Miguel Perez from Creators Syndicate

Your Party or Your People? for 08/26/2008

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When they begin their journeys, their intentions are usually good and genuine: They seek personal political empowerment so they can help their people.

But something happens to many Hispanic community activists on their way to gaining that power. In order to move up the ladder, they often are forced to cut deals with the political establishment and to become peons of political party machi ...

Updated: Tue Aug 26, 2008

]]>

The 'Bola' Is in McCain's Court for 09/02/2008

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When they come to the barrios to seek the Hispanic vote, Democratic Party leaders tell us anything we want to hear, especially about their plans to fix our broken immigration system and to grant some kind of amnesty to the 12 million illegal immigrants already living here.

But when they address a national audience, as they did from their convention in Denver last week, you don't hear any ...

Updated: Tue Sep 02, 2008

]]>

McCain Hits, Stays on 1st Base for 09/09/2008

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When it became John McCain's turn to bat in the contest to win the Hispanic vote, the senator from Arizona took a good swing at the "bola." But he got a base hit when he needed a home run.

"We believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential," McCain said in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Co ...

Updated: Tue Sep 09, 2008

]]>

Latino-American History, Chapter 8: We Are All 'Americanos' for 09/16/2008

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Perhaps I had not been paying attention, but now that I'm in the midst of writing a series of columns on the Latino contributions to North American society, I see a history column everywhere I look.

When Sen. John McCain reminded us that a Latina daughter of migrant workers is just as "American" as a boy whose ancestors were on the Mayflower, most people rightfully read it as a ...

Updated: Tue Sep 16, 2008

]]>

Latino-American History, Chapter 9: Latinos Are Failing for 09/23/2008

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

About this time every year, when Latinos can't keep up with all the parades and fiestas to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I get terribly upset.

I keep looking for the kind of substance that African-Americans absorb in serious seminars and lectures during Black History Month, but I can't find it!

Amid the cocktail parties and parade pageants to elect queens and hobnob with poli ...

Updated: Tue Sep 23, 2008

]]>

Beating Around the Bush Bailout for 09/30/2008

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

With leaders such as Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, what's there to worry about?

Did you see them in their highly anticipated first debate? Didn't you feel reassured that the nation's financial crisis soon will be in good hands?

Not!

Instead of a demonstration of their leadership qualities, we saw two men keeping their fingers to the wind.

On the Wall Street bai ...

Updated: Tue Sep 30, 2008

]]>

Latino-American History, Chapter 10: Columbus Deserves His Day for 10/07/2008

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

To most of us, he was the ultimate explorer, the gutsy genius who brought Europe to the New World, one of history's greatest figures.

His name, of course, was Cristobal Colon, better known here as Christopher Columbus, the Italian navigator, who sailed for Spain.

To Italian-Americans, the day he "discovered" the New World marks the day when they display pride for their h ...

Updated: Tue Oct 07, 2008

]]>

Latino-American History, Chapter 11: Two Good Places To Rest for 10/14/2008

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

To most Spaniards, Christopher Columbus rests where he belongs: in the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria, in Seville, Spain, the city from where he set sail for the New World in 1492.

But to most Dominicans, Columbus rests where he wanted to be buried: in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where they have built him an impressive tomb — the cross-shaped monument known as "El Faro ...

Updated: Tue Oct 14, 2008

]]>

In an Act of Desperation, McCain Tries To Connect With Latinos for 10/21/2008

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It took him a long time, but Sen. John McCain finally said what he needed to say to score some points with Latino voters.

In last Wednesday's presidential debate, McCain brought up immigration, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the pending free trade agreement with Colombia, and made Sen. Barack Obama defend his absurd position on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement wit ...

Updated: Tue Oct 21, 2008

]]>

'Locos' About Obama? for 10/28/2008

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

He never has traveled to Latin America. He opposes free trade with Colombia, turning his back on one of the only U.S. allies in the region. He wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. He insists on meeting "without preconditions" with tyrants such as Cuba's Fidel and Raul Castro and anti-American zealots such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. He h ...

