Cuban-American Senator Republican Ted Cruz is at odds with Cuban-American Senator Republican Marco Rubio over immigration legislation.

Where is the RNC Chairman Reince Priebus’ leadership at when GOP Cuban-Americans are at immigration philosophical odds?  The Republican Party is acting like a fish without fins.

According to POLITICO:

The Texas freshman is sharply critical of the pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants, a central part of the bipartisan bill that Rubio helped write.

This is Reince’s chance to step in and show leadership — but he clearly isn’t giving any signals with regard to legal immigration.

Reince Priebus is the Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

The Republican Party is facing a split over immigration reminiscent of what the Democratic Party had to endure during the Civil Rights era in light of the Dixiecrat bigots — yet, Priebus is nowhere to be found on leadership.

David Cantanese of the New York Daily Beast stated the Texas freshman Ted Cruz has become the face of the GOP opposition to immigration reform:

Just in case Reince glances at this story, perhaps this is a good time to tell him that Mexican-Americans make up the bulk of the Latino population pie nearing 50%, and we are tired of the tail walking the dog.

Our time is coming soon — and we are going to remember who stood on the right side of immigration come 2014 and 2016 time.

The tail has been wagging the dog, but it will be time for the dog to wag the tail. Cruz had better do better than to offer Mexicans and undocumented Latinos table scraps.

Finally!

I have been  waiting for this and finally we see Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro who is pro legal immigration and is supporting ideas that will economically benefit American families across our Nation.  Mexican-American Castro is taking on the Cuban-American Senator Ted Cruz who is not friendly to legal immigration reform.  Cruz is not considered friendly towards Mexican-Americans because he has taken a harsh stance against our children and brethren via the DREAM Act.

You see, Castro understands that almost half of Texas are of Mexican descent and he knows the disastrous anti-immigration impact Ted Cruz brings to the economic table.

This is precisely why I really like  Texas Represenative Joaquin Castro, and I believe he would make an excellent Vice Presidential candidate in the near future that could politically re-align the entire southwest with regard to the growing Mexican-American demographic for any political party that embraces him.

As a Mexican-American … I am tired of the likes of Ted Cruz who becomes “Hispanic” when it benefits him.  Cruz has taken

The tail has been wagging the dog, but it will be time for the dog to wag the tail. Cuban-American Ted Cruz offers Mexican-American families table scraps at the Latin table.

every opportunity to be a thorn in the side of the much legal comprehensive immigration reform that is needed.  He is against the DREAM Act even though his Cuban immigrant family members benefited from privileged Cuban amnesty via the Cuban Adjustment Act.  Cruz wants to shut the door behind him and punish other hardworking immigrants that have helped the agricultural community and our United States economy.

From the Dallas News:

The freshman Democrat from San Antonio also took a swipe at Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Houston.

Cruz was in South Carolina Friday at the state GOP’s Silver Elephant Dinner.

“When you think about today’s Republican Party, this is not the party even of Ronald Reagan, certainly not the party of Abraham Lincoln,” Castro said. “This is the party of Ted Cruz …. FULL STORY>>>

10 best places to celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo — the 5th of May — means one thing in many cities across the United States and Mexico: fiesta time. Grab an ice-cold margarita at one of these 10 celebrations.

“Celebrate Culture” in Denver

For two days each May, the people of Denver tip their hats to the spirit of freedom and the beauty of Latino culture with their annual Cinco de Mayo festival, entitled “Celebrate Culture,” at Central Civic Park. Family-friendly events include a parade, green chili cook-off, chihuahua races and local and international talent performing on three separate stages.

Puebla, Mexico – Where it all began

On May 5, 1862, Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza and his outnumbered soldiers successfully defended the town of Puebla, Mexico against larger and better equipped French occupying forces. While not the official day of Mexican independence, Cinco de Mayo has become a symbol of Mexican pride and heritage.

….

Phoenix Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Phoenix aren’t limited to a single location. Check out the hundreds of booths in downtown’s Patriots Square Park, watch a chihuahua race in Chandler, watch live performances on the stage in Scottsdale or enjoy three days of dancing and festivities in Mesa.

10Best provides its users with original, unbiased, and experiential travel content on top attractions, things to do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.

FULL STORY AFFECTING OTHER CITIES ABROAD FOUND HERE>>>

Mexican-American Women-led Political National Organization Slams Tennessee County Commissioner Barry West for his anti-Mexican remark

Lincoln, NE / Phoenix, AZ — Somos Independents (a national Latina-led political movement) believe the Tennessee County Commissioner Barry West ought to apologize for his anti-Mexican remarks. We believe xenophobia is on the rise in light of Mexican-Americans accounting for almost 70% of the Latin population pie. Xenophobes are afraid the fabric of our great Nation is at risk even though Mexican-Americans continue to spill our blood defending Her.

