"I am a Mexican American and a Republican."

[kpete]

The GOP’s Growing Hispanic Rift
May 12th, 2010 at 12:16 am by Robert Gonzalez


I am a Mexican American and a Republican.

I remember distinctly when I first picked sides: election night, 1988. I was four. My family had just arrived in the United States. We lived in a tiny apartment in central Tucson, Arizona.

I don’t remember much about the election. But I remember my mother, in Spanish, enunciating the candidates’ names clearly. Bush. Dukakis. Doo – ka – kis. The Spanish equivalent of “doo-doo” is caca. My electoral choice was clear, Bush it was.

Fast forward twenty years, and I found myself in the midst of a heated presidential campaign, running a small grassroots office in Northwest Tucson for another Bush.

...................

When we arrived to the United States, my family had very little money. But the American dream worked for us. The hard work of my parents, along with God’s providence, plus some luck here and there, fulfilled our American dreams, and ensured that we wanted not. I went to Princeton University for my undergraduate education, followed by Stanford Law School. My brother attended Washington University in St. Louis both for undergrad and medical school, his medical school financed with a full ride scholarship. My sister recently graduated from Stanford undergrad, and my other sister is in the midst of her own Princeton education. Six Mexicans thrust into Tucson, Arizona, having little money and knowing little English, somehow made it.

It pains me to see and hear so many Republicans express anti-immigrant sentiments, and it strikes me as politically fruitless to see so many Republicans support measures such as SB 1070. The Rush Limbaughs and Chris Simcoxs of the world embarrass the party, and it pains me even more to think that the party of Lincoln, Goldwater, and Reagan, is dragged down in anti-immigrant rancor.

more:
http://www.frumforum.com/the-gops-growing-hispanic-rift

[lpbk2713]

1. It's the party of Lincoln in name only.

Lincoln would hang his head in shame how his party has deteriorated.

[AnArmyVeteran]

4. Lincoln would not belong to today's republikkkan party.

Lincoln would be a liberal by today's standards. So would Teddy Roosevelt. I laugh when idiotic republicans say they are the party of Lincoln and Roosevelt when neither would belong to today's republican party and both would savagely condemn the republican party as corrupt, soulless and an enemy of the people.

[Rincewind]

27. Lincoln left the

Republican party. When he ran for reelection, he was not the Republican nominee, he ran as the Union Party candidate.

[Maru Kitteh]

30. That's a very useful fact, thank you!

[RoyGBiv]

33. That is not exactly correct ...

The Republican party itself experienced something close to a schism during the 1864 election year specific to the Presidential election.

Radical Republicans didn't like Lincoln. They thought he was incompetent and too soft on issues related to slavery, freedmen, and prosecution of the war.

The name "National Union Party or Union Party for short came about because the faction of the Republican Party that continued to support Lincoln sought allegiance with war Democrats. The party was thus a "union" of a faction of Democrats (thus the Andrew Johnson for VP) and a the majority of Republicans. Technically Johnson was a National Union candidate as well and maintained the affiliation throughout his term.

[Scuba]

11. Nailed it.

[SocialistLez]

2. Reagan is someone you want to look up to?

::gag::

[EFerrari]

7. "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things doesn't belong".

lol

[Kerrytravelers]

3. Picking sides at age four because of a candidate's last name is a very republican thing to do.

Actually, anyone who is republican, especially after W, is simply voting against their own self interest. What a shame, to have such self hatred.

[AnArmyVeteran]

10. It's time to say ADIOS to the republican party Amigo. Conservatives están llenos de mierda...

Los conservadores son corruptos.

Los conservadores son tontos.

Los conservadores son malos.

Los conservadores son tontos.

Say, ADIOS CONSERVADORES!!!

[foxfeet]

5. He seems intelligent. Perhaps intelligent enough to reconsider his political affiliations.

[sabrina 1]

8. Yes, but only when it affected him personally. He feels

betrayed. But he has belonged to a party that has so many prejudicial positions against so many groups, it's sad he didn't see them for what they were when they were going after gays, or poor people, or Iraqis, Muslims etc.

Fortunately for him, many of us who are not affected directly, although everyone is when one person is wrongfully targeted, can find the time to stand up for those who are affected.

I hope he learns something from it and doesn't now become one of those Reagan Democrats, as we already have an over abundance of them dragging the Dem. Party to the right as it is.

[Walk away]

6. I have a friend who had a poster sized portrait of Nixon over his crib...

His mother was the Bergen County chairwoman of the republican party. He became a Democrat before he could talk. The difference is....he has no regrets.

[AnArmyVeteran]

9. REAGAN was a FRAUD

REAGAN was a FRAUD

The entire conservative movement is an absolute fraud, just like Reagan. And conservatives are enemies to every hard working American.

Reagan increased the national debt 400%.
Reagan never once vetoed an appropriations bill.
Reagan never once proposed a balanced budget.
Reagan increased Calif state spending 15%.
Reagan increased Calif taxes three times.
Reagan increased size of Calif govt 15%.

Reagan pushed deregulation that led the 1980s savings and loan scandals costing taxpayers 750 billion.
Reagan's deregulation led to the current economic meltdown that cost between 30 and 50 TRILLION DOLLARS.

Reagan also sent our soldiers to Lebanon and restricted their rules of engagement and provided them no defense and killed 241 soldiers in their sleep. Then Reagan cut and ran from Lebanon within 30 days.

