Latino to Advise Obama on Immigration
Published in El Universal
(Mexico) on 28 November 2008
by J. Jaime Hernandez (link to original)
(Mexico) on 28 November 2008
by J. Jaime Hernandez (link to original)
Translated from
by Brandon Brewer.
Edited by Sonia Mladin.
He will help reopen the debate over the issue of organizations.
WASHINGTONHis name is Mariano Florentino Cuellar and at the age of 36 he will become one of Barack Obamas main advisors on matters relating to immigration. Until recently some sources were predicting him to be the next leader of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but for the moment the transition team has only gone so far as to name him as Obama´s primary authority on immigration issues.
Cuellar is an expert on a wide range of subjects associated with border security. He also is a renowned scholar on the complex balance between security and immigration flow as well as a defender of civil rights.
The naming of Cuellar to Obamas advising team on immigration matters has been well-received among pro-immigrant organizations. Together with Alexander Aleinikoff from Georgetown University, he will lead one of the seven transition groups drawing up Obamas priorities during his first months as President. His appointment demonstrates the fact that Obama is interested in comprehensive immigration reform. We hope Cuellar helps to fix the battered immigration system and in 2009 Congress doesnt succumb to pressure from anti-immigrant groups, emphasized the executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LILAC), Brent Wilkes.
For the leaders of the most important Hispanic organizations, the choice of Cuellar also is a significant indicator that Obamas cabinet will be composed of a greater representation of Latinos.
Barack Obamas transition team understands that the role the Latino vote played in the elections has to translate into a greater representation in his cabinet and the White House, assured Janet Murguía, President of the National Council of La Raza.
In spite of his young age, Cuellar is a veteran of the Clinton era and formed part of the team that achieved the democrat´s reelection in 1996. He grew up in the border city of Calexico, California, where he was immersed in the topic of immigration. He received his bachelors degree at Harvard, studied law at Yale and earned his doctorate in Political Science at Stanford where he has been teaching since 2001.
The only problem, speaking of latin american immigration, is that mexicans born in the United States are the worst enemies of latin americans who live in this country.
Let’s hope that, if Mr. Cuellar is US born, he is not like the rest. And, if he is not like the rest, let’s hope that Obama and those who matter, actually listen to him and adhere and use his proposals.
Another viewpoint, Mr. Cuellar is so young that he must be thinking of what is best for himself in the future. Will he, therefore, opine, decide, and do according to what will best position him for a much higher office tomorrow?
Why are american born mexicans the worst enemies of latin americans ? Do they dislike latin americans? If they are born here, why would they favor mexicans more than latin americans?
Along with Dave Weaver I find this assumption of an existing conflict between American-born Mexicans and Latin Americans to be problematic. Especially considering that so many Mexicans, and people from other Latin American countries, have family members living in the U.S. I would find it hard to believe that just by being born in the U.S. they will inherently reject their ties to relatives abroad.
Seems to me support for illegal aliens is “Comprehensive Immigration Corruption,” not reform. Has more to do with the Democrats’ Jackpot Voter Breeding Program (JVBP, por sus siglas en inglés) than with reform. Reform is generally taken to mean fighting illegal activity, not encouraging it.