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THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR MARCO RUBIO

March 30, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez Leave a Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

In a Fox News Latino Exclusive interview, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says he agrees with the 90 percent of Latinos who support the Dream Act -which allows young people who grew up in the U.S. and are in school or the military to become citizens.

In the interview the son of Cuban immigrants told me the proposed law, written by Democrats, would have allowed for “chain migration” of 3 to 4 million of the young people’s relatives. He is reportedly considering proposing a version of the Dream Act that blocks deportation of those young people but does not give them citizenship.

The senator’s uneasy straddle on the Dream Act is similar to his attempt to ride the fence on immigration reform. He supports tough new laws passed by Republicans in Arizona, Alabama and South Carolina to allow police to demand proof of citizenship – arguably exposing all Latinos to harassment based on racial and ethnic profiling. In that case, the senator said he stands with the Republicans who put the laws in place because local officials are reflecting their constituents’ frustration at the lack of federal action on immigration reform. But he wants the federal government to take the lead. The young senator’s difficult tap dance with the Dream Act and immigration reform is more than one politician’s problem.

Sen. Rubio, the son of Cuban American immigrants, is every Republican’s first choice to be the vice presidential nominee in 2012. His presence on the Republican ticket is potentially a game-changer with Hispanics now the fastest growing segment of American voters and with a large presence in swing states, such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado.

WATCH MARCO RUBIO’S FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

http://video.foxnews.com/v/video-embed.html?video_id=1539051691001&w=466&h=263

Rubio could also help Romney with conservatives because of his ties to the far-right Tea Party. Rubio is also working with republicans in congress, including Senators in states with large immigrant populations, to write an immigration reform proposal that could win support of a majority of Republicans. The pressure for a Romney-Rubio ticket grew in recent days after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush endorsed Mitt Romney, the likely Republican nominee, and also went public with his preference for Rubio to be on the GOP ticket. Rubio contributed to political buzz when he quickly followed Bush’s lead with his own endorsement of Romney. “Marco Rubio is living proof that the American dream is still very much alive,” Romney said in a release thanking Rubio for the endorsement.

In February, a national Fox News Latino poll found that 24 percent of likely Latino voters said they are more likely to vote Republican if Senator Rubio is on the ticket.

But Rubio, on the night he endorsed Romney, insisted to me he will not accept an invitation to run with Romney. I asked him if he might change his mind if Romney and other GOP power brokers tell him that his potential power to attract Latino voters to the Republican ticket will be the difference between winning and losing the White House.

“First of all, these hypothetical questions are dangerous,” he said. “And it isn’t going to be the choice between winning and losing. You know, you don’t win or lose a presidential race on a VP pick. You win or lose on competing visions for the future of our country. “And I think we Republicans have an opportunity to offer a very clear contrast to the direction that [President] Barack Obama has taken and wants to continue to take the U.S. ,” he concluded.

The Fox News Latino poll shows that President Obama now has a job approval rating of 73 percent among Latino voters. None of the candidates running for the Republican nomination, including Mitt Romney, gets more than 14 percent of the Latino vote when facing President Obama.

“If Mitt Romney puts a Hispanic candidate on the ticket, I don’t think Hispanic voters are going to look at that say ‘Oh, yeah!,’ and ignore his stand against the Dream Act,” said Joel Benenson, President Obama’s campaign pollster. The pollster said Romney’s policies on immigration are hurting him with Hispanics.

In fact, Romney has taken the hardest stand against immigration reform of any of the Republicans, including his famous proposal to have illegal immigrants deport themselves. He also criticized former Sen. Rick Santorum for supporting the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latino justice on the Supreme Court. Romney has also gone after Texas Gov. Rick Perry for signing into law an in-state tuition benefit for illegal immigrants seeking an education.

So, does Sen. Rubio think Romney and the GOP vision for America’s economic future has any chance of getting through to Latino voters?

“Absolutely, [it will get to] all the communities in America,” Rubio said. No other community understands “empowerment, upward mobility, better than the Latino community… [it] is the reason why they are here to begin with. And the best system in the world for upward mobility and economic empowerment is the American free enterprise system. I would argue the Democrat’s agenda is undermining [it].”

WHEN DID POLITICIANS BEGIN TO CAMPAIGN TO HISPANIC VOTERS?

March 30, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez Leave a Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

One of the earliest Spanish-language political ads dates back to 1960, when a young Jackie Kennedy spoke into the camera in Spanish, urging voters to elect her husband, then-Senator John F. Kennedy.