American GI Forum Dr. Hector Garcia was a Patriot who defended Mexican-Americans who served our great Nation.

Mexican-Americans contribute to patriotism in our Country. In addition to this — we believe in taking care of our elderly. There is no need for the likes of Barry West to be afraid of our ethnic group since many of us know we are going to be the ones who will ensure social security benefits will continue despite the aging white baby boom population. Mexican-Americans contribute billions and billions of tax dollars and we will not allow Barry West to minimize our efforts and contributions any longer.

Mexican-American Patriots continue to enlist and serve our military today. We volunteer because we have patriotic hearts and we love the United States of America. Several of us remember our grandfathers, uncles and/or ancestors who were drafted, and a great number of them spilled their blood to defend our country in a time of war. We honor them for that.

Americans of Mexican descent have been fighting for the United States since the American Revolution. In fact, Latinos served as “rough riders” with Teddy Roosevelt and were recognized for that patriotism under the former President.

During World War I, approximately one third of the U.S. population was recent immigrants; the United States implemented a draft for the war effort (drafting many of Mexican descent). Ten years after the war, the economy slowed down and the U.S. adopted a repressive anti-immigration policy against “Mexicans,” using mass deportation roundups and repatriation that forced many established Latinos out of their homes and forced the separation of families. These events occurred during the economic depression of 1929-1939 in a backlash to create jobs for European Americans. Thus, they deprived Mexican-Americans of their public- and private-sector jobs and ignored many past contributions to the military and our nation.

We will no longer allow the likes of Barry West to forget the contributions of Mexican-Americans who spilled our blood and unafraid to go to the frontlines during war drafts — in an effort to protect this great Nation blessed by our Creator.

###

SOMOS INDEPENDENTS (formerly known as the National Tequila Party Movement) is a woman-led political movement. It is our goal to communicatto women and Latina matriarchs across the nation with regard to the need in fixing the broken immigration system. We organize events, and college rallies that encourages a massive Latino Get Out The Vote and political participation. This movement is a non-partisan movement. We don’t care how people vote, we just want them to get on the early ballot system, become consistent primary and general election voters.

Is he a Christian who ignores the teachings of Jesus Christ?

Since when do Americans reject Freedom of Religion?

Shame on Barry West.

Just in from Think Progress:

Tennessee Commissioner Refuses To Apologize For Anti-Muslim Picture On Facebook

A Tennessee County Commissioner doesn’t see anything wrong with a Facebook post he put up that led to Muslims feeling threatened.The photo was posted to Coffee County commissioner Barry West‘s Facebook page, drawing consternation from Muslim groups who came across the image. In the photo, seen at the right, a double-barreled shotgun is pointed at the viewer with the caption “HOW TO WINK AT A MUSLIM.” The image soon went viral, causing West to take down the original post from his page.

The Tennessean reached out to West and the commissioner not only isn’t sorry about posting the picture, he doesn’t believe he deserves to be singled out:

West, who lives in Manchester, removed it about an hour later. He did not apologize, instead questioning how his tweet had become the focus of attention.

West responded with this email: “No I did not Twitter this … no I did not create this picture … yes I shared it … so why am I being singled out?”

“I’m prejudiced against anyone who’s trying to tear down this country, Muslims, Mexicans, anybody,” he said in an interview with the local Tullahoma News, adding, “If you come into this country illegally or harm us or take away benefits, I’m against it.” West also claimed in that the post was meant to be funny, and that he doesn’t hold anything against Muslims “per se, but if you’re trying to tear down this country, find somewhere else to go.”  FULL STORY>>>

CNN reports on the heated exchanges and simmering tensions:

On the surface, the type of heated exchanges that boiled over at a congressional hearing on Monday on immigration reform appeared to center on the two foreign-born suspects in last week’s Boston Marathon bombings.

Beneath the surface, however, simmered tensions over the depth, breadth and pacing of plans to overhaul U.S. immigration policy currently wending through the Senate.

“Last week, opponents of comprehensive immigration reform began to exploit the Boston Marathon bombing. … I urge restraint in that regard,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, said at the beginning of Monday’s hearing. “Refugees and asylum-seekers have enriched the fabric of this country from our founding.”

David Leopold, an immigration attorney and past president of the Washington-based American Immigration Lawyers Association says this with regard to cynics of immigration reform:

‘What I do see is the opponents of immigration reform who have no arguments about the morality and politics of (this immigration package) very cynically jumping on this horrible tragedy to derail this bill,’ said David Leopold, an immigration attorney and past president of the Washington-based American Immigration Lawyers Association”

I want to underscore that the 2013 Legal immigration reform bill is a major step forward in securing our Nation because only after everyone is registered and documented will we know who is in our Nation and where we can find them. We know that once we fix the broken immigration system, and once we document all immigrants — then they can feel safe to help law enforcement agencies to target criminal activity without the fear of deportation when they report suspicious activity to the law enforcement authorities. Therefore, bringing the immigrants out of the shadows will only strengthen our Nation’s security.

