Heritage means more than race

September 2, 2010 by Cynthia Hernandez 

Sandoval’s support of racial profiling betrays heritage

It is almost certain that many of us have been asked “Where are you from?” or “What is your background?” at one point in our lives.

When asked these questions, it is almost a no-brainer to answer quickly, unless, of course, you have multiple backgrounds. In this case, you would spend more than a minute explaining where you are from.

We have also heard the phrase “America is a melting pot,” which means that the United States is home to numerous ethnicities, cultures and peoples.

As students at this university, we can see this melting pot in action. There are always new faces and new people to meet.

Because we live and thrive in an academic environment, we are aware that there will be conflict and disagreements. We are all diverse and have differing perspectives and views, but we also expect to be heard, accepted and respected.

Now, if students at a university are able to accept these differences and still maintain a respectful environment, why can’t politicians do the same?

The answer is simple. Politicians no longer have personal identities. They have political ideologies.

The political ideologies that these individuals have override their values and beliefs, resulting in a personal identity crisis.
For example, let’s examine Brian Sandoval, the Grand Old Party’s nominee for governor. Sandoval is Hispanic and his campaign made sure to empha¬size this particular fact in one of his commercials.

“With your help, Brian Sandoval can become the first Hispanic governor in the history of Nevada,” it said.

Sandoval’s campaign launched this commercial to appeal to Hispanics in Nevada, but what Sandoval and his campaign may not realize is that there is more to being Hispanic than just saying you are.

For example, he does not speak Spanish. This could lead us to assume that he has little to no knowledge of the resources that are only available in Spanish that lead to an awareness of what it means to be Hispanic.

To indulge in the culture you call your own and to understand where you come from, it is important to know the language.

There are some things that just cannot be taught through translation. His lack of fluency in the Spanish language also means that his family does not speak Spanish.

This can result in a lack of Hispanic culture in his home. I understand that these factors are relatively minor and can be somewhat forgiven, but his stance on immigration is definitely problematic.

Immigration laws and policies have once again become controversial.

Unfortunately, issues of immigration have been permanently linked with being Hispanic, specifically in the case of Arizona’s recent anti-immigration law – SB 1070. Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070 is a very broad and harsh anti-illegal immigration measure that has received national and international attention.

The law orders immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there is reason to suspect that they are illegally living in the United States.

Many critics and opponents of this law state that they are concerned that racial profiling will be the result of such legislation.

Arizona’s House Bill 2162 modified SB 1070, with text now stating that “prosecutors would not investigate complaints based on race, color or national origin” in an attempt to alleviate the concerns. But to the dismay of many, the damage has been done and racial profiling will inevitably be a daily routine.

Brian Sandoval is in favor of Arizona’s SB 1070. What would that mean for Nevada if he were to be elected governor? Is he planning on spearheading such a law in Nevada?

We do not know that, and if he is elected, only time will tell. But what we do know is that he lost sup¬port of some Hispanics in Las Vegas due to his inability to identify with Hispanics.

Here is where the issues of identity and political ideologies clash: Because Sandoval is Hispanic, many Hispanic Democrats and independents were going to register Republican and vote for Sandoval in the primaries because they felt he could better connect and communicate with the Hispanic community than his opponent could.

But after he showed massive support for Arizona’s anti-immigration law and after he flip-flopped on providing driver licenses to undocumented residents, he lost those His¬panics that were willing to vote for him.

More specifically, when he was asked whether he was worried if his children would be racially profiled by a law like Arizona’s, he answered, “My children don’t look Hispanic,” ignoring the fact that Hispanics come in all shapes, sizes and skin tones.

Why did Sandoval lose the many Hispanics that were willing to vote for him? Because Sandoval’s personal identity was drowned by the politics.

His commercial states that if elected, he would be the first Hispanic governor. But what good does that do when his beliefs and views contradict the interest of Hispanics in Nevada?

It is clear that Sandoval has no knowledge of the needs or issues that are prominent in the Hispanic community.
Once again, just looking and saying you’re Hispanic does not mean you know what it means to be Hispanic.