Supreme Court Hispanic ‘Panic’

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Will the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court by President Barack Obama, result in a potential political battle over the “Hispanic” vote?

If Judge Sotomayor does prevail, it will likely be because of her outstanding legal resume, and the current control of the Senate by Democrats. However, I think that the potential “Hispanic backlash” concern for Republicans is highly overrated. Sotomayor is Puerto Rican.

The Puerto Rican vote is generally in Democratic lock-step with the African-American vote (because in more cases than many are willing to admit, they are the same group…). No loss or gain for Republicans there.

The “growing Hispanic vote” that everyone refers to is, in actuality, the emerging Mexican-American vote. Political elites aside, do southwest, working-class, Mexican-Americans get stoked and self-identify when they see a “Nuyorican” from the ‘hood of the South Bronx, climb the ladder of legal success? I don’t know.

BTW, why do we assume that so-called “Hispanics” and so-called “Blacks” are separate constituencies when in fact, there are many (utilizing the common racial/ethnic designations) “Black Hispanics,” or the term that is much more in play these days, “Afro-Latino?” My mother (who married a “descendant-of-Southern slaves” Black man…) had a father who was Cuban and Black. Her mother hailed from Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was of indigenous Taino and African lineage. My wife’s father is also of Puerto Rican heritage, but their family claims a “Black” racial identification, also.

I think that these group-based, political considerations are becoming more and more difficult to predict.

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Is Rep. Charles Rangel: “African-American?” “Puerto Rican?”  Bi-racial?” “Black?” “Harlemite?” “Hispanic?”

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Is the successful actress/producer, Cameron Diaz: “Latina?” “Girl-Next-Door?” “White”? “Cuban?” “Multi-racial?” “Hispanic?”

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Is actress Eva Longoria Parker: “Mexican-American?” “Latina?” “Texan?” Desperate NBA Housewife?” “Colored?” “Hispanic?”

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Is the New York Mets talented shortstop Jose Reyes: “African-American?” Dominican?” “Hot Dog?” “Latino?” “White?” “Hispanic?”