“Voten ustedes por el partido Demócrata el día 8 de noviembre,” she said, adding “Que viva Kennedy.” Her husband’s “Viva Kennedy” clubs were some of the first efforts to energize Latino voters in a presidential race.

photo source: AP and http://www.salon.com/topic/john_f_kennedy/

These days, courting that voting bloc is a must for anyone running for president, or any office in the Southwest. But syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr., says too many political operatives are still clueless about this country’s diverse Latino population.

“They feel now obligated to learn about it,” Navarrette said. “But we really are sort of this foreign entity to them, and they are just like walking on the moon trying to figure it out.”

So to get their bearings, campaigns and candidates have historically reached for a few familiar props to help them connect with these voters. The most obvious prop? Mexican food. Though Navarrette says he is sick of campaign events that come with a side of salsa.

“There are a lot of different ways you can relate to me, things we may have in common,” Navarrette said. “You don’t necessarily have to break it down to — ‘you know, you like tacos, I like tacos, let’s have a conversation about tacos’.”

In fact, that brand of superficial campaigning is known as “taco politics.” That is according to Stephen Nuño, a professor of politics and international affairs at Northern Arizona University.

But taco politics can backfire.

“One of the most famous moments was when Gerald Ford ate tamales,” Nuño said. Ford was in front of a Texas crowd in 1976, during the Republican primary. But he didn’t know the tamale’s corn husk wrapping isn’t edible. “So he took a bite out of the tamale with the husk still on it,” Nuño said. “And of course that doesn’t look good, it doesn’t taste good, and it only shows just how distant President Ford was to the Hispanic culture.”

Nearly a half-century later, the current Republican presidential contenders have their share of gaffes under their belts.

Mitt Romney used Fidel Castro’s slogan in a speech to a Cuban American crowd in Miami. Rick Santorum told Puerto Ricans they should speak English if they want to be a state. And there was the time Newt Gingrich seemed to call Spanish the language of the ghetto. “The words I chose to express myself weren’t the best ones,” Gingrich said afterward in a video message delivered in Spanish with a heavy American accent. He explained that he meant to say that English is necessary for progress and success in this country.

”]While criticizing Spanish speakers may be a sure way to lose Latino votes, it’s not clear how effective reaching out to voters in Spanish really is. Stanford University political scientist Gary Segura estimates that around 70 percent of the Hispanic electorate uses English as their main language.

“Even if you advertise in Spanish, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are reaching the preponderance of voters,” Segura said.

Plus, producing ads in Spanish can be risky if campaigns don’t get the wording just right. Because of regional language differences, certain Spanish words can sound innocent to one audience, but obscene to another. Take this ad from Shelley Berkley, a Nevada Democratic congresswoman running for the U.S. Senate. The ad, in Spanish, attacked her Republican opponent, Sen. Dean Heller, on his immigration record.

Her ad said Heller opposed immigration reform and would even deport grandparents and separate children from their mothers—or “hijos de sus madres.” It is subtle, but that phrase unintentionally sounds the same as the Spanish equivalent of ‘S.O.B.’s.’

In a way, most of these examples could be chalked up as cosmetic missteps. But Ruben Navarrette says there is a fundamental problem with how presidential campaigns are reaching out to Latinos.

“The number one reason campaigns are struggling is they need to shut up and listen,” Navarrette said. His advice circles back to the Kennedy family, the pioneers of Latino voter outreach. “Famously in 1968, Bobby Kennedy went before the Mexican-American community and he asked two questions, ‘What do you want, and how can I help?’” Navarrette said. “Think about that for a second. Nobody does that anymore.”

This LA Times photo captures a moment of
friendship between Bobby Kennedy and Chavez
during Chavez's 25-day fast in 1960.

AMERICAN IDOL: JLO VS. MINAJ AND LATINO SCOTTY MCCREERY GETS PLATINUM ALBUM

March 30, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez Leave a Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

(Photos: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

It was the battle of the divas on American Idol Thursday night as Nicki Minaj jokingly took a stab at Jennifer Lopez being the only female superstar judging the popular singing competition. The MC performed her latest single “Starships,” wearing a tiny dress that barely covered her curvaceous figure.

“I want to be a guest judge,” Minaj told American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

Jennifer Lopez didn’t mind that telling Minaj to “come over.” But it was when Minaj asked “JLO can you scoot over?” that the Bronx diva was quick to mark her territory.

