dos voces
two latinas weigh in
on the bush administration
Alexandria Coronado (above left) is Director of the Orange County Board of Education in California, and a former Republican congressional candidate.
Patricia Hamm (below left) is Assistant Professor of Latino Studies and Political Science at Iowa State University, and a Mexican national who has been living and working in the U.S. for 25 years.
What changes do you see happening during the second term of the Bush Administration? What changes would you like to see?
Patricia: Well, I think that some are positive and some negative changes, unfortunately. First of all, I think that the Bush Administration is going to have to be more sensitive to real Latino issues: jobs, education, health care, immigration — because, clearly, even though the electoral turnout of Latinos was not as high as it has been portrayed in some polls, it grew. There were about a million more Latino voters from 2000 to 2004. They have more electoral clout in the U.S. Also the Mexican immigrants are becoming more influential in Mexico, and through the back door they are going to be putting more pressure on both the Mexican and U.S. governments to pay attention to their demands.
I definitely would like to see some changes that go beyond partisanship. I would like to see the Bush Administration and subsequent administrations, regardless of their party, contribute to forming a more positive view of Latinos — and Mexicans in particular, because we're being so attacked. That would be a huge contribution because it would allow us to make more inroads, to be viewed as legitimate Americans, and not as perpetual foreigners worthy of suspicion: we don't assimilate, we don't learn English. All that could be part of a campaign by the Bush Administration, as he was trying to do in January when he talked about making some changes to immigration policy regarding undocumented immigration. I would also like to see more real facts publicized, rather than opinions that are biased and without any substantiation.
Alexandria: I see expansion of the military; I see jobs and the economy expanding. I think you're going to see a complete overhaul of the tax code. I would even be so bold as to suspect that they're going to be looking very strongly at a flat tax in the coming couple of years. It's incredibly important to the American people that we do rewrite tax code.
I also think one of the main things you're going to see that will help improve education is the commitment to reading that the Bush Administration has. As an educator, I think this federal government has no business whatsoever sticking its nose into our local school board's business. However, the federal government does stick its nose into education. I think some of the reading programs for all students are going to be absolutely critical because we need every student to be able to read, write, and speak English proficiently at their grade level.
I would really like to see changes in the INS and our immigration policies. It's absolutely critical that we stop illegal immigration, but at the same time it's absolutely critical that we allow people to come here legally who truly want to contribute to our society here in America. The system does not do either other of those things right now, and I really think it needs to. I certainly hope that the new Senate and the new House of Representatives will look at those things.
Patricia: I agree with you. And it's not only about women. It's both about Latinos and Latinas who are immigrants. It will help tremendously in getting rid of this outrage of what is known as the problem of illegal immigration. But some principles that President Bush has suggested to guide immigration reform are not supported by major organizations such as La Raza, Maldez, religious groups, pro-immigration groups, and some of the think tanks that worked on these issues. Carlos Solemende [a Republican] has been working with Republican members of Congress to push another proposal of immigration reform, which is more in tune with the needs of the Latino community.
Alexandria: [That proposal] is in tune with the needs of the Latino community. But there are inherent problems in our immigration system. When we look at this we can't have tunnel vision. There are a lot of different people that want to come to this country and contribute. And in no way am I trying to slight the Latino community by saying that, but we do need to make those changes.
Patricia: You're right in that there are a lot more things that need to be fixed in terms of immigration laws, but the major issue according to Republicans, anti-immigrant groups, and pro-immigrant groups is the question of illegal immigration. And the core issue is that right now the existing immigration laws tend to favor other groups, and to be against the immigration of the poor working class.
How would you respond to the numerous recent protests in Latin America against the economic and foreign policies of the Bush administration?
Alexandria: I think you have to look at exactly who is doing the protesting in those countries. It's not your average business owner. It's like we saw with people marching against the war in Iraq, for instance. It's not your average American citizen that's out there in New York or San Francisco, where some of the bigger protests took place. You've really got to look at the population out there protesting President Bush's economic policy, and question who they are. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think they're members of Communist and Socialist parties, because President Bush is a capitalist through and through, and he will fight for freedom in business and free trade all the way down to the line like he should, being president of the U.S.
Patricia: These protests are upsetting. The highest proportion of Latin Americans are poor, and have been left out of any of the gains of the neo-liberal economic model imposed by the United States since the Ronald Regan Administration. They have not benefited; on the contrary, they have suffered dearly. One of the most vivid examples of this is the massive migration from Latin America into the United States. We have never had such a diverse group of Latin Americans represented here among our immigrants — and it's growing. And it's not bound to stop. They are not Communist or Socialist Party members, they are just regular people — regular people who are democratic and who are also pushing to share a piece of the economic pie that they haven't received.
How do you see the future of the Bush Administration's policy in terms of Latin America?
Patricia: There's no policy. The Bush Administration has not paid attention to Latin America. From February to September it paid attention to Mexico a little bit, and then right after 9/11 that emerging relationship was ended, and this is nothing new. Before there was very little attention to Latin America, with the exception of the North American Free Trade Agreement in Mexico. But we're back to where we were before — the Bush Administration is completely disregarding Latin America. Historically, they will pay attention when there is a crisis.
