por Edward Barrios Acevedo
Inspiring an audience with his message of hope and a brighter future, presidential candidate Barack Obama can dazzle the crowd with a fresh appeal for unity and optimism.
With Republicans whispering in the ear of the freshman U.S. senator from Illinois, telling him of their support, Obama’s campaign is quick to point out he can end Washington gridlock and partisan politics while transcending race, gender, and class. Senator Obama’s inspiring message certainly appeals to the very best in us. Measuring the crowds and interest in this year’s campaign, it seems we can’t get enough of it.
Obama is the 46-year-old son of a black Kenyan father and a white Kansas-born mother.
In Nevada and South Carolina, the African-American community has rallied steadfastly for him as one of the two candidates on the verge of making history. It delivered more than 80 percent of its vote to Obama. In contrast, New York Senator Hillary Clinton captured the Hispanic vote 3-to-1 in Nevada. It was key to her victory there.
This bipolar support for two different Democratic candidates will certainly would be discussed much more on and after Feb. 5, Super Tuesday, as the campaigns move North and West, where Hispanics compose a significant portion of the electorate. Talking heads point out why Latinos support Senator Clinton, starting with the obvious: her good name recognition and a deep admiration for her husband, Bill, who appointed more Hispanics to high level positions than any other president, before or after.
Perhaps influenced by their own bias, more than a few writers and commentators have raised the issue of racism. The white media seems to enjoy exploring “tensions” between the black and brown communities when they are pitted against one another for society’s scraps. From that premise, political analysts leap to infer that Hispanics won’t support a presidential candidate who is black.
Subtly and powerfully, the theory suggests that Latinos would somehow like to sabotage Obama’s campaign. So much so that those macho Latinos would even choose a female over a black.
In staging this fantasy political theater, political analysts and even Obama’s own advisors may be missing something important. His failure to capture the Latino vote has little to do with race or name recognition. Rather, it may have everything to do with the senator’s promises.
Obama’s message of hope and non-partisanship, which resonates with so many others, falls limply in the lap of Latinos.
Why? Because this powerful demographic, particularly immigrant Latinos, are already believers in the American Dream, more optimistic about the future than their white and black counterparts.
The last comprehensive studies specifically on public optimism, conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 44 percent of all Hispanic adults believe their families’ next generation will be much better off than now, about a dozen points greater than blacks or whites believe. These numbers are much higher despite Hispanics reporting less overall satisfaction with their current condition, in lower household earnings and education than other ethnic groups.
Despite those playing up the brown and black divisions, Latinos have a history of supporting African-American candidates who deliver not so much messages of hope, but records of results.
So when along comes a candidate, charismatically rallying us to trust and believe in the future, Latinos say, “Great, glad you can join us. Where have the rest of you been all these years?”
Latinos are choosing Senator Clinton, not because she is white, not black, but rather that in addition to being smart and competent, she has a strong track record working with grassroots activists like United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta for more than two decades.
You are not quite as impressed with someone delivering something you already have. Hispanic Link.
(Edward Barrios Acevedo is a teacher and columnist in Los Angeles. He can be reached at edwardfactor@yahoo.com.) ©2008