“I don’t think there is enough space for the both of us,” Lopez replied with a smile.

Minaj, a native from Queens was all giggles with Seacrest as he told the audience “Starships” is one of his favorite songs.

“Hello cute thing,” said Seacrest. “There were parts of the performance that were high risk,” he said, in reference to Minaj almost slipping out of her barely-there dress. The rapper avoided having a wardrobe malfunction by toning down her dance moves and opting to pump up the crowd instead, letting her backup dancers do the moving.

Getty Images for 'American Idol'

“Who wants to party right now?” Minaj yelled. The crowd responded with a loud roar.

Last year’s American Idol winner, Puerto Rican singer Scotty McCreery, took the stage and had the fans going wild.

McCreery, whose maternal grandmother is Puerto Rican and lives on the island, performed his latest single “Water Tower Town.”

Getty Images for 'American Idol'

“Feels like it was just yesterday,” McCreery told Seacrest about winning American Idol.

To McCreery’s surprise, Interscope Records executive and mentor on the show, Jimmy Lovine, came out. McCreery was speechless. Lovine handed McCreery a nicely encased platinum album.

“On behalf of Interscope and Universal music studios we’d like to thank Idol and the judges that picked you out of that crowd on the rainy day,” said Lovine.“[He is the] youngest male to have his album hit Billboard’s Top 200,” Lovine added.

Getty Images for 'American Idol'

McCreery, visibly stunned, was all smiles.

To date, McCreery’s freshman album “Clear As Day” is one of the highest selling debuts from an American Idol winner, selling over one million copies in the first three months, The Hollywood Reporter stated. Billboard magazine also named McCreery top new Country artist of the year in 2011. And he won the distinguished “New Artist of the Year” award at the American Country Awards last December. McCreery also became the youngest male singer in music history to open at number one on Billboard’s all-genre chart with his first album. “Clear As Day” stayed at number one for six consecutive weeks.

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Filed Under: FEATURED ENTERTAINMENT, LATINO ENTERTAINMENT Tagged With: American Country Awards, American Idol, Jennifer Lopez, Lauren Alaina, McCreery, Nicki Minaj, Ryan Seacrest, Scotty McCreery

WHEN HOUSING MARKET REBOUNDS HISPANIC BUYERS WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE

March 30, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 1 Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

When the housing market finally rebounds, Hispanic buyers will play a major role, according to a new report. Hispanics purchased 288,000 homes in the third quarter of 2011, accounting for more than half of the increase in owner-occupied homes in the U.S. during that period. Furthermore, the group is expected to account for 40 percent of the estimated 12 million new households expected to be created over the next 10 years. That’s according to a recent report by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). It’s a trend that will be driven by demographics, with Hispanics not only representing an increasing share of the U.S. population but a dramatically expanded share of the wealth as well.

“Despite recent losses suffered by Hispanics during the housing crisis, young Latino families that were unaffected by foreclosure or lost home values, are ready to enter the market,” said Carmen Mercado, president of the 20,000-member group. “When they do, they will have an exponential impact on housing sales.”

Increasing share of population, economy

The report notes that Hispanics have accounted for nearly half (44 percent) of U.S. population growth over the past three decades, and accounted for more than half of the real growth in the U.S. consumer economy from 2008 to 2011. It says that Latinos filled 60 percent of the 2.3 million jobs the U.S. economy added in 2011 and are expected to account for 74 percent of the growth in the nation’s labor force in this decade.

That’s partly driven by population – from 2000 to 2001, non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. had only 1.1 live births for every death, while Hispanics had 8.9 births for every death. Hispanics are also seeing higher levels of educational and professional attainment – high school graduation rates have been rising over the past decade, and nearly one-third of young Hispanics (32 percent) were enrolled in college in 2010, up from 22 percent in 2000.

Fastest household growth of any group

“New household growth will be substantially greater for Hispanics than for any other demographic group in the country,” said David Stevens, president of the Mortgage Banker‘s Association. “The need to recognize the most critical variables in housing type, price range, affordability, and mortgage product terms will be critical for all housing stakeholders — from lenders and realtors to policy makers — in order to ensure that the homeownership needs of Hispanics and other Americans are met.”

The study reports that Hispanics continue to have a strong desire to own their own home despite the housing crash still being a fresh memory and the uncertain state of the economy, with two-thirds of Hispanic renters saying expressing high aspirations for home ownerships.

