What the Taco Bell Chihuahua Taught Me about Election 2012
By Viviana Hutrtado, The Wise Latina Club
You could say that Hispanic Heritage Month (which is the only “celebration” that actually straddles two months–from mid-September to mid-October) started earlier with theDemocratic and Republican National Conventions which I covered. Rolling out San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro as the DNC keynote address and Florida junior Senator Marco Rubio to introduce Mitt Romney was proof that Latinos are a hot ticket item before a tight election.
This political fight to peel away or hold votes is like any “brand” loyalty battle with both parties a sombrero-wearing Taco Bell chihuahua exclaiming:
¡Yo quiero el voto latino!
Expect more of this now during Hispanic Heritage Month. This is when the Latinos in an organization are showcased, as are diversity initiatives, community involvement, and stories of inspiration and success such as my own keynote address this week at George Washington University. Politicians, media companies, some corporations and institutions will be giving themselves a pat on the back with the events this “month” proof that “they are down with ‘La raza””.
Aplauso.
And I mean it.
This article was first published in The Wise Latina Club.
Viviana Hurtado is the voice behind The Wise Latina Club; she’s been a freelance writer for More Magazine; a contributing Food Editor at the Washington Flyer Magazine; a DC correspondent and sub-anchor for ABC News where she led coverage on the global economic crisis, technology, and politics. At Al Jazeera English, she reported extensively from Latin America. She freelanced for the New York Times in Mexico City, contributing to the newspaper’s award winning coverage of the historic 2000 Mexican presidential elections. Viviana worked her way up to the network level from her internship at CNN en Español and local news.
[Photo by Village Voice Blogs]