Updated: Tue Oct 28, 2008

]]>

Mexico Wears Two Faces for 11/04/2008

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

At first, you think it must be some kind of sick joke. Someone must be trying to be funny by twisting a few things around and making it seem as if Mexico, the world's largest exporter of illegal immigrants, is vowing to arrest and deport anyone who enters that country illegally. You try to laugh, but it's not really that funny.

"Of course, it has to be a joke," you say to yours ...

Updated: Tue Nov 04, 2008

]]>

The Punching Bag Strikes Back for 11/11/2008

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Latinos flipped the vote in four battleground states and gave Barack Obama free passage to the White House. But did Obama earn the Hispanic vote, or did he win it by default?

More importantly, will President-elect Obama repay his debt to Latinos, or will he continue to take their support for granted and go on ignoring them?

During his race against Sen. John McCain, Obama paid litt ...

Updated: Tue Nov 11, 2008

]]>

Blacks and Latinos: Natural Allies for 11/18/2008

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

When Barack Obama was losing the Hispanic vote to Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primaries, some people automatically assumed that racial discrimination had something to do with it. There was widespread speculation that Hispanics wouldn't vote for a black candidate.

In many cities where blacks and Latinos live side by side, there was plenty of evidence to the contrary. In local el ...

Updated: Tue Nov 18, 2008

]]>

Looking for Brown Faces for 11/25/2008

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

As President-elect Barack Obama takes his time to make his first Hispanic appointment, the Latino leaders who supported him are beginning to squirm — not because they all expect job offers, but because they fear they could end up with egg on their faces.

Just a few days ago, they were saying they expected Obama to repay his debt to Latino voters by naming between two and four Latin ...

Updated: Tue Nov 25, 2008

]]>

The Jobs That Americans Didn't Want for 12/02/2008

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

It was bigger than any border wall, more secure than any sophisticated ID card, and more effective than immigration raids and border vigilantes. It turned out to be the most effective weapon for deterring illegal immigration. Who would have thought of it? All we needed to do was thrash our economy!

Now that the so-called "jobs that Americans don't want" are becoming much more d ...

Updated: Tue Dec 02, 2008

]]>

Obama's Election Didn't Cure Racism for 12/09/2008

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Remember when, just a few weeks ago, we thought the election of Barack Obama had dealt a major blow against racism in this country, when we temporarily were swept by a tidal wave of interracial harmony? Remember how some people were actually naive enough to assume that racism was over?

Well, now it turns out that Obama's victory has ignited a series of hate crimes against blacks and othe ...

Updated: Tue Dec 09, 2008

]]>

'Presidente' by Intimidation for 12/16/2008

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Only one year after the Venezuelan people rejected Hugo Chavez's bid to become their dictator, the socialist/narcissistic "presidente" wants another referendum that would enable him to stay in power indefinitely.

Last December, when Venezuelan voters rejected a package of constitutional amendments, which included unlimited re-election for "el presidente," some naive o ...

Updated: Tue Dec 16, 2008

]]>

What Are We, 'Amigos' or 'Imperialistas'? for 12/23/2008

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

They choose to overlook Cuba's 50 years without free elections, free speech or freedom of the press. They refuse to see the dissidents rotting in jail or drowning while trying to escape from the Communist island. They shamelessly align themselves with the world's oldest dictatorship, yet Latin American leaders make it seem as if the only country that has stood firmly against such atrocities &md ...

Updated: Tue Dec 23, 2008

]]>

Still Waiting for White Dove's Peace for 12/30/2008

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

On the way home from a New Year's Eve party, we saw something that made us stop and reflect. Standing on the sidewalk, daringly blocking our passage, was a white dove.

It happened a half-century ago. It must have been 2 a.m., on the morning of Jan. 1, 1959, as I walked home with my parents in my Cuban hometown, La Salud.

I was only 8 years old. But I remember that moment as if it ...

Updated: Tue Dec 30, 2008

]]>

Avoid Piecemeal Immigration Reform for 01/06/2009

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

When anti-immigrant zealots were on a roll the past couple of years, introducing various "enforcement-only" measures to fix the nation's broken immigration system, they were wrong. The fix has to be comprehensive.

And when they tried to promote Draconian state laws and local ordinances to crack down on illegal immigrants, they were wrong, too. States and municipalities should n ...

Updated: Tue Jan 06, 2009

]]>