News (Noticias) Tagged ‘Ruben Navarrette Jr.’

But what Obama really needs to do is to connect with Latino voters on a more personal level by convincing them that he empathizes with their experience. And, thanks to the New Yorker, he has the means to do so. So what if the magazine’s defenders claim that the cover is satire? Depicting Obama as a Muslim and his wife, Michelle, as a machine-gun-toting militant - with a picture of Osama bin Laden hanging over the fireplace, while an American flag burns in it - is more slanderous than satirical.”*

A woman wrote in and asked me to be more specific: Just what was it about the immigration debate that was so ugly?

She came to the right place. After nearly 20 years of writing opinions and insisting that I don’t speak for all Hispanics, in recent months, I’ve heard from hundreds of Hispanics who — appreciative of my middle-ground approach to the immigration issue — insist that I can speak for them anytime. So, with the authority vested in me, I’ll now share some of what other Hispanics are saying.”*

“I’VE LONG THOUGHT that someone should make a documentary on the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of the Latino experience in the United States.

The project would have to deal with identity. For many Latinos, that’s a puzzle where the pieces never quite fall into place. But the film could also touch on politics, business, entertainment, marketing and the media. Along the way, it could confront the contradictions and mixed messages that Latinos send everyone else. After all, this is a community of question marks. People wonder about our loyalties, whether we’re liberal or conservative, whether we prefer English or Spanish, whether we relate to immigrants or the native-born, and even what we call ourselves.”

“In politics, Hispanics are a bundle of contradictions.

Although most are registered Democrats, they’ve supported moderate Republicans — i.e., President George W. Bush, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, Arizona Sen. John McCain and others. They tell pollsters that they care about issues besides immigration — education, health care, Iraq, etc. — and yet, when GOP hardliners try to score points off their backs by resorting to racism and trying to demagogue the immigration issue, they’ll circle the wagons and go elephant hunting.”

“Mexican-American businessman Lionel Sosa has enjoyed great success, but still hungers for new challenges. Does he have one now: namely, bringing together two countries that, while neighbors, sometimes appear worlds apart.

Then again, this man is a first-rate bridge builder. He has helped Fortune 500 companies reach out to Latino consumers and helped Republicans - including President Bush - connect with Latino voters.”

“IN POLITICS as in life, you cant please everyone. But the U.S. Senate compromise for immigration reform doesnt appear to have pleased anyone.

Well, except President Bush. Having stated his preference for a bill that combines border enforcement, guest workers, a path to legal status for illegal immigrants, along with an education- and skills-based point system to assess the worthiness of future immigrants, Bush seems to look favorably on a deal which provides all of the above.”

“Bipartisan efforts in the Senate have resulted in a compromise immigration reform package that reformers hope will eventually end up on President Bushs desk.

The hours leading up to the announcement Thursday produced an unexpected twist: A provision that was supposed to be controversial wasnt, and something expected to be a no-brainer turned into a sticking poin”

“Discrimination takes many forms. It’s not just the denying of opportunity, it can also be the denying of history.

That is what’s happening at the Public Broadcasting Service, which is preparing to release a lengthy documentary on World War II that ignores the contribution of Latinos to the war effort. PBS has acknowledged the omission but has also refused to take any meaningful steps to correct it. The same goes for respected filmmaker Ken Burns, producer of the 14 1/2-hour epic, “The War.”

Talk about a blind spot. Latinos take tremendous pride in their military service to the United States, which dates back at least to the Civil War and which has produced more Medal of Honor recipients as a percentage of the population than any other ethnic group. Latinos are especially proud of their stint in World War II, which helped spark the Latino civil rights movement of the 1960s. That generation fought in Europe and the Pacific, then returned home to fight for fairness and respect. “

“You would think that for someone who feels so passionately about the English language, Newt Gingrich would be more careful in how he uses it.

Yet last week, Gingrich sought to clarify some earlier remarks about bilingual education, conceding that his “word choice was poor.”