Reagan made a deal with terrorists to release hostages.
Reagan gave weapons and money to thugs who became the Taliban.
Reagan propped up Osama bin Laden
Reagan emptied mental hospitals, pouring the sick onto the streets.
Reagan was pure evil and his evil lives on in the conservative deregulations, massive debt and wars conservatives love.

Conservatives are praying to a false god. If they believe in Reagan they aren't very bright.

[provis99]

12. apparently, he is a Mexican-American, and a Republican, and a Schmuck.

[AnArmyVeteran]

13. Is there a republican party in Mexico? If this guy lives in Arizona his days in the US are numbered.

Papers please!!!

[Xipe Totec]

15. In Mexico, they would be called Malinchistas

http://www.mexperience.com/blogs/foreignnative/?p=101

[political_Dem]

14. Now, this has to be a moment of truth.

Does this person want to be part of a party of hate? Or do the right thing and speak out against the GOP's racist manipulation of the law?

The only thing the GOP wants is the self-preservation and power of white supremacy and privilege. There is nothing else.

[JoeyT]

32. He didn't seem to mind being a member of

the party of hate as long as the party of hate was hating women, gays, poor people, and anyone of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, or Native American descent. He just didn't want the party of hate aimed at HIM. Which makes him a typical conservative. He wanted to be the boot of oppression, but now that he's on the receiving end of it racism is an awful thing indeed. His moment of truth was when he wasn't willing to leave the party over their hatred of a group that didn't include him.

[RedCloud]

16. Hoorah and Boo for your title in that order!

[marmar]

17. The ending of his piece shows that he's a complete fool and tool.

nt

[AnArmyVeteran]

26. He's politically naive to believe Goldwater or Reagan had any value at all.

Goldwater wanted to use nuclear weapons in Vietnam. Reagan destroyed the middle class. The OP should at least read about history before making a comment on this board praising two of the worst thugs to ever be in politics. Reagan was evil even when he still had a brain.

[southernyankeebelle]

18. You just chose not to see the racism. My husband came here from

Germany. He joined the military and made a career to give back. He got a college education. He earned his way in this country legally. My mother came here from europe to and she came legally. I don't have any problems with people coming here legally it is really good for the country. The problem is all illegals no matter where they come from. It isn't fair for people who are trying to get here the right way are being asked not to come. We must do something because what is happening isn't working yet am against targeting latinos only.

[demosincebirth]

19. I wonder how many of our " European ancestors" would have been

here legally if Europe and the U.S. were divided, only, by a river?

[Caretha]

20. Well too fuckin' bad

'It pains me to see and hear so many Republicans express anti-immigrant sentiments,

OMG!!! You just noticed??

Then you say???!!!... and it strikes me as politically fruitless to see so many Republicans support measures such as SB 1070. The Rush Limbaughs and Chris Simcoxs of the world embarrass the party, and it pains me even more to think that the party of Lincoln, Goldwater, and Reagan, is dragged down in anti-immigrant rancor.'

Rush Limbaugh has been on the radio for 20 + fucking years and you just noticed he doesn't support or like people with your skin color???

Oh please. You are finally paying attention and you want my sympathy...Forget it.

The only reason I don't want your legal or illegal ass kicked out of the US is because I value my rights. I'm fuckin' fed up with trying to protect yours because you are too fuckin' stupid to protect your own.

[AnArmyVeteran]

21. What's with this Mexican-American thing? I'm not an American-American...

Why do Americans have a monopoly over the word 'American'. There are three Americas, South, Central and North America. Mexicans are North Americans so they are Americans. Canadians are Americans. So are Brazilians. So are Nicaraguans.

Oh the pomposity of the occupants of the United States. They believe they are the only true Americans, or to keep up with the hyphenated scheme people in the US are American-Americans. :) PS: Don't let a tea bagger see this. His head would explode!

What's ironic about Arizona is it was first owned by native Americans, then it was owned by Mexico, and then the US. So since Arizonians have least tenure there and they should be the first to leave. They are squatters.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

22. Durrr...this is what happens when your political views never evolve past 4 years of age.

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. Can't be too bright if he figured it was just little old ladies who

were anti-latinos. That kind of racist talk was getting thick around 1998. Why did it take him more than ten years to suddenly recognize that it was a core Republican value?

[MellowDem]

24. The issue is illegal immigration...

not "immigration" as is implied from the excerpt. And it's pretty obvious that the vast majority of illegal immigrants, or any low income family here, doesn't fly up the social ladder for a lot of reasons, namely Republican economics. So if this guy wants to be a Republican, then he better acknowledge that illegal immigration is all about cheap, illegal labor and exploiting people. If he's cool with that, then he's not a hypocrite. Indeed, it is an opinion of quite a lot of Republicans, the business owners and elite, to turn a blind eye to illegal immigration. It is only the xenophobic culture warrior base of the party that gets foaming at the mouth, and sometimes with good reason, but also with a lot of hate, ignorance, and misguided anger mixed in.

The issue isn't legal immigration or immigrants, the issue is labor and exploitation. Until they get this, they'll never address the true cause of illegal immigration. For many, I think they would prefer that to be the case.

[Canuckistanian]

25. I'll bet he likes to go to night school

Take Spanish and get a B.

[ecstatic]

28. So he finally wises up once it's his butt that's on the line

Typical selfish republican. He should just stay put, IMO. :eyes:

[mitchum]

29. Lambiche

[classysassy]

31. There are many who overcome hardship

simply forget their roots,and most of them become republicans.