Hispanically speaking

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goyacan.jpgMaybe I wasn’t paying much attention, but I didn’t see this get much ink at all: Hispanics have surpassed blacks as the largest minority in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau. Hispanics now make up 13 percent of the population while blacks are 12.7 percent. And Hispanics have a faster growth rate so the lead will grow.

Politically I don’t think this means as much as it seems. Sure, politicians are going to start learning to speak Spanish, and court Hispanics like they haven’t before, but if they neglect blacks it’ll only be to their peril. Blacks still vote generally as a Democratic bloc–something that often gets them taken for granted–whereas Hispanics aren’t a monolith.

Being a Cuban from Miami, I have as much in common with a Mexican from L.A. as with a Pakistani from New York. (I exaggerate, but you get the point.) Plus, we (Hispanics) came here voluntarily looking for opportunity and, for the large part, have found it. So we don’t have the same historical baggage of oppression that blacks do.

I think we’re more akin to the Irish or Italian immigrants and their offspring. As far as most people are concerned, they’re American. They don’t vote en bloc and they really don’t have special interests specific to their ethnicity. The big difference is we’re probably (hopefully) going to keep our language and culture and not be completely assimilated. By this I mean that, sure, we’ll be watching the Superbowl on Sunday like everyone else, but more than a few Americans will also be enjoying some chips and salsa, a mojito, and Carlos Santana on the pregame show.

BTW: Check out my pal Raul Damas talking about Hispanic voters. This is C-SPAN video from an American Association of Political Consultants panel.

Jan 24, 2003 | Comments

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