November Op-ed: Latino Vote Makes History

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The presidential campaigns of Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and President-elect Barack Obama symbolized a fundamental turning point in our nation’s story, but another significant actor has also emerged as a remarkable element in the 2008 presidential elections—the Latino voter. With record numbers of voters and important populations in battleground states, it can be argued that Latino voters decided America’s fate. The 2008 presidential elections have marked a pivotal chapter in American history. The road to the White House was paved with notable firsts, producing the first major Latino candidate to run for president, the first woman to run on the Republican Party’s presidential ticket, the first African American nominee to lead a major political party in a presidential election, and ultimately, the first African American president of the United States.

The Latino constituency was among the most courted and most debated demographic this campaign season. For the first time in history, both campaigns actively pursued the Latino vote. In the past two election cycles, the Republican Party made a vigorous effort to attract and energize Hispanic voters, while the Democratic campaigns neglected to put forth the same, if any, effort. This year, both Senator McCain and President-elect Obama courted the Latino vote through Spanish-language ads, campaigning heavily in Hispanic communities, and making appearances at Latino events.

Despite the Latino community being the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, having increased voter registration rates, and playing a key role in the 2004 elections and the 2006 midterm elections, pundits doubted the potential of the Latino vote in the 2008 presidential election. There have been naysayers who sought to undermine massive voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts, predicting that Hispanic voters would not turn out at the polls. On November 4, 2008, Hispanic voters proved them wrong. Exit polls report that at least ten million Latinos voted, an increase of 32% from the 2004 presidential election.

Pundits were also wrong when they questioned whether Latino voters would vote for Barack Obama because he is African American, failing to acknowledge the shared history of struggle and hope between the Latino and African American communities in the U.S. Critics were relying on tensions between African Americans and Hispanics that were precipitated by the exploitation of the 2000 Census announcing that Hispanics had become the nation’s largest minority group. Members of the media and others exploited the news, turning the Census into a story of winners and losers by declaring Latinos the “majority minority.”

Though both African American and Latino voters put these conflicts aside to vote on the issues that matter most to all Americans—the economy, education, and health care—there is no doubt that the tensions between the groups—economic competition compounded with longtime prejudices, misunderstandings, and negative stereotypes—still need to be addressed by leaders of both communities. Recently, I met with Benjamin Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP, shortly after he was elected to the position, and I look forward to continuing discussions and working with him and other key figures in the Hispanic and African American communities so that we can continue to write this special chapter in our nation’s history together. Coming together to confront our differences is the only way to bridge the divides between our groups.

Though our journeys in this country have been different, we have more that unites us than divides us. Both the African American and Hispanic communities have relied on hope for a better tomorrow for future generations, hope for the elimination of hate, and hope for a stronger nation for all Americans. On November 4, this hope translated to votes. On November 4, this hope translated to votes as President Elect Obama captured 66% of the Latino vote. On November 4, our common concerns and hope for the future trumped whatever tensions exist between our communities. On November 4, we came together and rose above our differences.

Throughout his campaign, President-elect Obama reminded us of what it means to hope. He energized a multitude of new voters with his call for Americans to hope for a better tomorrow and to come together to bring about change through collective responsibility. It is our obligation as Americans to not only believe in our power to accomplish this change, but to continue to turn our hope into action like we did on Election Day. November 4 was only the beginning of what we can accomplish together.

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