Thread: Latinos for Latinos

Latinos for Latinos
Tom Barry | November 21, 2008

Identity politics get results in terms of the increased presence of the groups being promoted. But the election of an African-American president may signal that it's time to leave identity politics behind when it comes to governance and embrace the politics of the common good.

Every four years Latino groups come together to demand that the incoming administration appoint Latinos to the cabinet and other high-level positions. The results, too often, have been appointments that dismay, such as former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretaries Henry Cisneros and Mel Martinez and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Latino groups, as varied as the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity and the National Council of La Raza, celebrated Bush's nomination of Alberto Gonzales for attorney general in November 2004. Despite his weak credentials and ideological righteousness, Gonzales was widely praised during the confirmation process and later defended by Latino groups.

The National Council of La Raza, which is currently calling for President-elect Obama to nominate Latinos to his cabinet, had criticized President Bush for not bringing a Latino into his cabinet after the departure of conservative Mel Martinez. "We are very encouraged by the Gonzales nomination," declared NCLR. "We previously criticized the Bush administration for not having a Hispanic in the cabinet since the departure of former HUD secretary, now Senator-elect, Mel Martinez. We are pleased that one of the first acts since the president's reelection both rectifies that situation and marks an historic milestone for the Latino community."

"Never before has a Hispanic served as head of one of the four major cabinet posts—secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, and attorney general," stated Janet Murguia, NCLR Executive Director.

Not a word about his political views. Being Latino seemed to be sufficient, and that NCLR considered Gonzales to be "a thoughtful, reasonable public servant, a man of his word."

This idea that a Latino in high places is good for all Latinos persisted within the Latino community through Gonzales' sorry tenure as the country's chief defender of the Constitution. In March 2007, the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity issued a media release in support of the beleaguered Gonzales. "On behalf of the nearly 20,000 members of the HAP Institute, we write to reject calls for the resignation of Attorney General Al Gonzales, and offer our full support for his long-term service to our president, our country, and the Hispanic community."

It continued, "Attorney General Gonzales has achieved what few other Hispanics have been able to accomplish. He is a role model for the entire Hispanic community and his success proves to our children that they too can realize their dreams. General Gonzales should not be used as a scapegoat by those who are against the policies of the current administration. The Hispanic community will not tolerate partisan politics, with the end result being to sacrifice one of its most respected and productive members."

When Gonzales was finally forced the resign due to multiple scandals involving his justification of torture and intervention in appointing and dismissing U.S. attorneys according to political criteria, the groups had little to say.

Isn't it time to end the identity politics, whereby political officials are evaluated, supported, or promoted mainly because they are of a certain race, ethnicity, or sex, rather than for what they stand for? Too often the results are characterless figures like Alberto Gonzales and Clarence Thomas who are party loyalists, not champions of the disadvantaged or disempowered.

Apparently not. Before the election the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of more than two dozen Latino organizations, sent both candidates a list of policy recommendations, including a demand that the new administration increase Hispanic political appointments and name more Hispanics to the federal bench.

Politico reported: " Weeks before Barack Obama won the presidency, he met privately in Washington with his former Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and Latino political leaders who had fervently backed her bid."

"The cards were laid upon the table, according to one of the participants. The Hispanic leaders said they expected at least two Latinos to be named to an Obama Cabinet—meeting the standard set by President-elect Bill Clinton in 1992—but preferred three. Of course, they also wanted sub-Cabinet-level posts," according to Politico.

Attending that meeting, Raul Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza, said, "We indicated the standard had been set by both Republican and Democratic administrations of having at least two in the cabinet and everybody expected that to be the floor," adding that the meeting "helped clear the air and heal the wounds" from the contentious primary battle.

Then, after Obama's victory, Latino groups, collectively and individually, began pressuring for Latino hires.

The country had just elected its first African-American president, who won popular support with a message of inclusion and change. But elite Latino groups, led by the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, insist that the large Latino election-day turnout for Democrats should be rewarded with increased Latino appointments in the new administration.