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP NAVARRETTE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST HARSH TREATMENT FROM BOTH PARTIES

March 30, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 2 Comments

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Ruben Navarrette is greeted Thursday by Blanca Zavala at the Martin Regional Library before giving a lecture. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

Columnist Ruben Navarrette tore into both political parties Thursday evening for their treatment of Latinos. Navarrette is a nationally syndicated columnist with The Washington Post Writers Group and writes twice-weekly columns. His work appears on the Tulsa World‘s editorial pages. He spoke to a crowd of about 80 people at the Martin Regional Library on Thursday and discussed the mixed messages Latino people receive. On one hand, people of Hispanic ethnicity are growing at the most rapid pace of any minority group, he noted. Projections indicate that Hispanics will represent 25 percent of the U.S. population by 2030 and one-third of the population by 2050.

“But I don’t feel very powerful,” Navarrette said. “We are taken for granted by one party and written off by another.”

Navarrette criticized President Barack Obama for his inaction on pushing for congressional immigration reforms with the same fervor he did for health care and mortgage reforms. The record-high deportations under the Obama administration raised the most ire with him.

“My beef with Obama is not deporting people, but it’s the way he’s doing it that is deceitful,” he said. Navarrette pointed to the federal Secure Communities program, which deputizes local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws. He said that has led to the deportations of more than 1.2 million people under the Obama presidency, most of whom were picked up for minor infractions such as speeding or drinking violations. He said local police agencies do not understand the nuances of immigration law.

He said the federal programs, along with tougher state laws, lead to racial profiling of Mexican immigrants. “Politicians want to blend all people with a badge into Border Patrol agents,” he said. “There are a lot of things local police do well and know what to do, but they don’t know how to enforce immigration laws. That is beyond their pay grade. It’s not what they learn in police academies.”

Navarrette said the approach to immigration and words used by Republican leaders are embraced by racist people. “I’m not saying you are one, but I’m saying you are speaking a language that appeals to racists,” he said. “It doesn’t make you a bad person, but it makes you an opportunist.”

Navarrette, a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, stressed the need for people to find factual information from trusted news sources for advocacy and informed voting.

“Read the paper – even if on your iPad,” he said. “Listen to radio; seek information; challenge your allies. Be informed.” Navarrette said the fear of immigrants is not a new story for the United States, starting with Ben Franklin’s opposition to Germans settling in Pennsylvania at the country’s founding. “It’s not a question of pushing people out but of bringing people together,” he said. “Always think about the promise we have, not the fear. Every challenge we have, there is an answer. We have to focus on the positive and build on that.”

THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR MARCO RUBIO

In a Fox News Latino Exclusive interview, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says he agrees with the 90 percent of Latinos who support the Dream Act -which allows young people who grew up in the U.S. and are in school or the military to become citizens.

WATCH MARCO RUBIO’S FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

http://video.foxnews.com/v/video-embed.html?video_id=1539051691001&w=466&h=263

In February, a national Fox News Latino poll found that 24 percent of likely Latino voters said they are more likely to vote Republican if Senator Rubio is on the ticket.

So, does Sen. Rubio think Romney and the GOP vision for America’s economic future has any chance of getting through to Latino voters?

READ MORE: FOX NEWS LATINO

WHEN DID POLITICIANS BEGIN TO CAMPAIGN TO HISPANIC VOTERS?

One of the earliest Spanish-language political ads dates back to 1960, when a young Jackie Kennedy spoke into the camera in Spanish, urging voters to elect her husband, then-Senator John F. Kennedy.

“Voten ustedes por el partido Demócrata el día 8 de noviembre,” she said, adding “Que viva Kennedy.” Her husband’s “Viva Kennedy” clubs were some of the first efforts to energize Latino voters in a presidential race.

“They feel now obligated to learn about it,” Navarrette said. “But we really are sort of this foreign entity to them, and they are just like walking on the moon trying to figure it out.”

“There are a lot of different ways you can relate to me, things we may have in common,” Navarrette said. “You don’t necessarily have to break it down to — ‘you know, you like tacos, I like tacos, let’s have a conversation about tacos’.”

Nearly a half-century later, the current Republican presidential contenders have their share of gaffes under their belts.

“Even if you advertise in Spanish, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are reaching the preponderance of voters,” Segura said.

Her ad said Heller opposed immigration reform and would even deport grandparents and separate children from their mothers—or “hijos de sus madres.” It is subtle, but that phrase unintentionally sounds the same as the Spanish equivalent of ‘S.O.B.’s.’