Alexandria: You just said that there was no policy, but then why are people protesting the Bush Administration's policies in the streets in Latin America? There's something they don't like, clearly, and it's really about free trade issues.
Patricia: That was the [phrasing of the question]. They are protesting the neo-liberal model that is not serving their interests because it has pressured the Latin American governments to reduce the deficits by curtailing social programs. And that has allowed the domestic industry to be destroyed by the competition more powerful, more competitive sectors in the U.S. These policies have had a complete negative impact on the Latin American population, very much like in the U.S.: the rich have gotten richer.
Alexandria: You just confirmed what I said, that it's really about the people who are in the streets protesting — what their backgrounds are. It's not necessarily the poorest of the poor out there. They don't have the time or the wherewithal to go to a protest.
Considering the diversity of Latinos in the U.S., does it make sense to talk about a Latino vote?
Patricia: I think we can still talk about a Latino vote. The majority of Latinos are still Democrats and, very unfortunately, the majority is still very poor and has very little access to education and health care and other basic social needs. They are more concerned with being able to fulfill these basic needs rather than more abstract issues such as gay marriage. Obviously Dade County is more conservative; it's Cuban-American. But if you go by region, I think you can talk about the Latino vote in general.
Alexandria: Yes, I absolutely agree that we need to talk about a Latino vote – that as a burgeoning population in this country, they're an integral part of our economy and we need to pay attention to what that groups' desires are and where their interests lie. It's critical for any political party to do that.
What is your reaction to the large number of Latinos who voted Republican in the last election? Was this a surprise to you?
Alexandria: It was not a surprise to me as a Latina Republican congressional candidate. I really see that there has been a change in the Hispanic community because, as second generation Hispanics become very involved with the business community and become homeowners, they are becoming an integral part of our society here in America. I think they're beginning to realize that higher taxes and restrictions on their businesses don't benefit them, and those are two of the things the Republican Party stands against. We want you to be able to develop your business and not have the government involved.
Patricia: I agree that there are more Latinos who might tend to be Republican just because the Latino community, the middle class and the upper-middle class and above, are growing. However, I am completely skeptical about some evidence of the numbers provided by polls in the Republican Party. There are several studies that show that it was not a correct proportion of the vote. So there is definitely a growth but not as significant as it has been stated.
How do you respond to moral values and their an impact in the last election?
Patricia: I think that Latinos and Latinas are a group of people with very high values, but not the values assumed to have guided the Latino vote. And not the values that have been claimed by Republicans as being the key values driving this election. The two issues dealing with values that supposedly explain the election outcome were gay marriage and abortion, and those have not been high on the agenda of Latinos. Latinos are very, very high promoters of equality, civil rights, social justice, and education.
Alexandria: Well, certainly we know that the Hispanic community is very pro-life, that they're very family-oriented, and the Republicans were able to get their message out this year to the Hispanic community that that's where they stand on those particular issues. But that's not the only reason that Hispanics turned to the Republican Party this year. They turned to the Republican Party because President Bush identified with their values. John Kerry simply did not offer voters any sort of morals to take a stance on.
You know, President Bush is very good when he comes to Orange County. He comes to Santa Anna. He speaks Spanish with people. Whatever you think about him, he's a wonderful man, and he really cares about people. And I think that comes across when he's out greeting constituents. He really means the things that he says.
Patricia: I wonder how you know that the Hispanic community is very pro-life, because all the surveys that I have do not show any evidence that that is one of the top issues for Latinos. The top issues, as determined by several studies by La Raza, the Pew Hispanic Center, and many others, are jobs, education, health care, safety, immigration...
Alexandria: That's right, they are.
Patricia: But they do not show anything about abortion or gay marriage. Do you have other data on that?
Alexandria: Absolutely. There have been all kinds of polls. In fact, public opinion strategies, which are based in Washington D.C. and have a satellite office in Rodondo Beach, California, have done some polling on that. It's not the top thing that Hispanics might think about in their every-day lives. When they are asked about politics, they are concerned about jobs, the economy, taxes...
Patricia: I don't think that taxes come up at all.
Alexandria: They want to be able to buy a home, they want to be able to provide for their families, but that doesn't mean that they're not pro-life.
What do you think about the prospects of women's rights and the role of women under the Bush Administration?
Alexandria: I think women's rights concerning the economy, job prospects, and buying power are going to just expand in the next four years under the new Bush Administration. They have skyrocketed in the last four years, and I think that that trend will continue. Bush has Condoleeza Rice now for Secretary of State, and she does a brilliant job. He respects women, and I think that will come through in his economic policies and economic prospects for women.
Patricia: I think that the fact that the Bush Administration supports the abolition of legal abortion for women, that it's curtailing the ability of women to have an abortion — and I am not a person who supports abortion to begin with, but I think that it is the right of women to decide how to deal with this question — is just a bad omen for women's rights. Just because he has appointed Condoleeza Rice does not show that he is in favor of expanding women's rights or improving their situation. Condoleeza is not representative of all women. She is a Republican, a very conservative policy-maker, and also very, very tuned to the wishes of President Bush. I don't think that we're going to do that well as women under the Bush Administration.