Univision Gives Citizenship Drive Unusual Lift

midiachannel dot org (WSJ) ^ | 05/10/2007 | Miriam Jordan

[DigitalVideoDude]

Backed by the largest Spanish-language broadcast network in the U.S., a massive campaign by Latino media and grass-roots groups to spur millions of eligible Hispanic residents to become U.S. citizens is showing results that could influence the agenda and outcome of the 2008 election.

More than eight million green-card holders — that is, legal permanent residents — are eligible to become U.S. citizens, and the majority are immigrants of Latin American origin, according to U.S. government data. Now, Univision Communications Inc. is using its considerable clout with the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. to turn this latent voting bloc into an active and potentially potent force.

[DigitalVideoDude]

Oh boy...

[Jeff Chandler]

8 million more Democrats voting themselves special racial privileges and other people’s money.

[NurdlyPeon]

This “U.S. Citizen” part, does it still include knowing the language and history of America? Does it still include an oath of loyalty to America? Or is there some sort of “other version” that these people have in mind?

[Popocatapetl]

Actually, Mexican-Americans wisely split their vote, they are not monolithically Democrat. A lot depends where they integrate and how successful they have been.

If they are integrated in an area, not concentrated, which seems to also promote economic success, they most definitely can be Republicans and conservatives.

However, if they live in immigrant communities, where they don’t have to integrate, and also don’t have to succeed economically, they tend to be Democrat. Their community seems to support them, but actually holds them back.

In places where they have integrated and have no community, they integrate very quickly. I know several Mexican families whose grandparents speak no English, the parents speak some English and are prosperous, and the grandchildren are fully Americanized and have no connection with Mexico at all, and only speak some Spanish.

Yet at the same time, it is common for families in Mexican communities to exist for generations with a “little Mexico” attitude, all to have mediocre English skills and success, and to visit Mexico often to retain their connections to the “old country” and its culture.

So if you see a Mexican-American Democrat, you know that he is something of a loser, through bad luck if nothing else; whereas Mexican-American Republicans are winners.