A new day for Latinos?
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A ne w d ay fo r L a t i n o s ? Latino Studies (2013) 11, 1–3. doi:10.1057/lst.2012.56
On 3 December 2012, over 600 young people, leaders of the national movement fighting for passage of the Dream Act, met in Kansas City to discuss their next steps. They unanimously approved a platform that seeks to secure a path to citizenship for the Dreamers and also fights for comprehensive reform for the over 11 million undocumented people in the United States. In addition, the Dreamers broadened their agenda with a call for access to health care, safe working conditions and equal protection under the law for all. Furthermore, the Dreamers declared that they will create a more expansive movement inclusive of LGBTQ people, people of all faiths and differently abled people.1 The Dreamers, whose courage and audacity have repeatedly inspired us, once again set an example for all of us, this time about moving beyond pragmatic concerns and striving for more ambitious goals. What motivated the Dreamers to expand their reach? Their success in prodding President Obama to defer deportation for many young people in June 2012 (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program), combined with the results of the 2012 presidential election, led them and many others to declare that the sleeping giant has awakened. Pundits of all political stripes have argued that the election is a game changer for Latinos. The continued growth of the Latino community and changing demographics of the country, the overwhelming Latino support for Obama (over 70 per cent), the unexpectedly high rates of voting (12 million Latinos who constituted 10 per cent of the electorate), and the impact of Latino votes in swing states seem to suggest that moving forward, Latinos should have more political influence and an enhanced ability to enact a national agenda that positively affects our communities on a broad range of issues. Observers across the political spectrum agree that immigration reform must be addressed and conservatives have dropped talk of “self-deportation” as a solution to the problem of a broken immigration system, at least for now. However, it remains to be seen whether this current rhetoric is indicative of a significant turning point in our nation’s trajectory or if politics as usual concerning Latinos will prevail. Like the Dreamers, Latino scholars recognize that we too have a role to play to propel these declarations of a new day for Latinos beyond talk and towards substantive change. As Arturo Madrid (2012) stated in his keynote address, r 2013 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1476-3435 Latino Studies Vol. 11, 1, 1–3 www.palgrave-journals.com/lst/
1 See the United We Dream press release dated 3 December 2012, http://united wedream.org/ united-we-dreampledges-to-fightfor-fair-treatmentand-citizenship-fordreamers-familiesand-communities, accessed 8 December 2012.
Editorial
“Their America, Our Ame´rica and Our Responsibility as Latina/o Scholars” at the most recent Puerto Rican Studies Association meeting, We must take up our responsibilities as persons w
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