Hispanics Cite Rise In Discrimination
Hispanics believe that discrimination has risen since the start of the congressional debate over illegal immigration, according to a survey released yesterday.But they also think their group is more galvanized after the pro-immigration marches that resulted from the debate, and many believe they are on the verge of a major social movement, according to the survey by the Pew Hispanic Center.
“Nothing produces a sense of unity more than a common threat,” said Roberto Suro, the center’s director. “Feeling like you all face the same problem really brings people together. You can see that happening in these results.”In a departure from past polls, both native and foreign-born respondents said they feel empowered to create change. Fifty-eight percent said they believe that Hispanics, though coming from a variety of national, ethnic, cultural and political backgrounds, are working to reach similar political goals.
I expect that a fair amount of the increased discrimination is a direct result of the pro-immigration marches. A lot of people who probably didn’t have negative views of hispanics found the marches, and the spectacle of non-citizens making demands distasteful.
There is a difference between trying to convince, and trying to compel. To a large degree, I think the pro-immigration demonstrations crossed the line into compulsion and a backlash toward that is as predictable as it is regrettable.
Whether or not this was a ‘mistake’ probably depends on what the goals really are. If the goal was to make sure that a fair and liberal border policy was enacted and a sensible way to deal with the illegal immigrants that are already here be found, than the protests were probably a mistake. If the goal was to build a coalition of Hispanics based upon ethnic identity than these tactics seem to have been a huge success.
