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Republican Party - The Party of Division

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

  October 15, 2007

 

 

Republican Party – The Party of Division

By Patrick Osio, Jr

 

According to the Republican Party leadership, Republican elected officials and their boisterous members, the Party is not against immigration – just illegal immigration. On the surface there is nothing wrong with that. But, it is not the policy that is objectionable – it is the slandering, insulting, demeaning, degrading, debasing, disparaging and vilification of illegal immigrants that has and continues to turn off the Hispanic community against the Republican Party.

 

The entire focus is on brown-skinned people crossing the US border from Mexico. No attention or shameful rhetoric is expounded regarding the millions of illegal immigrants who entered and continue to enter at US airports and seaports, or through the Canadian border.

 

During the last week of September, the GAO investigators released documents and videos showing the ease in which their investigators crossed from Canada through the thousands of non fortified or guarded border. In several spots, they waited around for 15 to 30 minutes and no one came to challenge them – as though terrorists or illegal immigrants would wait around.

 

Republicans seem to think it’s OK to use insulting rhetoric (as an example), “Your mamma is ugly and she wears boots,” as a perfectly acceptable description of illegal immigrants. Then when Hispanics call them on the remark, they say, “Hey, we don’t mean US-Hispanics, we mean those barbaric criminal aliens.”  When Hispanics retort, “My mamma is ugly and she wears boots,” The snap back, “Oh, so your mother and you are illegal aliens?”

 

Congressmen Tancredo, Sensenbrenner, Hunter and the late Norwood to name just a few, have unleashed a campaign of hatred that has brought out every open and closet racist and bigot to the forefront of the immigration debate that whether rightly or mistakenly are associated with the Republican Party. And why not? The Party leadership has not censured or even openly condemned the grossly insulting rhetoric coming from their ranks and supporters.

 

What the Party leadership instead stresses to its candidates and members is that if they don’t tone down the insults and reach out to the Hispanic community, there is a danger of losing their vote, which, as it is the fastest growing sector, could be the swing vote for either triumph or disaster. In other words, keep the rhetoric down, say a few words in Spanish, break piñatas with them, share some tacos so we can win the elections and then you can get back to blasting them.

 

Though the Hispanic voting community, with the notable exception of Cuban-Americans, is by a significant majority registered as Democrat, in presidential elections the vote has been guided by how the individual candidate is perceived. There has never been shyness among Hispanics to vote for a Republican presidential, governorship, or other offices when such candidates’ programs have appeal and credibility.

 

Unfortunately much of the Republican Party is under the impression this means they are swinging to their party, which is not the case. To be sure, the ranks of Hispanics joining the Republican Party were on the increase, but not in significant numbers from the total Hispanic population of eligible voters. But there was progress that has suddenly come to a halt in most states, and in fact has caused a reversal of the trend.

 

Insults carry with them a price, which in this case is the loss of the Hispanic vote. Bigotry and racism has a far greater price – the division of the nation.

 

The Republican leadership by their lack of strong condemnation of the events unfolding before their eyes, is perceived as the Party of Division.

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 Patrick Osio, Jr is the editor of HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com).  Contact at: PosioJr@hispanicvista.com

(The opinions expressed by Patrick Osio, Jr. are solely his and do not necessarily reflect those of HispanicVista.com, editorial board of advisors or it’s contributing writers.)

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

The manual is available through Electronic delivery for $9.95 making it possible to download the manual for save on your hard drive, printing its entirety or particular sections while reaping considerable savings over printed copies.