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Hispanics will help build future of U.S.
The Kansas City Star ^ | April 28, 2004 | Luis W. Giugud

Posted on 05/06/2004 9:08:36 PM PDT by primeval patriot

One clear message surfaced during last week's three-day Latino Civil Rights Summit 2004: This country mustn't ignore or suppress the needs or economic and political potential of Hispanics.

Jose Angel Gutierrez, a Dallas lawyer and author, said it best as Friday's luncheon speaker: “We are the future of America. Unlike any prior generation, we now have a critical mass. We're going to Latinize this country.”

People who were white, black, Asian American and Native American also attended the “Crossing the Bridge” summit to learn how the growing Hispanic population will affect the nation.

Gutierrez said people from Mexico, Central and South America are not immigrating to the United States. They are simply migrating because this land had been theirs. Spain had held it, and before that it had belonged to the indigenous people. Hispanics should never put up with others telling them to go back where they came from. “You don't have to apologize to anybody,” Gutierrez said. But he urged Hispanics to develop a plan.

“We're talking about crossing the bridge, but is it to get across or is it to come back?” Gutierrez asked. “Is it a one-way bridge or a two-way bridge? You've got to have a plan.”

On Saturday at the action planning session, Gutierrez pointed to Hispanic businesses on Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kan., as examples of America's future. “The potential is tremendous,” he said.

“What we have at the moment is labor power and consumer power,” he said. “We work and we buy. Political power will come later.”

That's because half of the Hispanics in the United States are younger than 21. “We're spectators at the basketball game,” Gutierrez said.

However, that also means that for every one Latino who dies, five white people will die because they are older. But that leaves five empty houses and five vacant businesses, Gutierrez said.

“The vacuum has got to be filled by somebody; otherwise all our economy and neighborhoods will collapse,” he said. More people of color and minority businesses must fill the void for America to remain vibrant.

The third Latino Civil Rights Summit left Hispanics with a greater sense of empowerment than the previous ones. The numbers are in their favor.

In 2000, the nation had 35.6 million Hispanics, representing 12.6 percent of the U.S. population. Census projections show the Latino population will rise to 102.6 million people by 2050, amounting to 24.4 percent of the country's 419.9 million people.

In 2000, African-Americans made up 12.7 percent of the population. By 2050 that will increase to 14.6 percent. Audiences at the summit were told Hispanics and blacks must form more alliances to increase their economic and political strength.

Each must leverage the numbers to their advantage, Rogelio Lasso, a University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor, said at a forum on collaboration. “We are thinking ‘Who is No. 1?' instead of thinking ‘If we are 30 percent together, how are we going to get 30 percent of the pie?' ” he said.

The summit included sessions on education and how the No Child Left Behind Act will negatively affect students of color. Resegregation also is occurring, stranding black and Hispanic children in poor schools, said Ruben Garza, an Austin, Texas, educator.

Patriot Acts I and II keep making life more difficult for immigrants. That's occurring as the nation is enjoying a record 33.5 million foreign-born residents. They are 11.7 percent of the population, Steve Camarota, director of research with the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, said in a telephone interview.

The foreign born represented a record 14.8 percent of the U.S. population in 1890 and 14.7 percent in 1910. “It's very possible by the end of the decade we'll pass the all-time high,” Camarota said.

But Lasso voiced concern about the rise in anti-immigration feelings since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“It feels like it's acceptable in this country to be anti-immigrant,” he said. “I fear if we have another terrorist attack it will affect the immigrants first.”

But our intertwined fates may be our salvation.

“The state of the Latino community cannot be separated from the state of America,” said Elias L. Garcia, executive director of the Kansas Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs. “Our destinies are inextricably tied.”

I hope more people develop an appreciation for that.

Lewis W. Diuguid is a member of The Star's Editorial Board. To reach him, call (816) 234-4723 or send e-mail to Ldiuguid@kcstar.com.
 


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; hispanicradicals; hispanics; immigrantlist; laraza
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1 posted on 05/06/2004 9:08:37 PM PDT by primeval patriot
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To: primeval patriot
Hispanics will help build future of U.S.

That's because they are going to take all the construction jobs.

2 posted on 05/06/2004 9:10:09 PM PDT by Captainpaintball (All it takes for evil to triumph is for Republicans to befriend, act like, and give in to, Democrats)
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To: primeval patriot
Jose Angel Gutierrez, a Dallas lawyer and author, said it best as Friday's luncheon speaker: “We are the future of America. Unlike any prior generation, we now have a critical mass. We're going to Latinize this country.”

Does this mean we are going to take naps in the middle of the day?
3 posted on 05/06/2004 9:10:44 PM PDT by CzarNicky (The problem with bad ideas is that they seemed like good ideas at the time.)
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To: primeval patriot
Great. Our future consists of mud huts.
4 posted on 05/06/2004 9:11:48 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all)
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To: primeval patriot
They are simply migrating because this land had been theirs.