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, headed by the president of the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDF), sent a letter signed by 35 Latino groups to Obama urging him to nominate Bill Richardson as his secretary of State.

Ramona Romero, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, issued a press release that "called on the President-elect to appoint more Hispanics to the federal bench, and urged him to make history yet again by nominating a Hispanic to fill the first U.S. Supreme Court vacancy that occurs during his term."

Dr. Antonio Flores, president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, sent a letter to Obama recommending 14 Hispanic college or university leaders for potential Cabinet or sub-Cabinet-level posts.

Ruben Navarrette, a syndicated Latino columnist, espouses identity politics yet he is skeptical that they will work the way they should for Latinos. In a column this week, Navarrette wrote: "Expect Latinos to get shortchanged—again. They may get bought off with a couple of high profile appointments. Bill Richardson is already mentioned as a possible secretary of State and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa could also be in line for a prominent role in the new administration. As someone who made history, Obama could also make more of it by appointing the first Latino to the Supreme Court."

"Yet when it comes to immigration, Obama will have trouble keeping his promise of comprehensive reform from last summer," predicted Navarrette, and he blamed the labor lobby for obstructing immigration reform. "As has always been the case with the immigration issue, what Democrats worry about most is antagonizing their sponsors in organized labor," asserted Navarrette.

In addition to Richardson, the main hopefuls to fill slots at high levels of the new administration include Denver Mayor Federico Peña, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Tampa lawyer Frank Sanchez, Mariano-Forentino "Tino" Cuéllar, former AFL-CIO Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson, and former SEC Commissioner Roel Campos.

These and other names proffered by Latino groups are all Latinos. That makes sense, if one accepts politics as usual. In modern America the practice of promoting to political office members of ethnic and racial sectors by identity groups has helped open the political system to previously disenfranchised groups.

Undoubtedly this type of special interest lobbying has served the cause of civil rights in America—the best example being the current presence of African Americans at high levels of local and federal government. But it is fraught with problems.

Those advancing in the political system with the support of identity groups may share the same color and culture of their promoters but their advancement may not necessarily serve the best interests either of their identity group or of the American people as a whole, as in the case of Gonzales or the many anti-feminist women in conservative administrations.

What made good sense and good politics in the past may no longer serve either identity groups or the common good. Lobbying for public figures solely because they belong to a particular race, sex, or national origin does not guarantee advantages for that group.

Identity should remain a criterion for leadership positions but only so far as those individuals truly represent the interests of those social sectors, bring solid skills to the job, and are committed to addressing the larger issues facing the nation.

At a time when the politics of change and inclusion has come to America, thanks to Obama and the inclusive Democratic Party (as clear in the ethnic/racial/gender make-up of the Democratic Party convention), a new modus operandi is needed.

Rather than playing identity politics as usual in identifying individuals to serve and represent all Americans, Latino constituencies and organizations would do better to develop a set of priorities for their communities and focus primarily on the beliefs and commitments of the nominees rather than numerical benchmarks. Then, they could recommend a slate of individuals, including many of the Latinos that all Americans have come to respect, who measure up.

Identity politics in an Obama America? It's time for a change.


http://americas.irc-online.org/am/5688

Related:
"Richardson Need Not Be the Only Hispanic in Obama's Cabinet"
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-138761.html

It's well past the time to move beyond the crass identity politics espoused by LaRaza and their ilk. In this time of financial and economic crisis, the question is what's good for ALL Americans, not just what's good for this group or that group.

This is not the United states of LA RAZA(not yet) if a person is right for the american people and meets the requirments for the post then put him their.But do not hire just because of RACE!!

They are the first to yell racist but what they are doing is promoting racism. I'm so sick of PC and affirmative action I'm ready to puke. affirmative action is one of the major causes of the downfall of America. When you start putting unqualified people in a job that they are not qualified to do you have a job NOT done well. I bet without affirmative action every state in the country could run at least 50% more efficient and save taxpayers millions. What happened to the best and the brightest getting the jobs??????

