children and warning of almost apocalyptic results.

The Latino Vote : Party Loyalty vs Community Loyalty

8:36 am By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|Obama|Politics · 14 Comments

16 Aug 2010

With the boost in Secure Communities and more boots on the ground on the U.S. Mexican Frontera, every so often the debate among bloggers, advocates and activists becomes one of strategy. Do we spend time countering the ridiculous anti-14th amendment narrative and debate “antis” or do we take and make a more critical analysis and dare hold so-called political allies feet to the fire at the risk of being called “trouble makers”?

The expectation is that people of color bloggers, Latinos and in the very specific case of VivirLatino, radical women of color bloggers, should always side against the obvious enemy: the Republicans talking about our vaginas dropping anchor babies and putting us into camps. The actions of Democrats, specifically a man of color, the first African American president, are supposed to be given a free pass. Patience is asked and we should never ever look like we are on the same side as those that question the validity of birth certificates.

This morning an anonymous commenter wrote : Bet you wish we still had Bush.

Are Conservatives Really Opening the Door to Latinos?

1:34 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Immigration|Politics · Comments Off

24 Feb 2010

Suddenly, Latinos are expected to believe that Republicans love us. There has been an increase in efforts to go after our votes and support. Is this for real as in Republicans love Latins or is it just the latest attempt to take advantage of the current political landscape with Democratic policy promises that helped win the Latino vote at a standstill?

As the electoral eye shifts to mid-term elections, I am overwhelmed with the amount of media coverage the idea of “Republicans Loving Latinos” has received. Republican Loving Latinos sounds like some bad ethnic porn film and in many ways the script is as predictable as a skin flick. Latinos are either raised up as the hard working wannabe good U.S. citizens or demonized an invading, ever pregnant, and populating the country with criminals and “anchor babies”. The truth is though that Republicans can’t win seats in office without us. Note that this is different than saying that they can’t push dangerous policy without us. They have the Democrats to help them with that.
Read more…

What a U.S. Passport Won’t Get You As a Rican : A Vote!

3:21 pm By Maegan La Mala · Puerto Rico|US Presidential Race 2008 · 7 Comments

14 Oct 2008

Not all U.S. citizens can vote. Specifically I am referring to Puerto Ricans. Pero before I am accused of bringing up my background, I direct you to the words of another Rican:

In October of 2008 I have discovered yet another off-putting situation. The other bearers of this passport are receiving their ballots this month, a head start to this November election. It’s an ex-pat party: the hitchhiker who went south from Recife and voted in Salvador, the old roommates from Buenos Aires, the new friends in Recife. All of them received their absentee ballots or voted at the embassy. Friends, acquaintances, strangers: all American citizens.

But, somehow, I am different than them. I cannot vote. Though I am weighed down by the negatives of carrying the same passport, I do not have the same rights. Why? The last address I registered with the IRS (and the American government in general) is in Puerto Rico, my home (non) state. And Puerto Ricans, though US citizens in paper, are second class citizens in practice. Therefore, I am not allowed to vote in the presidential elections, unless I move and prove that my current legal residence lies in of the (actual) 50 states.

I carry the weight of this passport because I have no option. There is no Puerto Rican passport; I am a second class citizen with no alternative.

Read the entire post and the struggle that the colonial status creates at Zerotres

y mil graciaa a Elenamary for sending me the link.

National Rican Organization Challenges Presidential Candidates to Speak Address the Community

7:36 am By Maegan La Mala · Activism|Politics|Puerto Rico|US Presidential Race 2008 · Comments Off

17 Sep 2008

The Latino vote is one of the most talked about target groups in this presidential election season. Everyone wants us to register, wants us to vote, but what is often forgotten is that Latino means many things, coming from many places. Puerto Ricans (yes there she goes again) have their own issues that demand attention along with other Latino groups, and one Rican organization is demanding that John McCain and Barack Obama respond to the specific interests of the Rican community.

The National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights, a social justice organization, has written a letter inviting the candidates to collaborate with the NCPRR to develop a means for communication with the Puerto Rican community.

“We are willing to work with the candidates to creatively set up a discussion that will allow our community to understand the candidates’ positions. Our children are also dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we should know what the future will bring from these candidates.” said Vazquez-Hernandez, a professor of history at Miami Dade College, who is a Vietnam Era veteran and a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

Full disclosure : The NCPRR was the formative entity in terms of my political upbringing.

Read the entire letter after the jump.

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