Who placed more Latinos in Cabinet positions: Obama, Bush or Clinton?

*It’s always good to be armed with correct information. There’s a deep discussion among Latinos about what and how much President Obama has done for Latinos. It should be a loud discussion, with the right facts. VL

By Griselda Nevarez, Voxxi

The number of Latinos appointed to presidential Cabinet positions substantially increased under the George W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. President Barack Obama followed in their footsteps by nominating Latinos to his own Cabinet.

So how does Obama rank when compared to Bush and Clinton when it comes to the number of Latinos placed in Cabinet-level positions?

Here’s the current tally:

• Obama has appointed four Latinos since he took office in 2009: Ken Salazar (Secretary of the Interior), Hilda Solis (Secretary of Labor), Thomas Perez (Secretary of Labor), and Maria Contreras-Sweet (head of the Small Business Administration)
• Bush appointed four Latinos in his eight years as president: Carlos Gutierrez (Secretary of Commerce), Alberto Gonzales (Attorney General), Mel Martinez (Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), and Hector Barreto (head of the Small Business Administration)
• Clinton appointed four Latinos in his eight years as president: Henry Cisneros (Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), Federico Peña (Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Energy), Bill Richardson (U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of Energy ), and Aida Alvarez (head of Small Business Administration)

Obama’s most recent nomination is San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. If confirmed by the Senate, Castro will be the fifth Latino to serve on Obama’s Cabinet.

Castro’s confirmation would place Obama as the top president who has appointed more Latinos to Cabinet positions.

Those who serve on a presidential Cabinet are tasked with advising the president on issues relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.

According to the White House, a president’s Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs. A president’s Cabinet also includes an additional seven positions that have the status of Cabinet-rank.

This article was originally published in Voxxi.

Griselda, a native of Mexico, has a journalism degree from Arizona State University. Previously, she was sponsored by the Scripps Howard Foundation to intern with Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C. She has contributed to various news outlets across the country.

[Photo by U.S. Government]