Thread: Immigrants ‘too hot to handle’ in Massachusetts gov race?

http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolit ... eid=157905

Immigrants ‘too hot to handle’ in gov race?
By Claudia Torrens/ MetroWest Daily News
Sunday, September 17, 2006

For the three Democratic candidates for governor, the state’s newest voters might as well be invisible. So say some immigrants who are poised to cast their votes in the state primaries.

Roberto Marinho, 44, a Brazilian immigrant, said he feels ignored as a voter because immigration policies are too hot to handle.

“This is a bad time for immigrants, after Sept. 11,” the Framingham man said. “These are delicate issues. No candidate really wants to get into it.”

Still, Marinho plans to vote for Tom Reilly because he said he likes the experience Reilly has as the state’s attorney general.

Marisol Carper, owner of a clothing and translation business in Milford, said she has no idea how the candidates will help small business owners like herself.

“I haven’t seen any of them talk to a Brazilian newspaper,” she said. “There are many immigrants here who are citizens but don’t get really involved in local elections because of this. Candidates don’t reach out to them.”

Carper, who is from Rio de Janeiro and became a citizen 12 years ago, isn’t sure if she’ll even vote on Tuesday.

For their part, the candidates say they are reaching out for the immigrant vote.

Deval Patrick has done radio advertisements in Spanish and has been endorsed by the Spanish-language weeklies El Planeta and Siglo 21, said chief flack Richard Chacon.

Chris Gabrieli staffers said in a statement he will “seek out the best blend of approaches” for holding schools accountable for successfully teaching English. But Gabrieli does not support in-state tuition breaks for illegal immigrants.

Reilly has said he supports tuition breaks for illegal immigrants.

For all that, advocates say they aren’t surprised to hear that immigrants feel ignored by the candidates. Said Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition: “Unfortunately, candidates by and large do not see immigrant voters as a constituency.”


- ctorrens@cnc.com

Ali Noorani does not see LEGAL immigrants as his constituency either.