SANTA FE, NM (By Jon Garrido) January 28, 2012 ― National Republican Leaders/Candidates view the Hispanic community as being the Cuban Americans of Florida.

At 4% of America's Hispanics ― they are not.

Not even Puerto Ricans at 9% are America's Hispanic community.

87% of America's Hispanics/Latinos originate from Mexico (63%) and from Central and South America (24%).

Puerto Ricans can travel back and forth at will from Puerto Rico to the USA because Puerto Ricans being USA citizens do not have to comply with draconian immigration requirements as do Mexicans.

This is why Puerto Ricans think Immigration Reform is not important but this belief is naive, stupid and selfish. When the tide rises in the harbor, all ships rise — not just some. It is through increase of Hispanic immigrants entering from Mexico, Central and South America that will lead to greater and fuller participation in the American Dream for all Hispanics living in the USA and this includes Puerto Ricans benefiting from the Hispanic growth of the Hispanic population in the United States of America.

Maybe Puerto Rico should vote for independence and end being a territory of the United States. I say good riddance for they will not be missed!

As for America's Cuban community, the Cuban American Congressional Members of Congress have been highly successful in sponsoring and obtaining passage of Cuban Immigration programs enabling Cubans to freely enter the United States.

Unfortunately, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus controlled by Puerto Ricans because of lack of interest has never been successful in spearheading immigration reform to facilitate ease of entry for Mexicans, Central and South Americans.
 
These actions or rather lack of action is why there are presently two very different United States Immigration Polices for Hispanics/Latinos. One policy is the friendly welcome initiative for Cubans and the other polar opposite is for Mexicans, Central and South American countries and is a draconian maze with the primary intent of keeping Mexicans, Central and South Americans from entering the United States.
 
Both policies follow the "Rule of Law" but why is there two very different policies or rather, two Rules of Law ― One for Cubans and a vastly different policy/Rule of Law for all other Hispanics/Latinos?
 
To bring immigration policy back to the principle of equality for all as defined in the U.S. Constitution, the immigration policy for Mexicans, Central and South Americans must be changed by passage of new Immigration Reform legislation mandating only one policy/Rule of Law for all Hispanics/Latinos.

Then and only then would the Rule of Law be equally applied to all and would reflect the intent of the authors of the U.S. Constitution for the Rule of Law to be equally applicable to all.

We endorsed Newt Gingrich because of all the Republican candidates for the presidency, Gingrich was the only one to open the door to Immigration Reform but if Gingrich selects Rubio as his VP running mate, our support for Gingrich comes to an abrupt end.

National Republican candidates can not see the forest for the trees. They simply do not understand what is important because they are lock into the what happens in Florida accommodating Cuban Americans and Puerto Rico Americans who live in Florida but Republican presidential candidates do not understand Florida is only one of fifty states.

What is really important is what is happening in fifty states and this is the growth of Mexican, Central and South American immigrants and their descendents.

On December 12, 2011, the United States Supreme Court agreed to decide the constitutionality of Arizona’s S.B. 1070. Justice Elena Kagan, who served as Solicitor General when the Arizona law was challenged in the lower courts, will abstain from ruling. The loss of Kagan significantly increases the probability of an affirmative vote to uphold Arizona S.B. 1070 making Arizona S.B. 1070 the law of the land.

With this forthcoming United States Supreme Court ruling, Immigration Reform becomes crucial to the welfare and future growth of the Hispanic community in America.

We all know Obama is a gigantic failure to obtain Immigration Reform. We all know Obama has deported 1,200,000 Hispanics and lied when said he had no choice.

If Obama is re-elected, Immigration Reform will never be achieved and another 3,000,000 Hispanics will be deported. If a Republican can achieve Immigration Reform, we will endorse this candidacy for Immigration Reform is our priority ― not party loyalty but not any Immigration Reform is acceptable. Only Immigration Reform that advances and protects the civil rights of all Hispanics living in America bringing an end to all deportations.
 