Aztec dancer at Mexico City performance.

DAVID LEONHARDT, with the New York Times recently wrote an op-ed –  Hispanics, the New Italians with regard to “new arrivals.”

Ranking by Population — Pew

Indeed some Hispanic and Latinos are the new Italians, but the majority of those “Hispanics / Latinos” who are of Mexican descent are not the “New Italians” because those of Mexican descent are indigenous.  Mexicans should not be considered “new arrivals.”   Many people from the Anglo / Caucasian community forget Mexicans are indigenous to the United States pre-Guadalupe Treaty and it is high time we educate and remind them with regard to how we feel about painting with broad strokes.   The Mexica didn’t travel by Mayflower boat  to achieve the shores of this continent — nay, they were already here before borders were established and Manifest Destiny.   *On a side note:   The corrupt Sheriff Joe Arpaio is of Italian descent, and more than likely his ancestry came to our shores via boat.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is a historical source of verification that those of Mexican descent had to recede when The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed by the United States and Mexico on February 2, 1848, ending the Mexican War and extending the boundaries of the United States by over 525,000 square miles. In addition to establishing the Rio Grande as the border between the two countries, the territory acquired by the U.S. included what will become the states of Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, most of New Mexico and Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. In exchange Mexico received fifteen million dollars in compensation for the territory and the U.S. agreed to assume claims from private citizens of these areas against the Mexican government.

Many Americans forget how our President Abraham Lincoln believed the Mexican-American war to be ‘illegal.’  As a Congressional freshman, Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln rebuked President Polk for the Mexican War.

got on the floor of the House on January 12, 1848, when he defended the vote of his party given a few days previous “declaring that the war with Mexico was unnecessarily and unconstitutionally commenced by the President.”

It is no secret that Mexican-Americans make up almost 70% of the Latino population pie, but our culture is different than the Honduran, the Cuban, the Dominican Republic and so forth.  In fact, the only thing that we really have in common is the Spanish language.  In addition, many of the legal terms Americans use are in Latin, too.

Indeed a majority of “us” or the Hispanic / Latino people who are lumped into one big pile will often identify ourselves from our country of origin.

The Pew Hispanic Research states:

When Labels Don’t Fit: Hispanics and Their Views of Identity

by Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Jessica Hamar Martínez and Gabriel Velasco

I. Executive Summary

Nearly four decades after the United States government mandated the use of the terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” to categorize Americans who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries, a new nationwide survey of Hispanic adults finds that these terms still haven’t been fully embraced by Hispanics themselves. A majority (51%) say they most often identify themselves by their family’s country of origin; just 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label.

Moreover, by a ratio of more than two-to-one (69% versus 29%), survey respondents say that the more than 50 million Latinos in the U.S. have many different cultures rather than a common culture. Respondents do, however, express a strong, shared connection to the Spanish language. More than eight-in-ten (82%) Latino adults say they speak Spanish, and nearly all (95%) say it is important for future generations to continue to do so.  FULL STORY>>>

Indeed, I hope the New York Times, the Associated Press, the UK Guardian, the Huffington Post will not lump “Hispanics” into one big pile.   We are different, and as a Mexican-American — I do know our American history and rose my right hand to defend this great Nation, however, I also know that those of Mexican descent are indigenous to this land, too.

Most people forget those of Mexican descent are indigenous to the southwestern part of our Nation.

Peter Brimelow
Related Articles
VDARE: GOP Should Concentrate on Whites (2009)
Courting Conservatives
Federation for American Immigration Reform’s Hate Filled Track Record (2007)
‘Paleoconservatives’ Decry Immigration (2003)

VDARE has been identified by the SPLC as White Nationalist organization, and they have some questionable material on their website that is disconcerting to me when they write: “Patriot backlash against Amnesty mounting…”

They are seen quoting Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama when they write :

“Sessions speaks–patriot backlash against Comprensive Immigration Reform.”

According to the SPLC, VDARE  was founded in 1999 by anti-immigrant activist and author Peter Brimelow, the Center for American Unity has served to promote the work of white supremacists, anti-Semites and others on the radical right. This is most obvious in VDARE.com, which the foundation started in 1999 and funded until 2007. It is named after Virginia Dare, said to be the first English child born in the New World, in 1587. Brimelow says that he once planned to bestow Dare’s name upon “the heroine of a projected fictional concluding chapter in Alien Nation [his best selling anti-immigration book], about the flight of the last white family in Los Angeles.”

