Anti-immigrant positions can persuade Latinos to go to the polls

Luz Yareni Aceves Martínez

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Gobierno y Procesos Políticos de Estados Unidos

Washington Post: Latino voters say health care, controversial remark spur them to turn out for McAuliffe

Today Tuesday were held governor elections in North Virginia. The elections were marked by the Latino vote.

Latinos were moved towards cast their vote for the Democrat candidate Terry McAuliffe because of certain policies supported by him seem to be beneficial for the community. These policies are the Health Care Act of President Obama, and the so expected immigrant reform.

According to the article Latinos were also motivated to cast their votes for McAuliffe most of all because a comment that Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli II did in a radio interview in 2012. It is important to point out that currently Ciccinelli holds the position of Virginia’s general attorney.

The comment aired in Spanish-language television by the Democratic campaign was claim to be taken out of context, according to the Republican Party spokesman.

The article cites the comment made by Cuccinelli stating the following “It is worse than our immigration policy”… “You can’t break up rat families . . . and you can’t even kill ’em.”

This statement apparently made the voters to consider the Republican candidate anti-immigrant.

Compiling a few reactions of Latinos voters like Mary Alba said that, “Cuccinelli called Hispanic people rats”, “I want people in office who know we need immigrant people. In this country we need people like immigrants, who work hard.”  Other opinions were similar and some other recalled the opposition of Republican Cuccinelli to Obama’s health-care law.

Some voters’ even recall an ant-immigrant law passed in 2007 in Prince William County that made undocumented immigrants neighbors to move away. 

The elections in North Virginia included other local and state offices an example are the seats in Virginia House of Delegates were Latinos candidates have an important support like Democrat Rechard Cabellos.

Some others voters like Daniela a immigrant daughter born in the U.S. considers that the elections are important to claim for minorities representation “We have not been represented,” she said. “I think we need to get the word out more that this is an important election. We have to not only look out for ourselves but for our entire community.”

When reading this article I AGREE with the impact that the Latino community can have when changing the immigrant legislation in the U.S., and also with the idea that Latinos have an important influence in U.S. politics.

 Also AGREE with the capacity of the media to change the perspectives of people regarding politics.  Latino’s community in Virginia’s suburbs were moved to vote because they thought that according to the television spot one of the candidates displayed a discriminatory comment.

I believe that if the results of the polls punish the Republican faction in this State election at the end this has to be also with the government shutdown in past months.