When do the Mugabe style land grabs start?

5 posted on 05/06/2004 9:11:55 PM PDT by primeval patriot
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To: CzarNicky
I hope it means better Mexican food in my little town.
6 posted on 05/06/2004 9:12:03 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: primeval patriot
What a bunch of bull $hit! Only an a$$ would write an article like this.

The Irish, the English, the Germans, the French, the Polish, the Africans, people from seven continents and countless nations will play a big part in the future of this nation.

Perhaps someone who lives near this guy, please kick him in the family jewels for those of us who live too far away to do so.
7 posted on 05/06/2004 9:13:54 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
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To: primeval patriot
We're going to Latinize this country.”

Great. I can do all my Christmas shopping while sitting at a red light.

8 posted on 05/06/2004 9:15:10 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all)
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To: primeval patriot
bump
9 posted on 05/06/2004 9:22:28 PM PDT by RippleFire ("It was just a scratch")
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To: primeval patriot
‘If we are 30 percent together, how are we going to get 30 percent of the pie?'

How are we going to get the fed.gov to point a gun at you and take your money.

10 posted on 05/06/2004 9:23:43 PM PDT by primeval patriot
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To: primeval patriot
About ten years out in the southwest, I'd guess
11 posted on 05/06/2004 9:24:21 PM PDT by epigone73
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To: primeval patriot
"Gutierrez said people from Mexico, Central and South America are not immigrating to the United States. They are simply migrating because this land had been theirs. Spain had held it, and before that it had belonged to the indigenous people. Hispanics should never put up with others telling them to go back where they came from."

That is what scares me about illegal immigration and the hispanics. It is less immigration and more of a slow conquest... like a bacterial infection.

I did not read anything about melting or assimilating. They do not want to blend, but transplant something they had before, had somewhere else. They want to stay hyphenated Americans. If truly being American matters to them at all.

Sad, so sad.
12 posted on 05/06/2004 9:24:22 PM PDT by JSteff
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To: primeval patriot
However, that also means that for every one Latino who dies, five white people will die because they are older. But that leaves five empty houses and five vacant businesses, Gutierrez said.

Incredible. Can you imagine the ruckus talking about dead minorities would cause?

13 posted on 05/06/2004 9:32:49 PM PDT by primeval patriot
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To: Texas Eagle
Those beautiful big brown eyes, long shiny black hair, soft brown skin, sweet inviting smiles, and tight low hipsters don't fool me. All they really want is to do is reshingle my roof for $20 an hour.
14 posted on 05/06/2004 9:33:33 PM PDT by bayourod (Kerry must be very ill. Why else would they try so hard to portray him as athletic and vigorous ?)
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To: JSteff
But every subside known to Americans is okay? Beat the 14th Amendment to DEATH! It's way over due! And it's not just south of the border!
15 posted on 05/06/2004 9:47:35 PM PDT by LNewman
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To: primeval patriot
The summit included sessions on education and how the No Child Left Behind Act will negatively affect students of color.

WTF are they talking about?

16 posted on 05/06/2004 9:56:00 PM PDT by primeval patriot
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To: primeval patriot
In other words, there will be an about-face. They have been trying to ruin it so far. Now they are going to build a great nation. Sorry boys, that was already done. George Washington, you know. You're over 200 years too late. Just try not to make it any worse than you already have. You're a disgrace.
17 posted on 05/06/2004 10:23:30 PM PDT by henderson field
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To: CzarNicky
Does this mean we are going to take naps in the middle of the day?

Only if you're Hispanic; as an Anglo, you wouldn't understand. Besides, we Angloes are still the majority, even if they outnumber us.

That was explained to me once by some government wonk, but I cannot remember the logic.

18 posted on 05/06/2004 10:26:35 PM PDT by Marauder (Liberals use words the way squids use ink.)
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To: primeval patriot
"Gutierrez said people from Mexico, Central and South America are not immigrating to the United States. They are simply migrating because this land had been theirs. Spain had held it, and before that it had belonged to the indigenous people."

Since most populations on the globe got where they now reside, by migration, this logic applies widely.

Using it, the Irish could claim Spain, and visa versa. The Celts, you know. Likewise, North American Indians could claim Japan, for it had been "theirs" at one time (according to physical anthropology, the Ainu, etc.)

And if we could figure who were the pre-Picts, everybody else would be cast from Britain, or be subjects of same.

The notion of some original "indigenous" folks having permanent and overriding claims is nonsense, of the highest order.

To say people of Mexico and central America have a claim on US soil is no different than the Japanese saying they have a claim on Chinese soil...."well, you see, we were there once, or passed through on our way from A to B = where we are now."
19 posted on 05/06/2004 10:55:47 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: primeval patriot
Hispanics will help build future of U.S.

And what a future it will be too.

6 suspects in home invasions are illegal

20 posted on 05/06/2004 11:05:42 PM PDT by lewislynn (Who made you, the casual observer, the expert?)
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