Opinion: White vs. Black vs. Hispanic

Ethnic politics is the talk of the moment. Actually, politics in general is what is circulating around in class conversations, TV commercials, work-break chats and late night talks at the bars. Obviously, this is because the next election is right around the corner (November 2).

For those folks who only look at the surface, this election doesn’t mean much because it is not going to result on a new president. However, for those who really know what goes on in politics, November 2010 is a decisive and very important month.

I don’t fall in any of these two groups since I don’t have a right to vote yet. This is because INS regulations are very precise on the number of years, months, days and hours that takes you to be able to decide what is better for you (right to vote). However, I do have an opinion, and it goes hand and hand with the whole concept of ethnic politics.

I may not be a citizen of the United States, but I have been a resident for 5 years and lived another 4 trying to become one. In all this time, I created my own American identity, of course it was attached to my previous Peruvian and Chilean characteristics, but that is not any different from millions of Americans in today’s society (and I guess in the whole last hundred years). By now, I know what I want in this country, and definitely it has something to do with where I come from.

Besides my desire to live in a place with a constant economic growth, good education, and equal laws, I want more opportunities for “my people.” So, in the race for Florida Senate the choice should be obvious, right? A White guy, against a Black guy, against a Hispanic guy (Crist vs. Meek vs. Rubio)… Yeah, Marco Rubio should be my man. A Cuban- American guy, who speaks Spanish, drinks coladas and eat pastelitos. But, wait a minute, does he really represents what I want, or does he actually wants to enforce tougher immigration laws and perhaps deport all those who come to this country to work but are not as lucky as his parents to get dry feet wet feet (US-Cuban migration policy) on a Miami beach?

And this is my point, politics and ethnic politics are much complex that what they could look from the outside. When it comes to voting, I think we will choose those candidates who will better represent our distorted identities, and in the America of 2010 that person is going to be defined with a lot more than a last name, a gender, a tone of the skin or just a favorite dish.