I really don't want to come off as sounding racist (which I'm not!) or does it seem that if someone in power has a hispanic surname that they automatically suppport criminal behavior? I know there are some out there on our side but it seems especially here in DFW that if anyone with any sort of power supports illegals, then they are a Gomez, Rodriguez, etc.

The Hispanic community will not tolerate partisan politics....

WTF!?!?!? Everything single thing groups like La Raza and other pro Latino, pro-illegal, pro-invasion organizations do and stand for is all about partisan politics and more specifically driving racial identity agendas.

What the hell is this moron Murguia talking about? All they care about is what will be done for Hispanics, who cares about the welfare and well being of the country as a whole. How 'you better give us Latinos what we demand or we'll hold you accountable come election time. You better stop all immigration raids or we'll call you racists, we'll picket and boycott your businesses', etc.

They constantly use thuggery tactics, blackmail and threats of screaming racial discrimination of you don't agree with their positions, no matter how ludicrous, illegal, unethical our downright un-American. I am so sick of these scumbags demanding to be major players in the running of the country, when all they do once they get there is to only look out for what is good for them, screw the rest of us. They want to be bigshots in running this country, when look at how terrible they've run their own home countries for centuries. Do we really need Mexico to be an example of how to govern here?

If they were to get their way, we'd have nine out of every ten Mexicans and Central Americans flowing across the border within 90 days, getting citizenship, free benefits and welfare for life to boot. With them in control, we'd all be speaking Spanish within a decade. No thanks, we have enough of our own homegrown idiot politicians to ruin our country without having these morons given a greater piece of control, "No su puede! No su puede!"

It's well past the time to move beyond the crass identity politics espoused by LaRaza and their ilk. In this time of financial and economic crisis, the question is what's good for ALL Americans, not just what's good for this group or that group.

Exactly. We're seeing it here already where they expect jobs to be held for just hispanics, even if they aren't qualified, educated or even legal. Speaking Spanish isn't enough to please them, it must be a hispanic to meet the "demographics" of the area.....the new buzz word. If they are the majority, they must have the majority of the jobs, and if they are the minority they must get them because they are the minority. Which basicly means everybody better just pack their bags and go because no matter which way you go...it's get out of the way for the hispanics. If they can't knock you out by language they'll knock you out by race or by the majority, minority scam. We have had many hispanics in positions of power and just about every last one has been caught stealing or doing something illegal to cater just to the hispanic community at the expense of everyone else. I don't care if it's a position as a manager, to job services, Alderman, Senate.......they aren't there for anyone other than the hispanics. I haven't ever heard them utter one thing that is for the benefit of all.....it's we need jobs for hispanics. We need good jobs for hispanics. We need abused womens shelter for hispanics...right down to wanting a hospital for hispanics. Food banks for hispanics, birthing centers for hispanics....right down to saying their children won't be able to learn unless they're taught by hispanics. Please........enough already. You don't dump 20+ million uneducated people illegally in this country and expect it all just handed to one specific group because they came in mass and birth babies. It's an invasion pure and simple and the object is to run everyone else out so they can take over. Right down to not even being caucastion anymore.......now we're non-hispanic white? Please.

So far Obama has not hinted that he will appoint anyone to be politically correct. He has surrounded himself with people that have a brain they have used well, graduates of Harvard, Yale, Columbia, etc. and people who have proven experience in their field. Richardson is about the only one qualified to be considered by Obama.
And as one columnist put it, if you didn't get more than 800 on the SATs, you need not apply. Murguia need not apply, as the only attributes she seems to have, besides racism, is out-talking Lou Dobbs with her verbal tirades.

How about just having cabinent members who are QUALIFIED? Nevermind what race or culture they come from. I am so sick and tired of Hispanics (AND THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES) who are DEMANDING that positions in Obamas cabinent be filled with THEMSELVES. AGAIN, ITS ALL ABOUT THEM.