READ MORE: FRONTERA DESK

AMERICAN IDOL: JLO VS. MINAJ AND LATINO SCOTTY MCCREERY GETS PLATINUM ALBUM

“I want to be a guest judge,” Minaj told American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

“I don’t think there is enough space for the both of us,” Lopez replied with a smile.

“Who wants to party right now?” Minaj yelled. The crowd responded with a loud roar.

Last year’s American Idol winner, Puerto Rican singer Scotty McCreery, took the stage and had the fans going wild.

“Feels like it was just yesterday,” McCreery told Seacrest about winning American Idol.

“On behalf of Interscope and Universal music studios we’d like to thank Idol and the judges that picked you out of that crowd on the rainy day,” said Lovine.“[He is the] youngest male to have his album hit Billboard’s Top 200,” Lovine added.

WHEN HOUSING MARKET REBOUNDS HISPANIC BUYERS WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE

Increasing share of population, economy

Fastest household growth of any group

READ MORE: MORTGAGE LOAN

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP NAVARRETTE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST HARSH TREATMENT FROM BOTH PARTIES

“But I don’t feel very powerful,” Navarrette said. “We are taken for granted by one party and written off by another.”

READ MORE: TULSA WORLD

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THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR MARCO RUBIO

In a Fox News Latino Exclusive interview, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says he agrees with the 90 percent of Latinos who support the Dream Act -which allows young people who grew up in the U.S. and are in school or the military to become citizens.

WATCH MARCO RUBIO’S FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

http://video.foxnews.com/v/video-embed.html?video_id=1539051691001&w=466&h=263

In February, a national Fox News Latino poll found that 24 percent of likely Latino voters said they are more likely to vote Republican if Senator Rubio is on the ticket.

So, does Sen. Rubio think Romney and the GOP vision for America’s economic future has any chance of getting through to Latino voters?

READ MORE: FOX NEWS LATINO

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WHEN DID POLITICIANS BEGIN TO CAMPAIGN TO HISPANIC VOTERS?

One of the earliest Spanish-language political ads dates back to 1960, when a young Jackie Kennedy spoke into the camera in Spanish, urging voters to elect her husband, then-Senator John F. Kennedy.

“Voten ustedes por el partido Demócrata el día 8 de noviembre,” she said, adding “Que viva Kennedy.” Her husband’s “Viva Kennedy” clubs were some of the first efforts to energize Latino voters in a presidential race.

“They feel now obligated to learn about it,” Navarrette said. “But we really are sort of this foreign entity to them, and they are just like walking on the moon trying to figure it out.”

“There are a lot of different ways you can relate to me, things we may have in common,” Navarrette said. “You don’t necessarily have to break it down to — ‘you know, you like tacos, I like tacos, let’s have a conversation about tacos’.”

Nearly a half-century later, the current Republican presidential contenders have their share of gaffes under their belts.

“Even if you advertise in Spanish, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are reaching the preponderance of voters,” Segura said.

Her ad said Heller opposed immigration reform and would even deport grandparents and separate children from their mothers—or “hijos de sus madres.” It is subtle, but that phrase unintentionally sounds the same as the Spanish equivalent of ‘S.O.B.’s.’

READ MORE: FRONTERA DESK

Share this:

AMERICAN IDOL: JLO VS. MINAJ AND LATINO SCOTTY MCCREERY GETS PLATINUM ALBUM

“I want to be a guest judge,” Minaj told American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

“I don’t think there is enough space for the both of us,” Lopez replied with a smile.

“Who wants to party right now?” Minaj yelled. The crowd responded with a loud roar.

Last year’s American Idol winner, Puerto Rican singer Scotty McCreery, took the stage and had the fans going wild.

“Feels like it was just yesterday,” McCreery told Seacrest about winning American Idol.

“On behalf of Interscope and Universal music studios we’d like to thank Idol and the judges that picked you out of that crowd on the rainy day,” said Lovine.“[He is the] youngest male to have his album hit Billboard’s Top 200,” Lovine added.

Share this:

WHEN HOUSING MARKET REBOUNDS HISPANIC BUYERS WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE

Increasing share of population, economy

Fastest household growth of any group

READ MORE: MORTGAGE LOAN

Share this:

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP NAVARRETTE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST HARSH TREATMENT FROM BOTH PARTIES

“But I don’t feel very powerful,” Navarrette said. “We are taken for granted by one party and written off by another.”

READ MORE: TULSA WORLD

Share this:

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