Latino Wave: How Latinos Will Elect the Next American President

Synopsis

The most dramatic transformation in this country has nothing to do with the war against terrorism or economics; it has to do with demographics. Since the 2000 Census figures were released, Latino population projections have proven almost too difficult to track. In 2003, Latinos became the largest minority in America. Numbering more than 38 million, the Latino population grew a whopping 10% in just 16 months. Latinos were not expected to hit these numbers until 2014. This type of growth is staggering.

No single area of power is at the center of what makes the United States what it is more than the structure of its political machine. Latinos have the potential to elect leaders and push policy, thereby taking a pivotal lead in not only domestic affairs, but also in the international arena.

With interviews from the nation’s Latino political luminaries such as Raul Izaguirre, President of The National Council of La Raza, and Arturo Vargas of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, among many others, as well as fieldwork interviews with Hispanics living across the United States, Ramos helps to dissect just what this stunning demographic shift in the United States means to ALL Americans, as daily life and culture begin to change.

With accuracy and his signature grounded sensibility, Ramos shows just who are the NEW Americans, what political issues are important to them, and why we all should care about helping to bridge the gap of misunderstanding that exists between Latinos and non-Latinos alike.

Because of the constant flow of immigrants coming from south of the border and the high birthrate of American Latinos, the United States is going through a truly demographic revolution that will alter the way America is viewed throughout the world. More importantly, Latinos in America will forever alter the way America views itself. It is a new Latino wave that is already changing politics, political campaigns and even, in the case of the Bush victory over Gore in Dade County, Florida, the result of presidential elections. In this book, Ramos argues that the party who can correctly understand the wants and needs of Hispanics, will eventually triumph in most elections, throughout the country, soldifying their hold on power.

Annotation

From bestselling author and award winning journalist Jorge Ramos, comes a pivotal new book which explores the current and future power of the Latino vote in American politics and helps to define the issues important to this community, as well as what it will take for a party and candidate to capture their loyalty.

Publishers Weekly

"The future of the Unites States is a Hispanic one," argues Univision news anchor Ramos (No Borders: A Journalist's Search for Home). He insists that Latinos' large and increasing numbers, Spanish-language mass media and rootedness in nearby mother countries will keep their ethnic identities from atrophying to kitsch and cuisine; they will integrate, but never assimilate. (But that's a claim that's hard to square with his observation that by the third generation, Latinos generally stop speaking Spanish and start intermarrying.) In a chapter titled "How to Woo Latinos: A Guide," Ramos argues that Latinos most often align with Democrats on labor issues, but with Republicans on social issues, and outlines how to move beyond the split. Less targeted are Ramos's vague and clich d musings on the complexities and conflicts of Latino consciousness. He talks to various political and cultural leaders of the Latino community and is unabashed in attacking left-leaning populist Latin American politicians like Hugo Chavez. He draws attention to Latino casualty rates in Iraq that are disproportionate to representation in the ranks and to continued school segregation and workplace racism. Laying out the issues (immigration, most prominently) that he thinks will galvanize the Latino vote for the presidential election, Ramos offers his own "Ten Recommendations for a Latino Agenda," which are predictable but clear. Agent, Bill Adler at Bill Adler Books. (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.