On January 2, 2012, Hispanic News asked Hispanic American voters in November 2012, not to vote for Obama for President of the United States.

On January 21, Hispanic News endorsed Newt Gingrich primarily because the Republican race is between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich and with the outpouring of anti Hispanic rhetoric by Mitt Romney, the only candidate remaining is Newt Gingrich but if Gingrich selects Rubio as his VP running mate, our support for Gingrich comes to an abrupt end.

The real question

The real question is the paradox of why Cubans have access to immigration visas and Mexicans do not? The answer below is as clear as the nose on your face why Cubans have ease of entry and Mexicans have the impossibility of entry.

In the article found at Jon Garrido National News: Immigrants Find Legal Paths to U.S. take 20-30 Years, the process for entering the United States from Mexico, Central America or South American is a 20-30 year process for skilled worker classifications or family ties the immigration system typically favors.

Pablo Pilco's saga underlines a major reason many newcomers to the United States find it difficult to go through the legal process of immigration. Few visa categories, high expenses and processing times can stretch decades put several obstacles along the legal road to immigration.

Immigrants traditionally take two paths to reaching this country: Family ties or employment opportunities.

The federal government caps family-based immigration visas at 226,000 a year, and work-based immigration visas at 140,000. By comparison, the Pew Hispanic Center estimated Alabama had 120,000 unauthorized immigrants in 2010.

Temporary nonimmigrant visas are available but often require applicants to possess particular skills or resources to qualify. Those considered unskilled have a more difficult time.

"It definitely favors people who have the financial means, skills and education," said Jeremy Love, legal services director for the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama. "It's not people who have the strong desire and need."

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens have relatively short wait times on immigration visas, as do those planning to marry citizens after immigrating. Those holding advanced degrees or considered to have "extraordinary ability" in arts, athletics or business also see low wait times.

Hispanic Americans are not a monolithic group

How we arrived in the United States has a significant influence on how we think as American Hispanics.

Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Mexicans are all treated differently by the United States government. (In this article all other Latin American groups where there are subtle cultural differences are grouped together as one group for immigration purposes and this is the "Mexican" group).

Cubans need only to put one toe on U.S. soil and they were granted automatic provisions on becoming a U.S. citizen.

Mexicans even thought there is a treaty between the United States and Mexico granting some special considerations to Mexicans and their descendents, all Mexicans must adhere to immigration law as all other persons from all other countries. Separated by only a line in the sand or river, Mexicans have no consideration for entry by visa other than as required by all other persons in the world, except Puerto Ricans and Cubans.

Puerto Ricans and Cubans do not have to comply with stringent archaic immigration laws of the United States. Consequently, all persons entering the United States utilize a different point of reference than all others except Puerto Ricans and Cubans who are given special preferences resulting in Mexicans and all other Latin Americans treated as outcasts.

This is a profound significant reason why Puerto Ricans and Cubans do not view the need for Immigration Reform as do Mexicans.

As for Obama, there is no enthusiasm from Mexican Americans to vote for him in 2012. Obama promised immigration reform in the first year of his presidency and failed to make good his promise. In the second year, Obama again failed. Obama then proceeded to deport 1,200,000 undocumented Mexicans and then lied he had no alternative but to uphold the law. The payback will be Mexican Americans will not vote for Obama in 2012 and without Mexican American votes, Obama will not win re-election.

The United States is at a crossroads regarding the growth of the Hispanic community. The 2010 U.S. Census documents the phenomenal unprecedented growth of the forthcoming new America.

According to the Brookings Institution,  Non-whites, especially Hispanics and Asians, accounted for the overwhelming majority (92 percent) of U.S. population growth in the 2000s. In the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, whites now account for 57 percent of population, down from 71 percent in 1990. Immigration drove some of this increasing racial and ethnic diversity, with the foreign-born numbering 40 million nationwide by 2010, nearly 13 percent of U.S. population. The youngest Americans herald our coming transition to a “majority minority” nation; 50 percent of infants under age one are now Hispanic.

