Tuesday, April 04, 2006

"The relationship between Hispanics and African Americans"

Syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr. has written a thoughtful yet somewhat controversial column for the latest issue of the monthly magazine "Hispanic."

Navarrette, who gets paid to write articles that will get people talking and even debating, writes about the friction African American leadership is causing with the Hispanic community. He says "It's about the perception that African Americans are being displaced by Hispanics - both in the 'macro' sense now that Hispanics are the nation's largest minority and in the 'micro' sense as Hispanic immigrants move into neighborhoods, towns and cities traditionally inhabited by blacks."

He singles out the Jesse Jackson as someone who "is obsessing over the changing demographics of New Orleans" and has argued that rebuilding jobs held by Hispanics should be held by African Americans.

Navarrette has identified and conveyed one side of the issue about the future demographic makeup of New Orleans and other American cities. Yet he offered few solutions, even for the limited amount of space he was given in the magazine.

As these demographic changes contiue to occur it will become more important than ever to create community dialogues that bring together African American and Hispanic community and national leaders to address the issues and anxieties that were highlighted by Navarrette and many others that he did not discuss.
In related news, the Los Angeles Times today reports on the "Gold Rush" migrant workers are finding in New Orleans. Click [here] for that article.

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