Can You Say 'Bienvenidos'?

[MountainLaurel]

Another stellar column from Gene Robinson, who is on a roll lately.

White Americans, and black Americans too, are going to have to get used to sharing this country -- sharing it fully -- with brown Americans. Things are going to be different. Deal with it.

The most important legacy of the histrionic debate over immigration reform will not be any piece of legislation, whether enlightened or medieval. It will be the big demonstrations held in cities throughout the country over the past few weeks -- mass protests staged by and for a minority whose political ambition is finally catching up with its burgeoning size. In the metaphorical sense, Latinos have arrived.

In the physical sense, of course, Latinos have been arriving for many years, and in huge numbers. In some cities they have sought and achieved political power -- if there were such a thing as "the capital of Latin America," arguably it would be Miami. As a presence in national politics, however, Latinos have been much less influential than their weight in the population would suggest.

That just began to change.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/10/AR2006041000987.html

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. How will this voting block

affect progressive causes? Anyone?

[xchrom]

2. the same as any other -- some will some won't.

progressives would be wise to take a close look at conservative christians -- and emulate the way they reach out.

progressives -- like any other movement always needs new blood -- and in this country we can't get enough.

they tend to be conservative on issues like abortion -- but have a respect for medical privacy.

that doesn't mean we have their votes -- unless we engage with them.