Latinos are wasting their political potential
(http://www.suntimes.com/news/ontiveros/ ... 06.article)

August 6, 2007

BY SUE ONTIVEROS Sun-Times Columnist
Just give it 10 years, it'll catch up."

That was the comment one young man gave a Sun-Times reporter writing about the dismal number of Latinos who voted in 2006. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, only 13 percent of the Hispanic population voted in 2006. While that was a 1 percent increase from 2002, in contrast, 39 percent of all whites and 27 percent of all African Americans headed to the polls in 2006.

I don't mean to come down hard on that particular young man -- especially since he mentioned he did vote in 2006 -- but Latinos don't have the luxury of taking a "manana, manana" approach when it comes to increasing their impact in the voting booth. Pivotal issues are being decided right now. If Latinos want their voice to be considered by lawmakers, they have to register and then vote.

During the immigration marches, many Latinos carried signs that said, "Today we march, tomorrow we vote." That's a wonderful sentiment, but it looks like you missed your "tomorrow," folks. You can't make a promise that you're going to show up at the polls and then not do it.

It's true some Latinos cannot vote because they are too young and others are not legal citizens. However, there are Latino citizens who can vote but don't. The Pew report bears that out, showing only 54 percent of Latinos who could register to vote did so in November 2006. So that means about half of those who could didn't. Why not, for heaven's sake?

The Pew Hispanic Center report also showed that among registered Latino voters, only 60 percent actually went to the polls. In comparison, 72 percent of registered whites and 67 percent of registered blacks cast ballots.

The fight over changes to our country's immigration laws grows uglier and more heated with each passing day. Our leaders in Washington -- many who made promises last year that immigration reform was coming -- have not been successful in fulfilling those promises. Maybe part of their lack of motivation is knowing that the folks who have become most closely identified with the immigration issue, Latinos, aren't voters.

One could say that the anti-immigration forces have been so successful in their opposition to change because politicians know they do and will vote. Yes, it would be wonderful if a politician decided how to vote on any issue based on what was the right thing to do. But, in the real world of politics, lawmakers often do what they know will please the most voters, the people who can kick them out of office.

The United States Hispanic Leadership Institute and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights are just two local organizations that have made registering Latino voters a priority. And during the 2006 election, the coalition had a solid operation to help get voters to the polls. But, the voters have to do their part, too. Latino voters have to get out there and cast their ballots. Latinos who aren't registered to vote need to do that now, not manana.

On Thursday, Sin Fronteras -- the Latino activist group that includes the mother in sanctuary here, Elvira Arellano -- gave statements to the Chicago campaign offices of presidential candidates -- and U.S. senators -- Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, which essentially said they want to see in the fall how the candidates will support immigration reform rather than wait until 2009 to see if campaign promises are fulfilled.

That's a sentiment I can agree with, but how much stronger their appeal would have been if those candidates knew the group had larger numbers of voters who can and do show up on election days.