PHOENIX (By Jon Garrido, The Jon Garrido News Network) August 16, 2010 — In my first year of college physics, I remember an experiment that today has application: Point of Reference: Two individuals stand at opposite corners of a city block and witness the same car crash. Both individuals see the two cars collide but when asked who was at fault, the two individuals have different accounts.

One said it was the blue car but the other individual said it was the red car. The professor stated both witnesses were right. They clearly saw the same accident but arrived at a different conclusion on who was at fault.

It comes down to Point of Reference.

 

At a Nevada campaign event with Hispanic supporters, Reid blasted Republicans for blocking comprehensive immigration reform, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

"I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK," Reid said. "Do I need to say more?"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid comments were quickly criticized the next day.

 

Conservatives said Reid's statement smacks of racial insensitivity and are pushing back on Reid's remarks at a time when immigration reform has become an increasingly divisive issue. It could be a particularly important issue in Nevada, where Hispanics make up about 25 percent of the state population and accounted for 15 percent of the electorate in 2008.

Immigration reform was pushed to the forefront of national debate in the spring, when Arizona added a law to the books requiring police officers to check the immigration status of suspected undocumented immigrants during any lawful stop. Republicans across the country have expressed support for the measure, which polls show is supported by most Americans but the rule of law takes priority and was enforced by a district judge in July putting the most controversial aspects of the Arizona immigration law on hold.

In April, Reid promised Hispanic activists he would deliver comprehensive immigration reform this year, and said there would be "no excuses" for failure. However, the push for immigration reform has lost steam in Washington as Republicans who once took a moderate stance on the issue — such as Sens. Lindsey Graham — have pulled back on their support. Now, Republicans are pushing even further to the right on the issue, calling for a reconsideration of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship for anyone born in the United States, even if their parents are in the country illegally.

Reid's Republican opponent, Tea Party-backed Sharron Angle, has said she agrees "Congress needs to become involved" in addressing questions about the 14th Amendment.

Angle also opposes the DREAM Act, a measure Reid is pushing that would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented students who came to the United States as minors and meet other certain criteria. Angle said "amnesty" is "generally cloaked within those proposals."

 

Unjust Republican criticism of Senator Reid

The news media quickly without examination printed the criticism of Senator Reid but on examination of those criticizing Senator Reid, certain characteristics are obvious and profound to many of us but since the news media is predominately white, certain undercurrents and profiles of those doing the criticizing need to be pointed out.

The first characteristic of those criticizing Senator Reid's remarks comes from Republicans.

The second characteristic of those criticizing Reid is they are Cuban or Puerto Rican Americans — not Mexican Americans.

There is an old adage that has relevance with the above: Don't judge another until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

For those of you who are not Hispanic, it is important to understand — not all Hispanics have the same life experiences living in America.

Hispanic Americans are not a Monolithic Group

In the United States Senate, there is one Hispanic Cuban American representing all USA Hispanics but not all Hispanic Americans think as one 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 editorial all other groups from Central and South America where there are subtle cultural differences are grouped together as one group for immigration purposes and this is know as the "Mexican" group.

The Puerto Ricans are U.S. Citizens so they do not have to deal with immigration law. They can freely enter and leave the Untied States. They can vote in all U.S. Elections if they are residents within the United States. They have the same health care programs as all other Americans.

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

Mexicans even though there is a treaty between the United States and Mexico granting 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.

 

Cubans and Puerto Ricans have not walked in our shoes therefore don't have a clue of the struggles and tribulations of Mexican Americans.

 

The number one issue for Mexican Americans and undocumented Mexicans is Immigration Reform. Jobs and the nation's economy is next for our economic status has a significant impact on all other categories such health car, housing, education and all the other categories Americans want and need to have a quality of life.

 

Puerto Ricans

Puerto Rico is an "unincorporated territory" of the United States which according to the U.S. Supreme Court's Insular Cases is "a territory appurtenant and belonging to the United States, but not a part of the United States." Puerto Rico is subject to U.S. federal law, even though Puerto Rico is not a state of the American Union but has no voting representative in the U.S. Congress.

