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En
la fotografia politica (In the
political picture)
Carrie
Sheffield
Star Staff Intern
Many Hispanic immigrants will tell you
they think the U.S. government is on
the right track. Their sentiments come
after experience in their native
lands, where government corruption is
commonplace.
The U.S. political leanings of many
immigrants and their children are yet
to be determined, and political party
leaders estimate the Hispanic voting
bloc will be crucial in deciding more
and more elections over the next 10
years.
“American government is very
good,” said Mexican immigrant Jose
Luis Hernandez through a translator.
“Political leaders are more honest
here than there. When they’re
elected in Mexico, they don’t
fulfill their promises. Here, they do
what they say they will do.”
Hernandez, who lives in Kings
Mountain, said he came to the U.S. to
get an improved quality of life
because there was nothing left for him
in Mexico. He’s now a steelworker in
Gastonia.
“What would make a mother put her
son on a raft in 90 miles of
shark-infested water, knowing he
probably would die?” asked
Panamanian immigrant Marck del
Castillo, speaking of the Elian
Gonzales case in 1999. “When people
leave their countries of origin, they
want to obtain a piece of the American
dream. They want freedom of speech, a
chance for education and a safe place
to raise their families.”
Del Castillo said bribery of elected
officials and police, as well as drug
trafficking and money laundering, are
widespread in Panama.
“It all boils down to money,” he
said. “Jobs are very scarce and the
economy is down. People think about
it, and they want to go to the United
States, the richest country in the
world.”
Costa Rican immigrant Miguel Obando
said he has much to learn about
American politics. But, he said,
“What I know, I like. It’s true
that you have to pay taxes for
everything, but you see the
results.”
Obando lives in Fallston and earns a
living doing odd jobs such as
gardening and landscaping.
He said in Costa Rica, “Government
people put the money in their pockets.
Here, everybody has to pay taxes for
good roads. Everywhere you go in Costa
Rica, there are holes and you have to
drive in first or second gear.”
However, much is lacking in
government, according to one local
Hispanic leader, who said the
government has ignored the needs of
many Hispanic people.
“Our local government has done a
real terrible job,” said Angeles
Ortega, executive director of the
Latin American coalition in Charlotte,
a group that serves 8,000 Latinos a
year. “It’s almost like lip
service with some of the local
governments. Members of local
governments are happy to show their
faces at a Cinco de Mayo party, but
they’re not as willing to put us in
mind when they’re making the
decisions that affect the Hispanic
community.”
Ortega, who’s originally from
Mexico, said the problem lies in the
Hispanic community’s inactivity in
the political process as well as in
cultural barriers.
“Latinos are a very social people,
and we get very easily impressed by
public officials coming to our events
because it’s very hard in Latin
America to get to a senator or
mayor,” Ortega said. “You have to
already be a part of that group. For a
mayor to come we think, ‘Wow! He
really cares about the Latino
community.’
“They want to take a picture with a
sombrero on, but when it comes to
medical issues or education issues,
we’re not in the picture. Latinos
are not in the picture.
“We get really impressed when he
comes. But when he vetoes minimum wage
legislation, we don’t think anything
of it. We don’t connect it.”
Not everyone concurs, however.
“I disagree in that statement,
because my own experience has been
that government officials usually
respond,” said Olma Echeverri,
co-chair of the Mecklenburg County
Hispanic Voter Coalition. “But, they
respond sometimes according to party
lines. There is a lot of lip service,
but at the same time, I have felt
there is always an interest to learn
more about the community. Of course,
there are those who would rather see
all the foreigners leave, even when
they are U.S. citizens.”
Representatives from the Hispanic
Voter Coalition travel to town forums,
fund-raisers, churches and cultural
events, including events in Cleveland
County, to help register Hispanic
voters and inform them about issues
that affect Hispanic people.
“It’s just sort of getting them
involved in the civic process and
making sure they’re getting involved
with what you believe,” said
Echeverri.
One issue that Hispanic people differ
on is the war in Iraq. Latinos born in
the U.S. expressed strong support and
optimism for the war, while the
foreign-born Hispanic people showed
less support and greater concern over
the potential for terrorist attacks
and economic losses, according to
research by the Pew Hispanic Center.
“I don’t know of any of my
acquaintances or people that I have
talked to that have supported the war
with Iraq,” said Echeverri, who is
originally from Colombia. “There is
a lot of concern out there because of
the fact that there are so many
Hispanics in the Army that have been
signed up under the pretense of
getting education. Getting citizenship
posthumously is really an insult.”
In Fallston, Obando sits in his home
surrounded by his wife and three sons.
“For the victory, I’m happy for
that,” he said. “I’m very happy
for that. When he started the war, I
was afraid. We prayed to God that he
will take care of us. We eat because
God provides food for us. It’s a
quiet country.”
Obando’s young sons are the future
of the American populace.
“I’m sure the life for them will
be more easy,” Obando said. “They
will help America grow, too here in
North Carolina. Many Spanish people
are coming and in the future and
everything will be different.”
The rising generation of Hispanic
children is what Hispanic leaders are
hoping to activate.
“That is where the challenge is
going to be,” Echeverri said.
“That is where we as elders
inculcate in our children. I tell my
kids, ‘I’m not out there working
for me, I’m working for you.’ You
are the ones who are going to make
your lives as a U.S. citizen.”
“Our vote is still up for grabs,”
Ortega said. “It’s not a
Republican or Democratic vote. My wish
is that Latinos would educate
themselves. We need to create a
program of activism where you’re
actually rating public officials so
they’re accountable.”
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