HispanicVista Columnists
The Hispanic silent majority
-
By
Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com - November 28, 2005
- The Hispanic silent majority
- By Patrick Osio, Jr/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.)
Political analysts suggest that President Bush is attempting to navigate immigration reform so as to placate both his conservative Republican supporters and the burgeoning Hispanic electorate. If the analysis is right, wow, one more mistake in a long line of mistakes.
We are familiar with the expression “the silent majority” referring to voters going about their daily lives without fanfare saving their frustrations for election day when their silence becomes a scream heard from coast to coast. But, there seems to be little awareness to the existence of a “Hispanic silent majority” that likewise is present, and as it grows will become a very, very loud scream.
The Hispanic silent majority is also opposed to illegal immigration in far greater numbers than political pundits recognize. Where they in great number, differ from non-Hispanic illegal immigration opponents is in how to stop it, and the tone of arguments from both the more radical right opponents, and from the more radical left Hispanic and non-Hispanic proponents that is also a turn-off to the Hispanic silent majority.
Few within the Hispanic silent majority believe that machete, bat and gun totting civilians along the border are an answer to anything. Most believe that the national purge mentality promoted by the ultra conservative extremists is divisive and fraught with potential civil rights violations victimizing the Hispanic community. And the anti-US rhetoric from the more militant Latinos causes more anger and confusion than providing solutions.
Lacking clear presidential and congressional leadership, television and radio entertainment personalities have taken the initiative in pushing their own agendas. Addressing their national audience in righteous indignation the Dobbs’, O’Reilly’s et al programs are calculated to increase ratings, gained by constant inflammatory accusations and dehumanizing illegal immigrant with superficially patriotic short and simple sound-bites and indignant, frustrating scowls at real and supposed lack of action by the Federal government.
Adding to the fear of the general public, including most Hispanics, is the potential threat of terrorist infiltration through our borders. But Hispanics note that the ‘danger’ promoted seems only to be from southern border infiltration. Accusing job-seeking gardeners, farmworkers, janitors and bus boys of being part of terrorist’s cells is grossly outrageous and defamatory to a noble people.
And, the more recent flap about national security breaches on finding that many of the Border Patrol uniforms are made in Mexico – “Mexico of all places,” as Lou Dobbs put it, is nothing more than inflammatory rhetoric, as last year’s report that several hundred law enforcement ID badges were stolen in Canada, which badges would allow entry into airport security areas was not the subject of commentators. Are we to believe that uniforms cannot be duplicated without a contract? Are we to believe that the theft of law enforcement ID badges is not a national security threat because the crime took place in Canada? What would have been the flap had such crime occurred in Mexico?
After several years of stressing the shameless audacity of illegal immigrants for entering our country without permission, notice has slowly seeped into American’s conscious mind that illegal immigrant employers are actual active participants in the law-breaking that in turn provides the motivation for illegal entry.
Employers excuse that illegal immigrants do work Americans are unwilling to do is now under more scrutiny with evidence pointing that it’s the low wages that Americans find unattractive.
Illegal immigrants seeking better wages than those available to them in their country of origin make up the vast majority of entrants, so job availability is the key to their migrating motivation. So that US low wages is directly coupled to the illegal immigration issue.
US immigration policy must be based on what is in the best interests of the nation, not the immigrants, but when low wages act as the magnate for illegal immigration then national living-wage must be included as integral to the issue. Failure to include this essential issue will force amnesty and guest worker programs with suppressed wages.
President Bush should stop playing up to factions and announce, promote and fight for national living-wage and immigration reform. He would find that both the non-Hispanic and Hispanic silent majorities would welcome such reform, and be supportive of such efforts.
I fear, however, that the Conservative Republican wing would not be so willing to upset businesses with such a proposal, and Dobbs, O’Reilly, et al would lose some of their audience if they are in fact sincere and truly pushed US wage reform.
____________________________________________________________
Patrick Osio, Jr is Editor of HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com). Contact at Posiojr@hispanicvista.com
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 to save on your hard drive, printing its entirety or particular sections while reaping considerable savings over printed copies.