News and views from the award-winning author of the novels The Skinny Years, America Libre, House Divided and Pancho Land

Friday, July 2, 2010

It's time for the voices of reason to prevail



To me, President Obama's speech was a convergence of principle and politics. The president's support for immigration reform has never been in question. Only the timing and priority of the issue have been a problem for most Latinos. Obama's support among Latinos dipped after he stated two months ago "there may not be an appetite immediately" for immigration reform. With an eye on the upcoming elections, Obama understands the importance of the Latino vote in key states. Also, the president is aware that, while most Americans say they favor Arizona's SB1070, most also believe there should be a rational path to accepting the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Given these circumstances, the timing of the speech is not surprising. The announcement was a calculated political move. We would be naive to think otherwise.

Regardless of Obama's motivation, those who support immigration reform must rally behind the president. In a land quickly losing ground to bigotry, it's time for the voices of reason to prevail.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez