Hope for Something Better

(Programming note: As a full-time employee, it seems like I'm just not going to have the time and energy to post as regularly as I had hoped. As someone who has failed at blogging twice before, I know that I am prone to feel frustrated when I don't post often enough by my own standards. That tends to lead to avoiding writing at all, which keeps me frustrated until I eventually give up on blogging altogether. With that in mind, I'm going to post when I can, do my best to write well, and give myself slack when I don't post for a week or two. It seems like my writing is more well received when I don't overdo it anyway.)

Presidential elections have fascinated me for years.

My love of following politics was born while I was half a world away from the United States, living for a semester as a missionary apprentice in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I didn't get homesick in the traditional sense, but I did feel very disconnected from my family, friends, and the world I had known.

I hadn't spent much time thinking about elections before my time overseas. My lone voting experience was in the 2004 election at age 18. As I have already described, I had not voted in a particularly thoughtful way. (I would like to note that Robert Edmonson, my first Democratic friend, was kind and persuasive without being pushy in telling me about Chet Edwards. His passion for politics and combined with a faith that drove him to serve kids at Camp of the Hills was one of the first indicators that a good Christian could also be a good Democrat.)

Suddenly, politics seemed interesting. The 2008 primary season was especially attention holding, and I was enthralled. Clinton, McCain, Obama, Richardson, Palin, and even that weird guy who stares into your soul then tosses a rock into a pond. I couldn't get enough. Even once I returned to the country, I kept watching, reading, thinking. I stopped following all the little nuances after the election, but kept up with the big stuff.

I say all that to say that I was ready to consume some news when the Republican primary geared up. Since early spring, I've been closely following all the inner workings of what ended up happening Tuesday. There were lots of important things that were said, argued, reframed, shouted, and said again. And while it would be disingenuous to pretend like there weren't a lot of issues addressed that I care about, I wanted to highlight what excites me most about the election results.

For years, I've worked with children from at-risk backgrounds here in Texas, many of whom come from Latino households. Though I haven't polled them directly, I have come to learn that many of the kids I have come to love and their families are living in the United States without documentation. Fearful of deportation. Unable to stand up for their human rights for without being found out.

I bet I've already lost some readers, but please stay with me. It's important.

I'm not happy with how either party has treated the Latino communities in this nation. The rhetoric against undocumented immigrants by both sides has been frustrating to say the least, and I can't imagine how it feels for the people spoken against. I have heard people suggeting electrified fences, border patrol "volunteers" with rifles, and making life for immigrants so miserable that they leave on their own. I watched Arizona pass laws legalizing discrimination if someone looked like an immigrant. I watched a president who had promised comprehensive immigration reform deport twice as many people as any other president in U.S. history, then have the audacity to paint all of them with the same brush, calling them "gang-bangers" in a live, televised debate in front of the world. Nobody's hands are clean.

Have their been bright spots for those who earnestly care about immigration reform? Certainly. Both parties have proved that some desire a change of policy. Several Republican candidates for the party's nomination had nuanced and thought-out immigration policies. President Obama made headway towards a possible solution for the children of immigrants over the summer. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio argued for a change in their party's stance. But these measures and words have not changed the reality for the thousands hoping and praying for a better life.

It was through this lens that I watched the results of our election on Tuesday night and on into Wednesday morning. I didn't know exactly what to hope for with regard to immigration, since it wasn't officially on the ballot. Would the nation reelect a man who had promised to change the nation's immigration policy, but had never even introduced such legislation over the course of four years? Or would they choose a man who had recently suggested "self-deportation" as a solution? Would our other elected officials choose to demonize those without a voice to defend themselves, or work to make their lives better?

I'm an optimist, as you might know, so I was ready to look on the bright side of any outcome. With that said, I thought some of the polling has created a perfect storm that could lead to Republicans and Democrats working together for a mutually beneficial solution to the challenges of immigration reform. Lemme break down my thoughts on how it went down.

According to articles from Fox News, the Huffington Post, and others, President Obama won the votes of upwards of 70% of Latino voters, while Governor Romney won less than 25%. A resounding tally, no doubt. But what does it mean?

It sure looks like the majority of Latino votes were more willing to give President Obama a second chance to make good on his promises, as opposed to giving Governor Romney a first chance to follow through on his. And while the election certainly did not hinge on only one issue for any group, including Latino voters, many pundits are explaining this overwhelming vote as a rejection of the Republican platform on immigration.

With the Latino population growing at such a rapid rate, neither party can afford to ignore this demographic in the future. For example, solidly Republican strongholds like Arizona and even Texas have such a high concentration of Latinos that forecasters are suggesting that within eight years, these states might become swing states, or at least much closer than in the past. That means Republicans are very interested in winning back the support they used to enjoy under people like President George W. Bush, who was much more moderate on issues of immigration, in turn winning a much higher percentage of the Latino vote.

Democrats, on the other hand, would probably not have won the White House without such overwhelming support from the Latino voters. President Obama and others on the left made lots of promises, which seem to have resonated with Latinos. Now that Latino Americans have given their support to the Democratic side, it's crucial for them to follow through on their promises. Additionally, the left would love having another voting bloc similar to African-Americans, who regularly vote for Democrats, especially if their support could create inroads in potential future swing states.

Suddenly, we have a perfect storm. For the first time that I know of, Latino Americans are going to be courted from both sides of the aisle with earnest vigor. That means that politicians are going to have to change their tune about some of the issues that matter most to the Latino community. That will certainly include immigration reform.

And here's the crazy thing: it's already happening!

Here are two articles that I've read that indicate that change is already coming. The first one comes from Colorlines, the other from Fox News. They both declare that Republicans are ready to switch their stance on immigration, facing the reality of a more Latino voting public. Democrats seem to be ready to work together for a solution as well.

Does this mean that everything will be changed for the better soon? Not at all. But I am hopeful that both parties will seriously work to reform our immigration laws, even if it is only because it's politically helpful for them. I have written, prayed, and preached about justice for immigrants for a while now. I feel invigorated by the ways our country seems to be shifting. I look forward to what the future brings!