Since 1917, people born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens and therefore can enter and leave the United States as any other U.S. citizen; however, federal electoral law does not grant a vote to any citizen who does not live in, or qualify as an absentee resident in, one of the fifty states or the District of Columbia. Thus, people who have always lived in Puerto Rico cannot vote in federal elections, but people born in Puerto Rico and living in a state or in DC can vote.

Cubans

Political upheaval in Cuba created new waves of Cuban immigrants to the U.S. between 1960–1980. In 1959, after the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro, a large Cuban exodus began as the new government allied itself with the Soviet Union and began to introduce communism. From 1960 to 1979, hundreds of thousands of Cubans left Cuba and began a new life in the United States. Most Cuban Americans that arrived in the United States initially came from Cuba's educated upper and middle classes. Between December 1960 and October 1962 more than 14,000 Cuban children arrived alone in the U.S. Their parents were afraid that their children were going to be sent to some Soviet bloc countries to be educated and they decided to send them to the States as soon as possible.

This program was called Operation Pedro Pan (Operation Peter Pan). When the children arrived in Miami they were met by representatives of Catholic Charities and they were sent to live with relatives if they had any or were sent to foster homes, orphanages or boarding schools until their parents could leave Cuba. In order to provide aid to recently arrived Cuban immigrants, the United States Congress passed the Cuban Adjustment Act in 1966. The Cuban Refugee Program provided more than $1.3 billion of direct financial assistance. They also were eligible for public assistance, Medicare, free English courses, scholarships, and low-interest college loans. Some banks even pioneered loans for exiles who did not have collateral or credit but received help in getting a business loan. These loans enabled many Cuban Americans to secure funds and start up their own businesses. With their Cuban-owned businesses and low cost of living, Miami, Florida and Union City, New Jersey (dubbed "Little Havana-on-the Hudson") were the preferred destinations for many immigrants and soon became the main centers for Cuban American culture. It was not until the mass exodus of the Cuban exiles in 1959 that Miami started to become a preferred destination. Westchester, Florida within Miami-Dade County, stands as the area most populated by Cubans and Cuban Americans in the United States, followed by Hialeah, Florida in second.

Another large wave of an estimated 125,000 people of Cuban immigration occurred in the early 1980s with the Mariel boatlifts. Most of the "Marielitos" were people wanting to escape from communist tyranny, and have succeeded in establishing their roots in the US.

The wet foot, dry foot policy is the name given to a consequence of the 1995 revision of the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 that says, essentially, that anyone who fled Cuba and got into the United States would be allowed to pursue residency a year later. After talks with the Cuban government, the Clinton administration came to an agreement with Cuba it would stop admitting people found at sea. Since then, in what has become known as the "wet foot, dry foot" policy, a Cuban caught on the waters between the two nations (i.e., with "wet feet") would summarily be sent home or to a third country. One who makes it to shore ("dry feet") gets a chance to remain in the United States, and later would qualify for expedited "legal permanent resident" status and U.S. citizenship.

Since the mid-1990s, after the implementation of the "Wet Foot, Dry Foot" policy immigration patterns changed. Many Cuban immigrants departed from the southern and western coasts of Cuba and arrived at the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico; many landed on Isla Mujeres. From there Cuban immigrants traveled to the Texas-Mexico border and found asylum. Many of the Cubans who did not have family in Miami settled in Houston; this has caused Houston's Cuban American community to increase in size. The term "dusty foot" refers to Cubans immigrating to the U.S. through Mexico. In 2005 the Department of Homeland Security had abandoned the approach of detaining every dry foot Cuban who crosses through Texas and began a policy allowing most Cubans to obtain immediate parole.

Mexicans

Mexicans even thought there is a treaty between the United States and Mexico granting some special considerations to the Mexicans and their descendents, all Mexicans must adhere to all 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 as than required by all others in the world.

