So, Puter and the Czar have been talking about Arizona, la migra, etc. For my part, I’d like to just note that American Hispanics’ support for Democrats is not tied to immigration perhaps quite as closely as is implied. Hispanics generally oppose illegal immigration—even Mexicans of other Mexicans. However, they tend to see Republicans’ advocacy of border-control measures as driven by anti-Mexican (or -Hispanic) bigotry, not unlike how many black Americans think conservatives’ problems with race-based hiring schemes is due to anti-black bigotry, or feminists think opposition to Title IX policy is driven by sexism.

In general, the Republican party is seen as the party of the establishment, and the Democrats that of newcomers and outsiders. Whether this is really true or not anymore doesn’t quite matter since we’re in the realm of perception. And for people who view themselves in terms of an ethnic minority, that means the GOP looks like the Party of Mr. Charlie.

By the same token, Hispanics, like blacks, seem to gravitate towards government employment and frequently take government benefits. In that reading, voting Democratic is simply rational self-interest.

I tend to view the often lurid Hispanic reaction against immigration reform as driven more by their perception of racial oppression, rather than any actual problem with reforming the laws, but it’s a complicated dynamic and the factors the Czar points out play their part as well.

Confucius, Œc. Vol.

Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu.