Why blacks, Latinos need each other

“I recently attended a town hall meeting hosted by Tavis Smiley, who is traveling the country promoting his Covenant with Black Americabook and campaign to spur conversations in the African-American community for social change. A man in the audience was complaining that immigrants are taking jobs from blacks.

While some people have compared the recent protests of proposed changes in the immigration law with the ’60s civil rights movement, many blacks see immigrants as a growing economic threat. A Pew Research Center poll in March found that one-third of blacks surveyed said immigrants take jobs from Americans. More than half of black respondents said that immigrants are a burden on the country.

Perhaps that is why only nine of the 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus have taken positions more sympathetic to the immigrant cause.”

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