For many immigrants and their descendants, Barack Obama's election Tuesday finally redeemed the Statue of Liberty's promise of freedom and opportunity for all
About two-thirds of Hispanics voted for Obama, decisively surpassing the 53 percent who voted for Democrat John Kerry in 2004, exit polls showed. That year Bush enjoyed a high-water mark of GOP support from Hispanics with 44 percent of the vote from the nation's fastest growing ethnic group.
Here we have it readers! The day finally came and went. Obama is the new president of the United States, what The Chicago Tribune calls "an emotional triumph for African-Americans. But the moment also was electrifying for immigrants from other lands—from the Middle East to Latin America to the islands of the Pacific."
Obama attracted votes from two out of three Hispanics, the fastest-growing demographic group, making the difference in Florida, Colorado and other states with significant Hispanic populations. More than 40 percent of Hispanics voted for President George W. Bush four years ago.
And in truth, the nation's democratic ideal is still a work in progress. But for one night at least, Americans with families from all corners of the Earth had something to celebrate—and to share with relatives in an older homeland
Some believe the reason McCain didn't win the election on immigration because he was running at a time when there is generally a good level of dissatisfaction with the current administration, and Latinos are no different in holding that view.
Even though many immigrants couldn't vote because of their illegal status, many of them still actively participated in the elections, knocking on doors in ethnic neighborhoods, manning the phones in myriad languages and distributing political flyers.
And that is something that just says what America is all about.
Obama won't just be the President to greencard holders, he will also be the President to the illegal worker who sweeps the aisles at Walmart, picks the crops in Kansas, fries eggs at your nearest IHOP and cleans houses in Miami. He will be President to all of us.
The immigrants chose, and they chose clearly.
Salud!
1 comment:
While immigrants will never be president neither will all but a select few native born Americans. Regardless of place of birth we are all Americans now and our votes each count once. The votes have been tallied the rest of the nation agrees with their newest citizens and the candidate that would represent them best. I believe it is a vibrant step foreword for a nation that has been accepting on paper, i.e. The Constitution but at other times distant in actions.
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