MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR:
Are Republican Principles Really Right for Latinos?
(click here for Spanish)

Recently, two Hispanic politicians announced that they actually support the principles of the Republican Party, rather than the aspirations of the Democratic Party, so they have switched. So exactly what beliefs have Mr. Vasquez and Mr. Flores embraced in changing parties and are these values Latinos really share?

According to the 2002 State Republican Party Platform, which both of these individuals had to agree in writing to support, Mr. Vasquez and Mr, Flores "support the immediate adoption of American English as the official language of Texas and of the United States." They support termination of bilingual education programs in Texas and abolition of the law that permits all students who finish in the top 10% of their high school class to be entitled to be admitted to any state college in Texas.

Mr. Vasquez and Mr. Flores have agreed to urge Congress to deploy military forces to secure the Texas-Mexican border. Unless they lied when they agreed to support the platform of the Republican Party, they also propose using Border Patrol agents to "locate and secure all illegal aliens . . . and expedite their return to their source county." And if a legal immigrant forgets his or her official identification at home, they should be immediately deported, according to the Republican Party Platform, which these two individuals were required to read and initial.

While we're on the subject of immigration, the Republicans (and therefore Mr. Vasquez and Mr. Flores) also officially support virtual elimination of all legal immigration into this country (cutting legal immigration quotas by more than 70%) and passage of legislation prohibiting undocumented residents from obtaining drivers licenses.

As far as civil rights are concerned, the Republican Party these folks have joined demands repeal of all executive orders and administrative mandates providing for any form of affirmative action or government contract set-asides or efforts to recruit minorities or include them in government programs or opportunities. They also want the hate crimes laws to be repealed immediately. They advocate racial profiling "whenever it is deemed appropriate by law enforcement," and they want to make it harder for first time voters to register to vote. These folks also believe that only registered voters should be allowed to serve on juries.

Do Mr. Vasquez and Mr. Flores really believe that laborers are being overpaid? They favor allowing employers to pay workers even less than the $5.15 per hour established by the current minimum wage. (At least, they have joined a party which officially urges that the minimum wage law be repealed.) Meanwhile, they propose enacting laws making it even harder than it is now to qualify for welfare and other social programs.

They have aligned themselves with a party whose leaders believe that children of undocumented families should be denied public education and medical care. And they believe that cutting taxes on corporate dividends is more important than providing health care for children or prescription drugs for the elderly or better education (at least, if it costs anything to achieve that result).

If these are the principles Mr. Vasquez and Mr. Flores believe in (and that's what they have declared by joining the Republican Party and promising to support its Platform), then I say to them, "good riddance." And if any other Hispanics believe that these things are good for Latinos - or even acceptable - I say to them, ahi esta la puerta (there's the door). Anybody who wants to embrace those ideals is welcome to call (713) 838-7900 (that's the number of the Harris County Republican Party) and sign up.

But if you want to be a part of a party that truly believes in fair treatment of all people and equal opportunity for all of us to get a quality education, find a good job, buy a home, provide health care for our families, and exercise the right to vote and participate in our democratic system, in rewarding honest hard work with a livable wage, in celebrating diversity as a vital component of our strength, and in working together to achieve these goals, I invite you to join with us Democrats as we strive to make this a just, fair, and humane society.

Gerry Birnberg
Chair, Harris County Democratic Party
June, 2003

Archive of Gerry Birnberg's Messages

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