Democrats See Promise And Peril In Efforts To Mobilize Latinos Against Trump

*Take a step back and give this thing a good, long look. Rich white liberals have to be convinced to spend money on Latino voter registration and mobilization, so they gather a cool $15 million for a spring and summer dole, most of the cash comes from one guy, George Soros. But not all Latino activist organizations are happy with the way the money is being split – some didn’t get any . . .  So now they’re upset, and say Trumpism is to blame because Latinos have been relegated to fend for themselves with their anti-Trump energy. And once again Latino politics is framed by rich white folks, specifically in this case Soros and Trump. And once again Latinos bicker over rich white crumbs. My dilemma is that I can’t see how this is different, or better. I’d love your insight. VL

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By Adrian Carrasquillo, BuzzFeed (7 minute read) 

MIAMI — Is Donald Trump good for Democrats? Among Latino Democrats, there are concerns that the billionaire’s anti-immigration rhetoric and unpopularity with Hispanics will actually cause the party to become complacent about reaching out to Latino voters.

In December, representatives for key immigration and Latino organizations made the trek to New York City, for a meeting with a group of liberal donors at George Soros’ offices. The argument the donors heard was simple but direct, according to a meeting attendee: The Latino community is under attack by Donald Trump, and investing resources in actually turning these voters out could be the difference in the election.

Three months later, as first reported by the New York Times, the muscle arrived in the form of $15 million for a partisan immigration-focused effort that will seek to get Hispanics to the polls. For now, the campaign will be centered on Colorado, Nevada, and Florida — three traditional battleground states with large Latino populations.

Click HERE to read the full story.

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[Screenshot courtesy of YouTube]

Suggested reading

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Since the United States-Mexico War in 1846-1848, Mexican Americans have striven to achieve full rights as citizens. From peaceful resistance and violent demonstrations, when their rights were ignored or abused, to the establishment of support organizations to carry on the struggle and the formation of labor unions to provide a united voice, the movement grew in strength and numbers. However, it was during the 1960s and 1970s that the campaign exploded into a nationwide groundswell of Mexican Americans laying claim, once and for all, to their civil rights and asserting their cultural heritage. They took a name that had been used disparagingly against them for years—Chicano—and fashioned it into a battle cry, a term of pride, affirmation and struggle.

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