Criticism of Senator Reid by Republican Cuban and Puerto Rican Americans

Reid's criticism by one of the Republican’s rising stars — Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles who is running for the U.S. Senate in Florida, was given in an interview with Fox News. Rubio called Reid’s remarks "outrageous" and "ridiculous" and said "this kind of outrageous speech in politics is continuing to spread."

"You know, Americans of Hispanic descent, you know what the strongest issue there is? That is economic empowerment, upward mobility," Rubio said. "There’s only one economic system in the world that’s possible in, time and again, and that’s the American free enterprise system.

"And the reason why Americans of Hispanic descent should be Republicans is because the Democratic leadership is trying to dismantle the American free enterprise system," he continued. "The point is he’s wrong."

 

With Cuban American comprising only 3% of America's Hispanics and Rubio speaks for only a handful of Cubans. Therefore Rubio falsely states he speaks for America's Hispanics and obviously Rubio does not have a clue of the racism being experienced in Arizona directed to Arizona's Hispanics and unfortunately, the racism of SB 1070 is spreading across the United States.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee also blasted Reid for the remarks, saying in a statement Wednesday, "It's no secret Harry Reid is a desperate politician who is under fire for his reckless spending and failed economic record, but these outrageous statements represent race baiting at its very worst."

 

Bob Ruckman, chairman of the Clark County Republican Party said, "He is making this a race issue. It isn't. This is a border security issue. Reid is fear-mongering, appealing to the Hispanic voters by insulting their intelligence and reverting to group-think politics."

 

Alfonso Aguilar, Republican Puerto Rican executive director of the Hispanic Partnership for Conservative Principles, also took a shot at Reid, writing in a statement Reid's comments were "extremely condescending and are insulting to all Hispanics."

"Hispanic voters don't have a 'herd mentality,'" said Aguilar. "They have shown their vote cannot be taken for granted by any party and they will support candidates who will defend the principles they believe in — the sanctity of the family, the dignity of the human person, hard work and entrepreneurship, among others. We're tired of politicians like Mr. Reid who expect our ‘minority’ vote, but don't respect us or our values."

Conservative pundit Michelle Malkin also tied Reid's statement about Hispanic voters to his past remarks about the president, calling yesterday's statement Reid's "latest racially/ethnically divisive gaffe."

 

Senator Reid Speaks the truth and speaks for Mexican Americans

Reid's campaign, meanwhile, has defended his remarks, saying in a statement Wednesday "Sen. Reid has long enjoyed the support of many Hispanic Republicans in Nevada and he appreciates that support.

"Sen. Reid’s contention was simply he doesn't understand how anyone, Hispanic or otherwise, would vote for Republican candidates because they oppose saving teachers’ jobs, oppose job-creating tax incentives for small businesses, oppose investments in job-creating clean energy projects, and oppose the help for struggling, unemployed Nevadans to put food on the table and stay in their homes."

The Nevada Democrat, who is seeking a fifth term in the U.S. Senate, was blasting the Republicans for preventing comprehensive immigration reform when he made the remarks Tuesday at a campaign appearance, according to an account of the speech in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Reid reportedly said just “because the wave of immigrants we have now — their skin's a tone darker than ours — doesn't make it any different.”

Reid's campaign stood by the comments, saying his "contention was simply he doesn't understand how anyone, Hispanic or otherwise, would vote for Republican candidates" and cited Republican opposition to a $26 billion bill to protect 300,000 teachers, police and others from election-year layoffs.
Reid is in a close race with Republican Sharron Angle.

 

Reid is locked in a close race against Republican opponent Sharron Angle, a Tea Party favorite and former state assemblywoman who supports Arizona’s controversial law cracking down on undocumented immigrants as does Rubio.

 

Lastly

 

Lastly, Reid speaks for 96% of America's Hispanics and Hispanic News.

 

Rubio and other Hispanic Republicans are Hispanics in name only and Mexican American Democrats carried the State of Florida in 2008 as they will in future national elections.