As racial/ethnic minority and immigrant populations continue to grow, they are also dispersing into new locations across and within metropolitan America. In 2010, minorities made up more than half the population in 22 large metro areas, up from 14 in 2000 and just five in 1990.  And for the first time, a majority of every major racial and ethnic group in large metro areas lives in the suburbs, as segregation — while still high — continues to decline.

What it means

Large metro areas, and increasingly their suburbs, stand at the forefront of America’s transformation into a multiethnic society. How they respond to and manage that shift, especially the social and economic opportunities they provide to a highly diverse population of families with children, will establish the course for our nation’s well-being over the coming decades.

To the astute observer of this phenomenal growth of America's Hispanic/Latino population leading to a “majority minority” nation can be conducive to "opportunity."

An “majority minority” nation of consumers that is already becoming a sizeable purchasing component of new products and services. This in itself is almost too good to believe but early bird marketing to emerging Hispanics/Latinos consumers will become the steam engine that drives America's economy for the next 100 years. This opportunity to sell to this group will be a symbiotic relationship of new Hispanic/Latino consumers and product and service providers.

This certainly will get everyone's attention but even more exciting is new Hispanic/Latino consumers are of the same mindset as America's Christian Republicans. Hispanic/Latinos are family oriented, church going, believe in Jesus as the only son of the Father contrary to Mormons such as Mitt Romney who believe when they get to Heaven (and they won't if they believe Satan is their God) they will become a son of the Father the same as Jesus. This is Satanic.

Hispanic/Latinos also do not support abortions nor do Hispanics/Latinos accept gays or gay marriages. All Hispanic/Latinos are natural born business owners and work endless hours in small businesses to achieve the American Dream. And all Hispanic/Latinos contribute to others in need rather than being welfare recipients as too often we are portrayed. Most importantly, Hispanics/Latinos endorse the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution that protects an individual's right to possess a firearm. I myself daily carry a 9 mm Kahr PM9 as is my right.

I was born as my parents, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother in small mining towns in the Arizona desert where all men worked at either the copper mine, smelter or mill. I can honestly say I never knew anyone or heard of anyone ever being on welfare or some other type of financial or food assistance. I know my hometown of Superior, Arizona was not unique and other similar Arizona mining towns were the same.

All of these Hispanic/Latino characteristics are one and the same as conservative Christian Republicans and if it were not for racism showered on Hispanics/Latinos by whites, we could be natural partners in America's political landscape working to elect other conservative Christian Republicans.

The only fly in the butter is the racism many white Americans have for Hispanics/Latinos across the USA.

If this racism could be brought to an end, the white and Hispanic/Latino population could merge into the most powerful political machine in America for the next 500 years that would reap success for all conservative Christian Americans.

The beginning of this merger is Immigration Reform that provides a pathway identical to what the Cubans have had for the past 50 years.

Lastly, what we do not need are Hispanic/Latino elected officials such as New Mexico governor Susana Martinez or U.S. Senator Marico Rubio who are driven to drive Hispanic/Latino undocumented out of New Mexico and Florida putting an end to the dreams of those who without a viable process of entering the United States as Cubans are given, never the less, were forced to enter the USA in the dark of night because there was no other way.

The first step in the birth of a new conservative Republican machine of Christian Hispanics/Latinos and conservative white Christian Republicans is to end the vitriolic language of hate and the approval of Immigration Reform without deportations.

The second step is to replace Hispanic/Latino elected officials such as New Mexico governor Susana Martinez and U.S. Senator Marico Rubio who are determined to be so outrageous devouring Hispanic/Latino undocumented simply to gain recognition by white Republicans. These two Hispanic/Latino elected officials are the scum of the Earth for pushing their brethren under the wheels of a freight train. White Republicans should shun Martinez and Rubio for putting ambition before compassion and common sense. Their brains are too small to see the bigger picture of what and how the future is already transforming America.

And selecting Martinez or Rubio as the VP nominee is the kiss of death for this presidential candidate.

Jon Garrido National News

Jon@JonGarrido.com

Owner and CEO of Hispanic News