Ralph Ellison once wrote a booked entitled “The Invisible Man,” about what it was like to be Black in 1950s America. His underlying theme: you were invisible to the “majority” -- you just didn’t factor into the larger (or smaller) social and economic equation. So I thought it was particularly interesting the other day when I read that Clinton strategist Mark Penn created the name ‘the invisible Americans” to the describe disaffected women and lower middle class whites that Clinton found her voice with at the end of the Democratic primaries. Latino labor leader Cesar Chavez once alluded to the invisibleness of Latinos by saying, “We want to be recognized, yes, but not with a glowing epitaph on our tombstone..." Is the world upside down? What’s up with the cultural flip flop?
Well it seems that recognition is upon us and the “invisible” are very much in the spotlight this election season. In fact, Hispanics are poised to decide this election. In Central Florida’s I-4 corridor, 34% of Hispanics are Independent and have switched the party they voted for in the last four elections. They will decide who wins in Florida. In Colorado, voting age Hispanics have grown from 14.8 to 16.8 percent of the population, while the white voting population has declined from 77.4 to 75.2. And if you don’t think a percentage point here or there counts, just ask Al Gore. In Nevada, the Hispanic population and electorate have tripled since 2000. We are visible indeed. I can almost hear the chorus now, I am Hispanic (well almost), hear me roar.
Who is going to get their vote? I’ll wager Obama. Why? Because he gets it. He knows what it means to be invisible. He knows what it means to be an immigrant. He knows what it means to have a “funny” name. He also feels our pain, even if it is much subtler than the legacy of slavery.
As for his opponent, it’s a lot different when you are on the top looking down, and that’s where McCain has been his whole life. Kind of gives you a warped perspective on things. You try to be empathetic, but you come off as patronizing. You try to relate, but you’re whistling ABBA and don’t know how to use the Internet. So what do you do? How do you win? You wrap yourself up in the flag and declare” I am a real American” (that’s just code for “those other guys with a funny last name aren’t really American”). Well, we are American. We’re also registering to vote in record numbers and our vote will be most powerful in the swing states where they will actually carry the most weight (thank you very little). We’re not invisible anymore, and, uh, we too sing America.
So that was my first blog. I hope you found it stimulating or at least somewhat thought provoking. Although I don't have all the answers, I like to stir up the pot a bit. I'll be posting about once a week, mainly on the maturation of the Hispanic electorate and how that will affect the upcoming elections and beyond. Come along for the ride. Bienvenidos!
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