Believing in Obama Again

The president of the United States, Barack Obama, arrived at his position in 2008 for many reasons. Among them were his great appeal among youth and the voters’ punishment of Republicans for the economic situation — but also because Latinos gave him their confidence. Three years later, the disillusionment of this sector is evident and reflected in polls. Some actions — and the absence of others — explain the decline.

Mexico and its nationals in the northern neighbor country, just as in a good part of the rest of the world, had high expectations of the first non-white president of the northern power. As the son of a Kenyan foreigner, a man of simple origins and of “progressive ideals” — in the American standard — it was hoped that he would innovate and confront the old problems of its neighbor country with new energy.

As presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket, Barack Obama offered immigration reform in his first year as president. President Calderon was the first to be received by the then presidential-elect. Until then, everything seemed to be going well.

However, it is very difficult to satisfy two sectors of society with opposing views at the same time; the president chose to get in the good graces of those who refused any intent to integrate Latinos. While he made an effort to back the conservative discourse whose priority is to impede, at all cost, the entrance of more Mexicans into its territory, the president did not fulfill his promise of immigration reform. The only thing that distinguished the Obama administration from its predecessors is one piece of data — the deportation record: 392,863 people in 2010.

Now, with the possibility of reelection next year, once again Obama turns to the Latino population to court their vote. Time will tell if such feats as legal opposition to SB1070 [Arizona State Bill 1070] or the defense of the Dream Act, an attempt to give children of undocumented immigrants a chance to study in American universities, are enough.

Calderon’s comment to the Republican John McCain, before the 2008 election, that he was a good bet for Latinos begins to take on meaning. The senator is familiar with bilateral issues; he comes from Arizona, a border state; he visited Mexico during his candidacy; and he had an integral immigration reform proposal in 2006 on his resume.

After all of this, maybe it is not too late for Obama. He should support Latinos in what remains of his time in office, not with speeches or initiatives that must trudge through Congress, but with direct actions within his government.