No surprise there. When it comes to saying the wrong thing in the wrong way at the wrong time, Gingrich is virtually without peer. The shame of it is that the former House speaker is also one of the sharper knives in the drawer and he is often right on whatever issue he happens to be talking about — something that only gets lost in the ensuing firestorm.”

“When I wrote recently that Alberto Gonzales was being unfairly castigated by - among others - white liberals who have long opposed him because they couldn’t claim credit for his achievements, some people took offense. How dare I suggest that race had anything to do with this mess, they said - right before they proceeded to charge, sweet as you please, that the only reason I was defending the embattled attorney general is because were both Hispanic.

Just curious: If a white male defends another, have you ever heard someone say its because theyre both white males?”

“One of the most distressing aspects concerning the eight fired U.S. attorneys is what happened to David Iglesias of New Mexico, and what it tells us about how allegations of voter fraud have become a proxy for anxiety over illegal immigration.

First, try this: Whenever you hear the phrase “voter fraud,” substitute “surging Hispanic political power.”

Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson were so fearful about voter fraud “surging Hispanic political power” and how it might hurt Republicans and benefit Democrats in New Mexico, that they tried to pressure Iglesias to make prosecutions out of whole cloth. When he refused, state Republican Party officials complained to the White House, where others were also concerned with voter fraud “surging Hispanic political power”. After Republicans took a thumpin in the 2006 midterm elections, Iglesias name was suddenly added to a list at the Justice Department of the U.S. Attorneys slated to get the ax.”

“This week, Congress will return to the immigration debate when it hears testimony from U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

I love the pairing. It illustrates Americas schizophrenia on the issue and the built-in tension between the need to control our borders and the profits we reap from keeping it open, between the wall and wallet.”

“For more than a decade, Ive written about the need to reform Social Security. And Ive blamed older generations of Americans for not fixing a program they know is unsustainable into the future.

My bad. It turns out, if I wanted to get everyone up in arms, all I needed to do was blame illegal immigrants.

Ah, yes. The folks who, we are told, wrecked our schools, ruined our environment and lowered our wages are now poised to steal our Social Security.”

“In the 1980s, San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros helped convene a gathering of Hispanic leaders to christen the time in which they were living: the Decade of the Hispanic.

What they were talking about was a decade when Hispanics in the United States would come into their own in everything from politics to pop culture.

That summit was ahead of its time. Yet, two decades later, its clear weve embarked on something grander: the Century of the Hispanic.”

“Ruben Navarrette Jr., who grew up in Sanger to become one of the nation’s best-known Hispanic columnists, says politicians are hypocritical when debating about Mexicans who immigrate north without papers.

“Here’s what the debate needs a lot more of,” Navarrette told several hundred people Wednesday in a speech at Fresno City College. “It needs honesty and nuance and maturity and the end of hypocrisy.”"

“Who killed immigration reform? The autopsy shows it was Senate Democrats.

It’s tempting to put a pox on both parties, but it wouldn’t be fair. Republicans were tireless in searching for comprehensive, and bipartisan, reform.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona joined with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., to draft the guest worker legislation, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter made that legislation central to what his committee sent to the full Senate. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Sam Brownback of Kansas were vocal in their support. Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska offered a helpful compromise. Republican Majority leader Bill Frist showed leadership by reaching out to the other side.”

“Senate confirmation hearings are supposed to teach us things and, sure enough, the hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito Jr. taught us plenty.

Not about the nominee, who at times couldn’t get a word in edgewise as Democrats and Republicans blathered incessantly, either attacking him or defending him against the attacks of others. I couldn’t decide which was more painful to watch….”

Please note some (many) sites require registration. Many times it is free.

“Professional and student journalists are invited to sign up for the first national weekend conference for Latino journalists of faith. World Journalism Institute will hold the conference Nov. 4-5, 2005, at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif.

Ruben Navarrette Jr., award-winning columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune, will keynote the conference at the closing dinner Saturday evening, Nov. 5, at the Holiday Inn Select, La Mirada.”

Please note some (many) sites require registration. Many times it is free.