The election is over - now what?

The latest blog post is up at HuffPost Voces Latino:
http://voces.huffingtonpost.com/terri-e-givens/se-acabo-la-eleccion-y-ahora-que_b_2118375.html

 

 

The election is over – now what?

Terri E. Givens

Latinos voted. Obama has won re-election, while the Democrats have held onto the Senate and made inroads into the Republican majority in the House.  Obama won 75% of the Latino vote – not just on the issue of immigration, but on a variety of issues where the Republicans seemed tone deaf.  However, both Democrats and Republicans have to face the reality that the Latino vote is now decisive for national elections, as shown in the analysis by Gary Segura and Matt Barreto of Latino Decisions. As I discussed in my previous blog post, politicians are more likely to respond to the interests of groups when they vote and have an impact on the outcome of an election.  This was clearly the case in this election, and it’s an opportunity that should not be wasted.

When it comes to policy change, the election is just the beginning.  Of course the top issue for all Americans is the economy.  The negotiations over the budget will be difficult, and the President and Congress will need to hear from all of us on those issues, so it will be important to stay mobilized. The majority that Obama was able to pull together was the result of a lot of work on the ground.  More young people and minorities voted in this election than the pundits, and certainly Romney’s campaign, expected.  This energy needs to be maintained to help push for policy change.

Once the issues around the fiscal cliff are dealt with, comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM act should be top priorities. However, it will take more than goodwill to move forward on these issues.  The election is just the first step in what is likely to be a long process of finding key legislators to take on these issues, and move them forward. Fortunately there are signs that comprehensive immigration reform is moving higher on the agenda.  GOP leaders like John Boehner, and pundits like Sean Hannity have “evolved” on the issue, and say that it needs to be addressed.

However, it’s not clear that all of the GOP is going to support comprehensive immigration reform. Many have also indicated that they may not be as open to immigration reform as some of their leaders.  What is clear is that the status quo is indefensible, as American Conservative Union President Al Cardenas has said.  The GOP has many issues to deal with after this election, and if the party is to remain relevant, they will have to look at why they failed to attract more votes from women, young people and minorities.

This is also an important time for voters to stay engaged at the local and state level.  If you have concerns about the long voting lines and issues around voter suppression, these have to be addressed in your own communities.  We all need to push for policies that will encourage and facilitate voting.  If we value our democracy, we should value the right to vote, and make it easier for those who are eligible to vote, not make it harder.  It’s embarrassing to try to explain to my European friends why some Americans had to wait as long as 7 or 8 hours to vote on Election Day. Regardless of your political orientation, the ability to vote in a timely manner should not be an issue in 2012.  We have the means to resolve these issues, and it should not be done in a partisan manner.

I look forward to the discussions to come around immigration, the DREAM act, and other policies that will help to fix our broken immigration system.  I encourage those of you who care about this issue to stay engaged, I will continue to write about developments in this blog.  As President Obama said, “we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.”

More articles on the GOP and the Latino Vote

Mostly from the Huffington Post, these articles lay out the issues facing the GOP following last week's election:

Obama's Big Hispanic Voter Win In Presidential Election Worries Republicans
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/obamas-hispanic-voters_n_2092492.html

Carlos Gutierrez, Mitt Romney Adviser: Latinos 'Were Scared'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/carlos-gutierrez-mitt-romney-latinos_n_2113622.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Mitt Romney Latino Loss Shows Republicans 'Have Been Their Own Worst Enemy'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/mitt-romney-latino-loss-republican_n_2104966.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular#slide=1089995

A thoughtful response to the Latino vote issue:
The Demographic Excuse  By ROSS DOUTHAT
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/opinion/sunday/douthat-the-gops-demographic-excuse.html

Another argument that it's economic policy, not immigration policy that sways Latino voters:
Why Hispanics don't vote for Republican by Heather Mac Donald
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/332916/why-hispanics-dont-vote-republicans-heather-mac-donald#

Back to immigration -Ten players to watch in immigration reform:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/267191-10-players-to-watch-on-immigration-reform

Obama wins ~75% of Latino vote - GOP changes tune on immigration reform

It wasn't long after the election was called for Obama that GOP politicians and pundits began to blame their loss on a variety of reasons, but losing the Latino vote was at the top.  The results from Latino Decisions tell the tale:
http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2012/11/07/obama-wins-75-of-latino-vote-marks-historic-latino-influence-in-presidential-election/

Now several GOP pundits like Sean Hannity, and politicians like John Boehner are changing their tune on immigration reform:


...and from POLITICO, 20 quotes on immigration reform: http://www.politico.com/gallery/2012/11/20-quotes-on-immigration-reform/000551-007827.html


Rupert Murdoch

"Must have sweeping, generous immigration reform,make existing law- abiding Hispanics welcome. Most are hard working family people."

