Having spent the past eight years explaining why Democrats have been losing Latino support and why the rightward shift is happening, it all comes down to this: Latino identity is changing dramatically
Thank you for posting here on Substack… you are one of my regular go to people for political takes and I gave up Twitter right after the election. So thanks for another way to listen and read✌️
I’m going to try to offer a higher level of looking at what’s happening in the country and not get caught in the day-to-day news cycle. If there’s questions or issues you want me to look at just drop a note!
As Chicana/o and Latina/o historians have been arguing since the 1960s the United States has never been solely a Black/White society. It has always been multiracial. However, getting the East Coast elites in politics, media and the academy to understand that fact has been a struggle. At least we are finally past the monolith paradigm.
It seems that 2024 has taught that following the example of Ruben Gallego is one, if not the only way to keep up with the moving target of the changing Latino identity. Media (both social and mainstream) messaging presents so many challenges and is subject to interference by foreign and domestic actors. Engaging with voters in person as Gallego did, allowed the voters to express their concerns in real time and for Gallego to respond in real time. This approach needs to be scaled up and adopted by all politicians if we are to break the reactive cycle where Latinos bounce back and forth between the perceived least-bad option.
I love Mike places the heart-breaking events of the last decade in the vast sweep of history and recognizes not only the tragedy but also the magic and promise of our time! Reflecting on Mike's articles and interviews and my own experience of South and Central America and some regions of the U.S., I'm coming to understand that one of the things that makes the Latino Century different from, say, the melting of 19th century Irish immigrants into America, is that Latinos are far more diverse in terms of historical background, culture, race, socio-economic class, recent experience, and how they got here.
I know there is much more about this in The Latino Century, which I know I will love, but what my mental health requires STAT is a good murder mystery series.
I've dived into the middle of the Inspector Rutledge Mysteries with The Red Door. Is anyone else here seeking to regroup with a good book or television series?
Thank you for posting here on Substack… you are one of my regular go to people for political takes and I gave up Twitter right after the election. So thanks for another way to listen and read✌️
Thanks Aimee
I’m going to try to offer a higher level of looking at what’s happening in the country and not get caught in the day-to-day news cycle. If there’s questions or issues you want me to look at just drop a note!
Take care
As Chicana/o and Latina/o historians have been arguing since the 1960s the United States has never been solely a Black/White society. It has always been multiracial. However, getting the East Coast elites in politics, media and the academy to understand that fact has been a struggle. At least we are finally past the monolith paradigm.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I think we’ve finally arrived at that moment
It seems that 2024 has taught that following the example of Ruben Gallego is one, if not the only way to keep up with the moving target of the changing Latino identity. Media (both social and mainstream) messaging presents so many challenges and is subject to interference by foreign and domestic actors. Engaging with voters in person as Gallego did, allowed the voters to express their concerns in real time and for Gallego to respond in real time. This approach needs to be scaled up and adopted by all politicians if we are to break the reactive cycle where Latinos bounce back and forth between the perceived least-bad option.
I love Mike places the heart-breaking events of the last decade in the vast sweep of history and recognizes not only the tragedy but also the magic and promise of our time! Reflecting on Mike's articles and interviews and my own experience of South and Central America and some regions of the U.S., I'm coming to understand that one of the things that makes the Latino Century different from, say, the melting of 19th century Irish immigrants into America, is that Latinos are far more diverse in terms of historical background, culture, race, socio-economic class, recent experience, and how they got here.
I know there is much more about this in The Latino Century, which I know I will love, but what my mental health requires STAT is a good murder mystery series.
I've dived into the middle of the Inspector Rutledge Mysteries with The Red Door. Is anyone else here seeking to regroup with a good book or television series?