Black-Brown Divide

But Obama has an aggressive Latino outreach and has lately picked up a number of significant endorsements from prominent Latino leaders, especially in California. Isn't he making inroads?
Endorsements don't mean much. Did he get the endorsement of culinary workers in Nevada? Yes, but it didn't mean anything. The leadership, the elected officials on the ground, are one thing, but getting the rank-and-file support of the members of a union is a different matter. I knew that the predominantly Hispanic culinary workers in Nevada would not support Obama.

Obama seems particularly interested in capturing younger Latino voters. Do you not think he will do well even among the younger, more educated and energized Latino electorate?
I hear that, as well, but it has yet to be determined. Don't get me wrong: he will get some Latino support, but I am talking about who will get the majority of support. Younger, better-educated Latinos I would expect will support Obama more than the older voters, but not to the extent that Obama will win a majority of Latino voters or even anything close to it.

You cite a recent poll by New AmericaMedia, a consortium of ethnic media groups in San Francisco, that suggests hostilities still exist between African-Americans and Latinos. It's a loaded question, but what are some of the causes of this allegedly lingering tension?
Competition. We're talking about two largely poor, working-class groups in a shrinking economy, unskilled and semiskilled folks rubbing shoulders in neighborhoods that are in transition, with declining social services from health care to education. When you've got competing ethnic groups at the bottom level, you're gong to have friction because of the jockeying just to preserve their niche.

What are some of the political issues on which Latino and African-American communities can come together?
Education, health care and the justice system are just a few. In this election the ethnic vote plays a crucial role in terms of the issues candidates confront. They have to talk about these issues, as well as immigration. But there is some resentment among African-Americans because of the perception that illegal Hispanic immigrants are taking jobs from black Americans. People are looking at the candidates to give them answers on these issues. This election is like no other. The voting demographics have changed radically in so many states. Much is at stake, and it will set a tone on immigration and these other issues that I've mentioned that affect these groups for years to come.

As an African-American, you've worked to bring blacks and Latinos together, at least in Los Angeles. What more can we do to cross this cultural divide?
Dialogue is essential. I've engaged Latino community activists in several areas. Hate crimes, for example, which historically have been black against white, are now being committed by Latinos against blacks and blacks against Latinos. There are an increasing number of physical confrontations between blacks and Latinos in the schools, in the jails. I've created dialogues with activists in an effort to bring down some of the misconceptions across the board, but unfortunately these dialogues are still too few and far in between.

Why is that?
Leadership. There simply is not enough leadership, which is essential for black and Latino leaders to come together. Hopefully that will start at the top with the next president. On a local level, the fight to save Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital in Los Angeles is an example of the two groups coming together for a common cause. Hot-button issues like that, where you see the two groups standing together in front of the TV camera and encouraging people to unite and work together, are encouraging. But we need more community meetings, demonstrations, marches. We need to see more people of both cultures going to city council and board of supervisor meetings, to get more active politically. This is when people get to know each other; this is what makes it all more personal. And yes, all politics are personal.

© 2008