Some Hispanic leaders not 100% happy with Sotomayor being Puerto Rican, not Mexican-American

Oh what a tangled web they weave when first they start to play ethnic politics and assume that all Hispanics think alike despite country of origin. Daniel Gonzalez and Erin Kelly of the Arizona Republic offer "Hispanics laud choice, but many hoped for a Mexican-American" (link). Considering that in Arizona there are, per the article, "1.6 million Latinos of Mexican ancestry, compared with 28,524 of Puerto Rican ancestry", one wonders what (if anything) Ben Smith was thinking when he earlier wrote that "Fierce opposition from the right could push Florida and the West out of reach."

Some analysts caution that Republicans, who have already seen their support among Latinos decline sharply over the issue of immigration, risk further alienating Hispanics by opposing Sotomayor.

But even Latinos are taking a careful look at her nomination.

[Many Hispanics are elated, but] some would have preferred to see Obama nominate a Mexican-American considering that they make up 70 percent of the nation's 47 million Latinos.

"The argument could be made for (a Mexican-American nominee)," said Raul Yzaguirre, former head of the National Council of La Raza... "I want unity, so I am more inclined to overlook those things and say, 'Let's work together.'"

In this case, "unity" means pan-Hispanic ethnic nationalism; see this Bill Richardson quote for another example.

Though Puerto Ricans and Mexicans share a common language, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and are not considered immigrants like Mexicans, said Louis DeSipio, a political-science and Chicano/Latino studies professor at the University of California-Irvine.

As a result, Sotomayor could be less sensitive to immigration issues she may face as a Supreme Court justice than if she were Mexican-American, DeSipio said...

Luz Sarmina, president and CEO of Valle del Sol, a non-profit community-based Latino organization in Phoenix, said that she was thrilled with the choice of a Hispanic but admits that she would have liked to have seen Obama nominate a Mexican-American...

Wed, 05/27/2009 - 09:36 · · Importance: 4