(Photo: AP Photo)

Article from Cato Institute

This article by Alex Nowrasteh from the Cato Institute does a great job of explaining the economic impact of immigration and a rebuttal to a recent memo by the anti-immigration Center for Immigration Studies:

"Mark Krikorian, executive director of the anti-immigrant Center for Immigration Studies and author of the book The New Case Against Immigration: Both Illegal and Legal, criticized a remarkI made to Washington Times reporter Stephen Dinan about a new CIS memo.

The memo, which can be found here, claims that immigrants are taking most of the jobs created since President Obama took office.  I told the Washington Times that the memo “makes a mountain out of a molehill” because it ignores key economic explanations that have nothing to do with demonizing immigrants.  Steven Camarota, one of the authors of the memo, evenagreed that one factor I mentioned could explain his findings.

In response, Mr. Krikorian wrote that I should, “Tell that to the 23 million Americans who are unemployed, forced to settle for part-time work, or gave up looking for work altogether.”

My response is that the CIS memo is so flawed it should not be taken seriously."

More at:   http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/immigrants-did-not-take-your-job/

Why Vote?

Link to Spanish Version in HuffPost Voces Latino: http://voces.huffingtonpost.com/terri-e-givens/por-que-votar_b_2049484.html

 

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” Cesar Chavez

As Election Day draws near, I hear many people saying that they may not vote, that there isn’t much difference between the candidates, etc.  Regardless of how you may feel about the candidates, voting is a right and a duty.  Everyone who is eligible should vote, because it will make a difference. 

I know that my vote will count as a woman, as an African-American, and as someone who feels passionately about issues like immigration.  I have compared the positions of the candidates on a variety of issues and know whose positions are closer to my own.  However, I also know that if I don’t vote, then there will be one less voice for women, and all the other categories that I fit into. 

When the election is over, the parties will look at the results and try to determine what they mean, not only in terms of who is elected president or to Congress, but in terms of the direction that the vote is moving for the future, which will have an impact on policies legislators pursue going forward. Have certain groups of voters been energized or turned off by the issues that were raised, or not raised? Those who voted will have a more legitimate voice after the election in the halls of power, when they are pushing for a particular issue. 

Although I would argue that Latinos don’t make a homogenous voting bloc, they have been treated as one in this election, and President Obama recently argued that he may win the election because the GOP has alienated Latino voters (article). Time will tell if this is true or not. Polls have clearly been undercounting Latinos, as shown in a study by Matt Barreto. You can be sure that analysts will be examining exit polls to determine the impact of the Latino vote, and this will have an impact on policy decisions by those elected. The demographics of this country are changing and we will soon be a majority minority country.  However, that majority has to vote and run for office in order to exercise any kind of power over policy.

The future of immigration policy is in the hands of the voters.  The presidential candidates and congressional candidates have laid out their positions. Of course, this is not the only issue that voters will focus on, it’s clear that the economy is the top issue. However, I would argue that the two issues are intertwined.  A coherent, practical immigration policy will lead to more economic growth in this country as I argued in my previous column. 

I always return to history when discussing these issues and there are many historical examples of groups, particularly immigrants, having an impact on the direction of policy.  German, Irish, Polish, Italians, all of these groups have had an important impact on politics and politicians from these groups have been important to policy change.  It may take time, but every election is another step in a particular direction.  If you care about issues and the future for your family and children, you must raise your voice, vote and help this country determine the direction it will go in the future.

Time and the Economics of Immigration

HuffPost Voces Latino blog post en espanol:

http://voces.huffingtonpost.com/terri-e-givens/la-economia-de-la-inmigracion_b_2000769.html

 

 

Time and the Economics of Immigration

Terri E. Givens 

Organizations who oppose immigration will point to studies that show that immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants, are a drain on the system, particularly for education and healthcare. These organizations, like the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) tend to minimize what these immigrants pay in taxes as well as what they provide in terms of economic activity and growth. Pro-immigration groups, like the Immigration Policy Center, focus on the positive impact that immigrants have had on the U.S. economy, also noting that deporting all of the undocumented immigrants in the U.S. would reduce our GDP by $2.6 trillion dollars over 10 years. 

