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January 18, 2012
EL
Alienated by Anti-immigration Tone
Latino voting
bloc could
decide who wins
key states
( AP) — The Republican Party is
beefing up its minority outreach
nationwide and preparing to put its
rising Latino stars on the campaign
trail amid concerns that tough immi­
gration rhetoric in the presidential
primary is taking on an increasingly
anti-Hispanic tone.
But immigrant-rights groups and
some political watchers say the dam­
age may be irreversible. They argue
that the GOP has severely hampered
itself as it looks to woo the critical
Latino voting bloc that could de­
cide who wins key states like New
M exico, Nevada, Colorado and
Florida next fall.
Mitt Romney "is done," said
DeeDee Blase, founder of Somos
Republicans in Arizona. "He'll be
lucky to get eight percent of the
Hispanic vote" after saying he would
veto legislation that would create a
path to citizenship for some illegal
immigrants and accepting the en­
dorsement of anti-immigration ac­
tivist Kris Kobach, architect of two
of the strongest immigration crack­
down laws in the country.
The GOP front-runner, Romney
has referred to the legislation —
called the DREAM Act— as ¿hand­
out. The measure would allow some
young illegal immigrants brought to
the U.S. as children to earn legal
MMMMMi
VE SUPPORT
OUR
F RIENOS/
t
A group of Latino voters show their support for the DREAM Act during a rally last September in
Rhode Island. (AP photo)
status if they went to college or
joined the military. Challengers, in­
cluding Texas Gov. Perry, former
Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum
and Ron Paul, have also taken tough
anti-immigration stances in the cam­
paign.
Language from them has been so
sharp that even New Mexico Gov.
Susana Martinez, a Republican, has
warned the candidates to watch their
tongues.
"What we have to do is this: We
have to tone down the rhetoric, and
we have to have a sincere, honest
conversation with the voters,"
Martinez said Wednesday, shortly
Mitt
Romney's
immigration
rhetoric could
hurt Republi­
cans among
Latino voters
after the Republican National Com­
mittee announced that it had hired a
director of Hispanic outreach and
was expanding its Latino-focused
efforts. She's among the popular
Hispanic politicians Republicans
will deploy to battleground states in
the coming months.
There's a reason for the urgent
tone coming from Republican lead­
ers on this matter.
The government projects His­
panics will account for roughly 30
percent of the population by 2050,
doubling in size and boosting their
political power. Overall, Hispanics
traditionally tilt Democrat, meaning
the Republican Party is looking at a
threat to their future power if they
don't work to make inroads with this
politically pivotal group now.
Democrats have strengthened
their standing with Hispanics in the
most recent presidential election
years. While much was made during
the Democratic primary of 2008 of
President Barack Obama's perceived
weakness among Hispanics, he won
67 percent of their vote in the gen­
eral election to 31 percent for Re­
publican John McCain. It was a huge
jum p from 2004 when Democratic
nominee John Kerry won Hispanics
by 53 percent to 44 percent for Bush,
a Texan who focused heavily on
Hispanics.
Some worry that this year's even­
tual GOP nominee won't fare much
better than McCain four years ago
— and may fare worse — if candi­
dates don't soften the way they talk
about immigration.
IflMMMHMMHi
Facing the Consequences
Play touches on
Mayan calendar
prophecies
Swept up in an immigration raid
and deported to Mexico, Rio, Luz
and Sal are suddenly immersed into
indigenous prophecies surround­
ing B ’aktun 13, the final era in the
Mayan calendar.
In the Yucatán, they encounter
M ayan deities Ixchel, goddess of
w ater and moon, and Ahpuch, god
o f death, who lead the trio deeper
into a mythological universe. Time
revolves like a M ayan calendar as
each must face the consequences
o f their pasts. W hen the end of
the era of B ’aktun 13 arrives on
photo by R ussell Y oung
Dec. 21, 2012, will the world Tricia Castaneda-Gonzales (from left), Daniel Moreno and Ajai Terrazas-Tripathi in the world premiere
change? Or will they?
bilingual production of “B ’aktun 13, ” now playing at the Milagro Theatre, 525 S.E. Stark St.
B ’aktun 13 is one of the new
w orks o f the Portland Fertile
Ground Festival. W ritten by Danel
Maldn and directed by M atthew
B. Zrebski, the production plays
Thursday at 7:30 p.m .; Friday and
Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Saturday,
Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. at M ilagro T he­
atre, 525 S.E. Stark St.
A dm ission is $ 14 to $24. T ick­
e ts c a n be p u rc h a s e d fro m
m ilag ro .o rg or by callin g 503-
236-7253.
The m atinee on Saturday will
be accom panied by a free re ­
source fair featu rin g an open
m ic read ers theatre (from 1 to 2
p.m .). Plus, a special selection
o f b o o k s fo r p u rc h a se from
P o w ell’s related to com m unity
and en v iro n m en tal resp o n sib il­
ity , im m ig ra tio n is s u e s and
M ayan cu ltu re w ill be available.