Voting Rights and Representaion

Attorneys in Irving, Texas are hard at work on a lawsuit against the school district there. They have filed suit against the city of Irving claiming that the city's at large election system violates the Voting Rights Act by denying Hispanics adequate representation. It is hoped that by creating single member districts, some with majority Hispanic populations, that not only would more Hispanics be encouraged to vote, (at least those who are eligible to vote), it would help towards getting more Hispanics elected and thereby boost their influence.

It is believed by some that Hispanics will only vote for Hispanic candidates. If this is true, it should be a cause for concern. Americans are frequently told that to prefer one person over another because of race or ethnicity, particularly if one's own race and ethnicity are the measure, is racist. Obama's election was heralded by many as America's (or at least a significant percentage of the America public) transcendence over race. The willingness of Americans to vote across the lines of religion, race, and ethnicity has long been a goal in this country. It used to be the case that the refusal of voters to cross those lines was common. Italians voted for Italian candidates, Irish for Irish candidates, and Catholics for Catholic candidates, etc. While this was once the norm it is no longer so. There are no doubt many who still vote that way, but they are few enough to be considered quaint or nostalgic. This is a tendency that for the most part is not missed.

After so much time and effort has been spent in this country to overcome racial and ethnic bias, why is it being encouraged, and even applauded in the case of Hispanics? Why is it when Hispanics vote for Hispanics because they are Hispanic, they are not censured or criticized as prejudiced?

Hispanics are a rapidly growing minority. There are many cities and regions that have majority Hispanic populations. If Hispanics are encouraged to vote for Hispanic candidates, and applauded when they do, what will it mean to the non-Hispanic residents of those cities and regions? Most likely, they will be told to accommodate themselves to the new reality of their situations. Perhaps in time, after the novelty of political power and representation wears off, Hispanics will no longer feel obliged to support Hispanic candidates. But this is only supposition.

Richard Engstrom, a professor at Duke University, blandly claims that "Latino voters show a clear preference for Latinos." This bias is reported as a simple matter of fact with no implication or inference of prejudice. Moreover, it is being proposed that this prejudice should be encouraged through creating majority Hispanic voting districts. By divvying up political representation according to race and ethnicity we are discouraging assimilation and integration: two ideas that have not always been viewed with disfavor.

If someday we wind up with two distinct communities across the Southwest, one English speaking, the other Spanish speaking, we will have taken a giant step backward from the goal of assimilation. Naturally, this is only a bad thing if assimilation is considered a desirable goal. For many it is not.