All Latino Republicans Aren’t Traitors

Esther J. Cepeda wrote an interesting column examining the beliefs, political and otherwise, of a few Latinos who consider themselves to be Republicans. Not all Republicanos are traitors, Cedpeda essentially says, noting that there are business owners who consider themselves fiscally conservative and moral conservatives who favor Republican policies on those issues.

Cepeda interviewed DeeDee García Blase, founder of the Arizona organization Somos Republicans and a Gulf War veteran. She said that her beliefs — being pro-life and for limited government — fall more in line with Republicans. Consequently, she said, “Latino liberals are the ones who give me the hardest time. They just don’t get it, they hate me, they say, ‘You’re crazy.'” Another Cepeda interviewee is Tony Hernandez of Minnesota, who recently lost a bit for a state senate seat. He’s also a small business owner and a Republican who reports difficulties from Latino liberals.

What’s quickly brushed-over in Cepeda’s column, however, is the GOP’s stance on immigration. The party is failing on immigration messaging, she quotes Hernandez as saying and writes that García Blase said, “She just can’t stand Arizona Republican leaders freely using terms like ‘wetbacks,’ ‘anchor babies,’ ‘illegals.’  It’s very difficult for me. I have to remind Hispanics that the majority of Republicans are not this way.'”

Tough nut to crack. I can go for the being pro-business and for limited government thing, but it’s a formidable challenge when your party’s platform fundamentally places entire swaths of the population into “illegal” or “reasonably suspicious” categories.

Do you know any Republicanos? What do you think about their political views?