GOP Latinos face questions of own immigrant past

[jpak]

Source: Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez is forced to research and clarify her late grandfather's immigration status. Marco Rubio, Florida's GOP Senator, is accused of embellishing his family's immigrant story. A Republican congressional candidate in California puts on his website that he is the great-grandson of an illegal immigrant.

As more Latino Republicans seek and win elected office, their families' backgrounds are becoming subject to increased scrutiny from some Latino activists, a reaction experts say is a result of Latino Republicans' conservative views on immigration. It's a new phenomenon that experts say Latino Democrats rarely faced, and could be recurring feature in elections as the Republican Party seeks to recruit more Latino candidates.

"It's a trend and we are seeing more of it," said Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles.

For years, most Latino elected officials were largely Democrats, except in Florida where Cuban Americans tended to vote Republican. But recently, a new generation of Latino Republicans has won seats in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, California and even Idaho. Those politicians have come under fire from some Latino activists for pushing for laws targeting illegal immigrants and for opposing efforts for comprehensive immigration reform -- views that are in line with most Republicans.

<more>

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/11/27/gop_latinos_face_questions_of_own_immigrant_past/

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Marco Rubio is getting rich pretending he was born in Cuba

He's as sleezy as his Repuke politics. Meanwhile, the Miami Cuban enclave will vote for anyone. They don't bother to read about issues or anything at all. You just mention the word, 'Cuba' and 'freedom' and they vote for you, even if you stand against their other interests, because they literally know nothing at all in Miami. Ignorance is rampant there. I know. I lived there for many years and it was embarrassing.

[musiclawyer]

2. I lost a Latino friend who ran for office as a puke

And I will lose another if I had to. I am Latino
Being a republican Latino is like choosing to play soccer with ankle weights
It makes no sense and is against the interest of your own fanbase That you are kinda different is irrelevant

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. EXACTLY! Being a Latino and being Repuke, is incredibly stupid.

It makes no sense at all to be Repuke being Latino. None.

[EFerrari]

4. The stories in the press about Latino Republicans

usually depend upon puffery. When you push on them, they often fall apart.

[Angry Dragon]

5. I have not seen any birth certificates from any of the republican

presidential candidates

Is cain from Uganda??
How do we know that any of them were born in the US??
How many of them are anchor babies??

[jpak]

9. I got a chain email that he is from Ubeki Ubeki Ubeki Stan

So it has to be true

yup

:D

[Bette Noir]

6. Latinos can be quite conservative, but, as long as Republicans

revile Latinos, we'll be voting Democratic. Keep it up, Republicans. Alienate the fastest-growing demographic group in the country. I dare you.

[MadMaddie]

7. My friend I don't even think the Repugs have reached bottom

yet...


That is why when they went after President Obama and his birth certificate I knew without a doubt they would be going after Latino's and any other dark skinned American. This is how they roll....

The rest of the Repug primary will show how desperate and how nasty they will stoop to get the nomination..

[Rozlee]

8. That's what I don't understand about my teabagger sister.

With the exception of me, all my siblings were born in Mexico and came here illegally with my parents. She rationalizes this to death. My own husband--who is Anglo--was born at home with the assistance of two aunts and back in those days (he's twenty years older than I am; he was born in the late 30s), the postmaster and a couple of witneses used to sign an affadavit of birth and send it to Austin to get the birth certificate. My husband would probably be a Kenyan if he ran for office. But, I can't understand how any Hispanic can embrace the Republican Party. It's like Jews for Hitler or something.

[Oldtimeralso]

10. Luis Gutierrez (D) IL

Was born in Chicago to parents who illegally immigrated from Puerto Rico!
:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Mosaic]

11. Instead of humiliating the people that were here in 1492

And freaking discovered America! Let's humiliate the ones who came in 1606, much later. I think that's fair.

Show us your papers white America, where are they?????

[Hulk]

12. BEWARE!!

My wife is Mexican, and she is going to a jr. college here in town....studying English and preparing herself to be ready to participate in regular college class lectures. That being said, she is surrounded by Latinos and other minorities who are also struggling with the language to get a foothold in this "great society" of ours. You might think most Latinos are "pro-Obama", or "pro-Democrat"....well, think again.

A good number of Latinos actually think the republikkkan party has their interests at heart. Just simple stuff like....hey, ronnie raygun granted amnesty to millions of Latinos when he was in office, and hey, ronnie raygun WAS REPUBLIKKKON. Then there is the "w-feeble attempt along with grandpa mcAncient" to pass an immigration bill during his reign of terror. It didn't happen of course, but the story is being pitched as, "Hey, w and the repukkkes tried to help the immigration situation, and Obama hasn't done sheeet...he's ignored us". And on the face of it, IT'S TRUE.

Folks...we have a LOT of educating to do, or we're going to lose the Hispanic vote in this next election. It is NOT a wrap for Obama. It's very possibly a surprise for Democrats come 2012.

[Xithras]

13. There's actually a bigger problem than that.

Nationally, around 60% of latinos identify themselves as Democrats, and about 25% as Republicans. HOWEVER: I don't have the national numbers for these, but here in California, nearly 70% of Latino voters self-identify as moderate-to-conservative politically (e.g. oppose abortion, oppose taxation, etc), and roughly 50% of California registered Latino Democrats state that there is little difference between the parties and admit to voting cross-party. Here in California, this is already stoking some quiet conversations about the future of our liberal Democratic party as Latino voters become the single largest voting bloc in the state. If most are Democrats, and most are politically to the right of the current Democratic party, will it force the party right? Or will we stick to our liberal guns and risk chasing them to the Republican party? It doesn't get talked about in public a lot because nobody want't to risk something being taken out of context, but this is a real concern to a lot of people.

Latinos, in general, are overwhelmingly registered Democratic, but there isn't a lot of party loyalty. That's understandable, as the Democratic party hasn't done much to woo them, but that needs to change ASAP. With their political leanings, it wouldn't take a lot for them to flee to the Republicans (there are many parallels between todays latino Democrats and white voters in the South in the 60's, who shifted from overwhelmingly Democratic to overwhelmingly Republican in only a bit over a decade).