Tonight on my drive home, I was listening to NPR's Latino U.S.A., a show I frequently listen to and enjoy. One of the guests, an Hispanic man whose name escapes me, talked about how the Latino voters in Florida, Colorado and Florida won the election for Obama. He then went on to talk about what Obama now owed Latinos. His comments gave me pause. As I've read, studied and discussed issues of diversity and ethnicity over the years, one thing I have concluded is that there are more commonalities between groups than differences. As I thought about what the guest said, I realized that, despite my being African-American, I've never felt that any politician owed anything to my ethnic group. Rather, I support candidates who support issues that concern classes rather than ethnic groups of people.
Issues such as teenage pregnancy, job losses, drug use, access to higher education, poverty and lack of health care are issues which, in my opinion, cross all ethnic lines and have more to do with class than ethnicity. I was uncomfortable with the notion that Obama now owes Latinos, in this man's opinion. My discomfort propelled me to look up the demographics of the recent election. According to U.S. News & World Report, the demographics of Obama voters in the most recent election were: African-Americans – 96%; Hispanics – 66%; Women – 56%; Unmarried women – 70%; White men – 41%; Hilary Clinton supporters – 84%; and Under 30 – 34%. These demographics are based on exit polls so there is, of course, margin for error.
I think what troubled me was the notion that rather than Latinos voting for Obama because there is displeasure, great displeasure, with the Republicans and their actions or lack thereof on items that concerned their community, Latinos voted for Obama to obtain some kind of quid pro quo for Latinos. The speaker went on to say that Obama owed Latinos and should at least appoint several Latinos to his administration. He further added that Obama was now beholden to Latinos. I am not one of the 4% of African-Americans who did not vote for Obama. I was an early supporter of Obama. Nonetheless and despite the fact that 96% of African-Americans voted for Obama, I don't feel that he is beholden to the African-American community. As proud as I am to see an African-American elected president, my support of Obama had very little to do with his race. I supported him because he talked about issues and solutions that affect me and people like me: His recognition of the dwindling middle class; his recognition of the inability of many to pay for higher education for their children; his hope to use diplomatic approaches rather than the war-mongering of the current president; his constant talk of this country being one country, rather than a country split into red and blue; and, his ability to retain his composure while facing often withering attacks. Do I expect Barrack Obama to be a messiah? Certainly not. I do believe and hope that he will attempt to tackle the problems and issues that affect the 95% of this country who are not wealthy.
I have long maintained that the issues in this country are socio-economic and class-based rather than race. After listening to the guest on Latino U.S.A. this evening, I had visions of Latino groups pressuring Obama to do this, appoint this one, get this bill passed, etc. If we are to ever move past the issue of ethnicity in this country, we must get past the notion that each group has to advocate for themselves, rather than for the good of the larger group. One of my favorite words is commonalities. I have long felt that we should celebrate our individual cultures and heritages, but it would be the focus on commonalities that will further our progress, not as individual "races," but as members of the one race that really matters – the human race.
Blessings,
T
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