Thread: Demographic shift could bring political changes, some say

Published: 12.09.2007

Demographic shift could bring political changes, some say


By Nathan Olivarez-Giles
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

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Read more about Pima County's changing ehtnic demographics and the entire Pima County at One Million series.

Valerie Coreas, a junior at Cholla High School, never considered a career in politics.

Then she met City Councilwoman Regina Romero and the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson at "Running and Winning," an annual workshop for young women about running for office. Now Valerie is reconsidering.
While Latinos are expected to comprise half of Tucson's citizens by 2015, that alone doesn't mean political clout. In Latino neighborhoods, voter turnout historically has been lower than that in Anglo neighborhoods. For example, in the 2004 presidential election, voter turnout ranged up to 86 percent in predominately Latino voter precincts, compared to up to 95 percent in their Anglo counterparts.

Nonetheless, the demographic shift could lead to political changes, observers say.

"The opportunity is coming for Latinos to have a large political influence in this city," said John Garcia, a professor who specializes in minority politics at the University of Arizona's political science department.
"The question is: Are we ready for it? Is the Latino community building organizational networks of support to raise awareness of issues important to them?"

Students in a Daily Star unscientific poll showed signs of political consciousness and said they'd vote for a minority presidential candidate and that there will likely be a non-Anglo president in their lifetime.

Only time will tell if a Latino majority translates to more political power, Garcia said, but a foundation is being built.

"If you look at the Latinos who hold political office in Tucson, they all know each other," he said. "Because of that, they are able to work together and get into office."
For example, Romero, who was recently sworn into the City Council, is the first Latina to sit on the council.
Romero, who has worked for the city and the county, is married to Rubén Reyes, an aide for U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva.

José Ibarra, whom Romero replaced, also worked for Grijalva. He spent 12 years on the City Council. And Grijalva's daughter, Adelita, is on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board.

Richard ElÃ*as, who chairs the Pima County Board of Supervisors, also worked under Grijalva. He said that as a high schooler he admired Grijalva, then a member of TUSD's governing board.

The signs of civic engagement are there, said ElÃ*as, who said he felt encouraged by the role Latino teens played in immigrant-rights marches during the last two years.


http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/215466

It will make a big difference everywhere - not just in AZ.

There will be enough illegals vote in this election to make a difference - by next general election - I think our government will have one way or another, given the vote to the ones here now.

Many, many anchor babies will reach voting age -

This is the last election that our vote might count -

Is the Latino community building organizational networks of support to raise awareness of issues important to them?"

So their goal is not to make a community that serves all residents, but to do what is best for them.