In light of the recent Latino organization events where both Barack Obama and John McCain have made appearances and speeches, there have been rumblings about what has been said or not said. There is also a sense in the Latino blogsphere that both candidates are not sufficiently addressing key issues important to Latinos, especially the trigger button topic of immigration reform.
The Sanctuary, a collection of pro-migrant bloggers and activists, developed a questionnaire that has been forwarded to both presidential campaigns. There are 38 questions spanning detention, NAFTA, global immigration and hateful rhetoric to the guns and butter debate with the lopsided priorities on defense and militarization expenditures. So far, Obama and McCain’s presidential campaigns have not returned a completed questionnaire.
The survey has been noticed by the Wall Street Journal Blog and CNN. You can hear Kety Esquivel, one of the founders of The Sanctuary and Cross Left, talk about the effort in the video clip.
I can see why the presidential campaigns are dragging their feet in answering these questions. Too many pro-migrant answers could paint a candidate as being too left of center and kick up more hateful rhetoric that could spawn immigration swiftboating. But ignoring the questionnaire or these issues could turn off the more activist members of the Latino community to the candidates and confirm what many of us already know… that we are celebrated in taco eating and mariachi playing campaign events only to be ignored when the campaigns are over.
While I’m not hopeful that it will happen soon, I would love to see both presidential candidates answer this thoughtful and comprehensive questionnaire. These blog activists are taking on a task that some of our Latino elected officials who are acting as surrogates in both campaigns should be doing. On Saturday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave Senator Obama a glowing endorsement and was reminded by NCLR President Janet Murguía that “he has never forgotten his roots.” If that is really the case, then why isn’t Villaraigosa asking these tough questions on behalf of our community? He certainly has a bigger stick and more influence with at least the Obama campaign than we bloggers do. Or better yet, why isn’t NCLR pushing for some answers from both of the major candidates to the questions detailed in this questionnaire? Maybe the prominent Latino elected officials already have the answers and just haven’t shared them because they are bothered by some of the responses, and perhaps the same could be said for NCLR. But I’m hopeful that, at the very least, my Latino issue blogger colleagues can bring about awareness and show the politicians that we expect answers to substantive policy questions in return for our support.
Finally, I would like to add that if The Sanctuary bloggers do receive responses from the candidates to the questionnaire, I realize that there will likely be answers that don’t meet some of our own desires and preferences as advocates for the Latino community. We should also put pressure on locally elected officials in our own communities, Congressional and state house district representatives, to address some of topics being questioned. And of course, when it comes down to November 4, we will all have to carefully weigh candidates from all political spectra and prioritize the issues that will determine how we individually end up voting.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Michaelr // Jul 16, 2008 at 5:02 pm
The National Council of La Raza is now only interested in prostituting itself to large Corporate American donors to further its ability to exist and continue the illusion that they are on par with the Urban League and the NAACP. They are nowhere to be found when it comes to providing educational, social, and political alternatives that could provide opportunities for Latino youth and young adults who seek to change their existing economic situations. The dysfunctional and self-serving behavior of this group disables their ability to reduce poverty and discrimination, and improve the status of employment opportunities for Latinos. In many ways, they are very similar to the U.S. Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and its inability to function in a forward manner. Just the fact that Janet Murguia panders to Antonio Villaraigosa, tells you how distant the NCLR is from its active interaction with the Latino populace, and its ability to speak on behalf of those less fortunate. Maybe the Sanctuary bloggers can achieve where the National Council of La Raza has failed so miserably.
2 Bearguez // Jul 16, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Who are these morons running the National Council of La Raza?
Is it so beneath them to utilize the lifelong lessons experienced by the NAACP and the Urban League to accomplish their goals? Why is Janet Murguia making the circuit through CNN and other media to publicly engage with racist bigots like Lou Dobbs? That’s a waste of time and resources, and it turns everything upside down. Is the executive council of the National Council of La Raza so arrogant they don’t need to develop alternative strategies to accomplish their goals? Maybe they need to have another awards ceremony and give a trophy to the NCLR executive who best emulates Albert Gonzales.
3 theKaiser // Jul 16, 2008 at 7:54 pm
If the National Council of La Raza was an effective organization of brilliant people working to protect civil rights and create opportunities for Hispanics, they would have formed a coalition with other organizations to remove the Bush Administration from the White House, oversaw and administrated the anti-immigration protests, and united themselves with the NAACP, the Urban League, and other minority organizations to formally protest the mass incarcerations of people of color. However, that seems beneath them. The NCLR is all about serving themselves, and elevating their self-social status in DC, Los Angeles, and Miami. White America has nothing to fear from the National Council of La Raza. They will make sure we remain a minority of slaves for Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, Monsanto, the fast food industry, and all the farmers in America.
4 xxxicana // Jul 16, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Rather than placing all the blame on the NCLR, let’s focus on the main point. . . that both candidates appear in front of Latino organizations, but don’t necessarily demonstrate any understanding of the diversity within the Latino community. I’m glad to see that a serious questionnaire has been sent to the candidates, but I won’t hold my breath on any substantive solutions. Obama did come and say that we Latinos have great voting power — but often choose to exercise it by NOT voting (I’m paraphrasing here). We are no different from other long ignored demographics — at some point you get tired of knocking your head against the wall. Ah, but that’s part of the problem, no? — that we are seen as a “demographic” rather than as viable and important members of our communities with unmet needs and unfulfilled aspirations. Thanks to LatinoPoliticsBlog for bringing these issues to our attention! La lucha sigue!
5 Irma // Jul 17, 2008 at 8:13 am
The Hispanic vote will only become an issue when we exercise the right to vote as a united front. This is unlikely, as we are a diverse group of people. For example, when was the last time Cuban- American and Mexican American legislators came together to promote the same issue? This being said, if Latinos ever do come together politically – that will be the day we
have a real say in what goes in the USA.
6 BettyM // Jul 17, 2008 at 1:42 pm
The questionnaire is so comprehensive – the presidential candidates will never respond! I would be interested in their response to the last question (#38 On what immigration issues will you take leadership?).
7 O // Jul 18, 2008 at 10:13 am
I admire the efforts of The Sanctuary. The questionnaire is an excellent idea!
(…waiting to see if it will be ignored)
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