In a country that was built on immigration, it is this debate that often animates our discussions around immigration and immigration policy.  Personally, I get frustrated with these debates, because the anti-immigration organizations pick the data that supports their perspective, and the pro-immigration organizations do the same. The reality is that this is a story that has to be told over time.  One hundred years ago, members of Congress were concerned about the flow of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, and moved to restrict those flows.  Yet, those immigrants became well-integrated and soon became valued citizens.  They helped to build this country during very difficult times, including the World Wars, the Great Depression and the consolidation of the United States as a world military and economic power. 

When Congress changed our immigration policy from one that focused on quotas, mainly for Northern and Western Europeans, to one that focused on preferences, including skills and a strong preference for family members of citizens, few foresaw the huge demographic impact that this would have on our country.  With fewer restrictions on immigration from Asia, Africa and Latin America we have seen greater diversity in immigration ever since this important policy change.  We have also seen ups and downs in our economy.  One small part of this is that the kind of technological innovations that have come from immigrant entrepreneurs would have been much less likely if we hadn’t opened our doors to engineers from around the world. 

Another example is the workers who have played an important role in the maintenance and rebuilding of infrastructure, housing, and construction.  They have all helped to maintain the United States’ position as the top economy in the world. This does not mean that there aren’t problems with our immigration system.  I firmly believe that providing opportunities for undocumented immigrants to get visas and work permits would give a boost to our economy. Workers would be able to come out of the shadows, hopefully get paid more reasonable wages, and lead to more job creation.

 

I also believe that any kind of regularization or amnesty needs to go along with comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a more reasonable number of visas to meet the demands of employers, while taking into account the concerns of organized labor and others who have a vested interest in these processes.  This is going to be a difficult process, because there are many interests that have taken positions for and against reform, but all agree change is needed.  It will take pressure from both inside and outside of Washington, DC to get Congress to move forward, but it is in everyone’s interest from both an economic and human perspective to push for change. As history has shown, America’s strength comes from our ability to adapt, grow and incorporate people from diverse backgrounds.  We need not fear change, we can embrace it and maintain the economic engine which has been the envy of the world.

Debating immigration

In case you missed it - here's the candidates discussing immigration in last night's debate:

Investing in a Dream

This week's blog post -
Link to Spanish version on HuffPost Voces Latino: http://voces.huffingtonpost.com/terri-e-givens/invirtiendo-en-un-sueno_b_1948860.html

Investing in a Dream

Terri E. Givens 

Immigrant advocates often focus on the economic benefits that immigrants provide, but as a university professor, I get to experience the hopes and dreams of my students, many of whom are from or have ties to other countries, mostly from Mexico.  I never cease to be amazed by the diversity I see in my classrooms, which vary from 65 to 350 students.  I often tell my students that this is what America is all about, that students from all types of backgrounds can come to a place like the University of Texas at Austin and get a great education.

Our university accepts undocumented students for admission, and if they provide evidence that they have resided in Texas for at least three years and graduated from a high school in the state, they can qualify for in-state tuition. If they are in the top 8% of their graduating class, they are guaranteed admission to the University of Texas.  Many of these students also qualify for state grants and financial aid, although they are not eligible for federal financial aid.  In any case, in many ways we are subsidizing the educations of these students, who clearly are high achievers to make it into the Texas university systems.

The disconnect comes when they are working their way through college, and realize the limitations they will face, even if they are successful and complete their degrees. For example,  I often encourage students in my classes to consider studying abroad.  It can be a great experience for students who want to learn about other countries in an up-close and personal manner, learn a new language and broaden their horizons.  I tell them about how my first trip abroad to France changed my view of the world, particularly seeing the Normandy beaches and the military cemeteries from WWII.  It made me realize that for most Europeans WWII is still very much a part of their lives, not ancient history. 

After telling this story in one of my classes, a young woman approached me and told me how inspired she was by my experience.  She wanted to study abroad, but there was a complication – she was undocumented.  I told her that it would be impossible for her to study abroad under the circumstances.  We both felt disappointed.  I felt that here was someone who had benefitted from public education in Texas since she was a small child, felt that she was American, yet couldn’t take advantage of all that a university education could offer.

I certainly would never ask a student’s status, but since I teach a class on the politics of immigration, I often have students who come to talk to me about their particular situation. Many of the students I have met over the years find themselves with few options to do internships, work or pursue many of the opportunities that their fellow students take for granted, because of their lack of documents.  What we end up with is wasted potential.  A story in the Texas Tribune talks about a student with a degree in biomedical science that went on to work in a restaurant because he couldn’t provide employers the proper documents to get a job in his field.  This is in a country where employers complain that we don’t have enough high-skilled workers and that we must import workers from other countries.  We shouldn’t ignore the talent we have here – I want the tax dollars that I have invested in this state’s education system to pay off for all students.