09.11.2012. LATINOS might have made the pivotal difference in Tuesday’s
election, especially in battlegrounds like Nevada, Colorado, Florida and
Virginia. Republicans are already debating how to convert more of them — along
with women, blacks and young people — from the Democratic camp.
Comprehensive immigration reform has been an elusive goal of both
parties for two decades and is a priority of President Obama’s second term. But
it will be hard to achieve unless the United States also re-envisions its
approach to Mexico and other Latin American countries. The United States has
historically shifted its Latin American policies according to its national
interests. This won’t change, but the growing Latino voting bloc is likely to
bring about a more nuanced approach.
For decades, public opinion about our southern neighbors — particularly
with respect to immigration — has moved sharply to the right, with devastating
consequences for transnational relations and for Latin American migrants in the
United States. It
was not always so.