VDARE is lying about the legal immigration reform plan that has garnered bipartisanship support from both Republicans and Democrats because he claims the Outline of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 is amnesty.

Nothing can be further from the truth.  As a former bomb dog handler and veteran of the United States Air Force, I want to underscore that the 2013 Legal immigration reform bill is a major step forward in securing our Nation because only after everyone is registered and documented will we know who is in our Nation and where we can find them. We know that once we fix the broken immigration system, and once we document all immigrants — then they can feel safe to help law enforcement agencies to target criminal activity without the fear of deportation when they report suspicious activity to the law enforcement authorities. Therefore, bringing the immigrants out of the shadows will only strengthen our Nation’s security.

The great and former Republican Ronald Reagan gave amnesty, while  the 2013 bipartisanship Act does not.

Furthermore, and more importantly … the only immigrants who are given privileged amnesty are the Cuban immigrants under the Cuban Adjustment Act where Cuban immigrants receive government benefits once their wet-foot reaches dry-land.

Why hasn’t VDARE addressed the privileged Cuban amnesty if he is really against amnesty?  Mexican immigrants do not receive government benefits that Cuban immigrants receive.

It is clear that the immigration system is broken and this is why a bipartisanship effort is needed in order to fix the immigration system via a legal immigration plan.  It appears VDARE does not offer a reasonable policy solution to fixing what is broken because they really are xenophobes.

VDARE

More on VDARE from the SPLC:

VDARE also publishes essays by prominent academic racists. For example, a column by Jared Taylor, who has argued elsewhere that black people are incapable of maintaining any kind of civilization, dismisses “the fantasy of racial equality,” claims the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “stripped Americans of the right to make free decisions,” and says that “[b]lacks, in particular, riot with little provocation,” unlike the far more peaceable white race. He has also published pieces by J. Philippe Rushton, the head of the Pioneer Fund, which gives financial backing to academics who specialize in race and IQ studies.

While acknowledging that his site hosts “white nationalists” like Taylor, Brimelow argues that they are merely people who “aim to defend the interests of American whites. They are not white supremacists. They do not advocate violence. They are rational and civil. They brush their teeth. But they unashamedly work for their people.” Brimelow goes on to say that as dark-skinned immigration from the Third World continues, “this type of interest-group ‘white nationalism’ will inexorably increase.” What Brimelow doesn’t mention is that VDARE.com also posts stories by one of the most important anti-Semites in America, Kevin MacDonald, a professor of psychology at the California State University, Long Beach. MacDonald believes Jews are genetically driven to undermine the power of whites by pushing such things as Third World immigration.

Other authors listed on VDARE.com’s website as part of its “editorial collective” as of 2008 include Thomas Allen, Bryanna Bevens, John Brimelow (brother of Peter), Randall Burns, Joseph Fallon, James Fulford, Joe Guzzardi, Athena Kerry, D.A. King, Juan Mann, Paul Craig Roberts, Steve Sailer, Howard Sutherland, Brenda Walker, Allan Wall, John Wall, and Chilton Williamson Jr.

The VDARE.com website also serves as a repository for an archive of nativist columns by the white nationalist movement’s foremost intellectual, Sam Francis, the immigrant-bashing editor of the newspaper of the white supremacist Council of Conservative Citizens who died in 2005. In his columns, Francis rails against the “emerging Hispanic majority,” plugs conspiracy theories, and promotes white racial consciousness.

In 2007, VDARE.com and the Center for America Unity parted ways. The website notes that “VDARE.COM is no longer associated with the Center For American Unity, which plans to focus on litigation,” in place, presumably, of nativist propaganda and opinion. In the center’s stead, Brimelow created the VDARE Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity, to serve as the website’s sponsor. However, as a July 4, 2008, desperate plea from Brimelow for donations and volunteer staff members suggests, funding in the future might prove to be a challenge.

Brimelow spent much of 2009 pounding the white nationalists message that the Republican Party would do better to spend its time attracting white voters rather than by reaching out to minorities. Brimelow took that message to hard right groups as well as expounding the idea on his website. In “Yes, It Is about Race. Quite right, too,” Brimelow explained the “tea party” movements and the furor found at town halls in the summer of 2009 as being “about race” and pointing out that “the backlash [against the Obama administration] is overwhelmingly white.”

We were glad to see JD Hayworth lose against McCain, and I worked my ass off (back when I was a registered Republican) for the Senator John McCain in 2009 / 2010.   To me, Sen. McCain was the lesser of two evils because of Hayworth’s affiliation with a group that allowed the usage of “Wetback” and “Pepper Belly.”

Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth was rejected over an endorsement he accepted from the anti-immigration group Americans for Legal Immigration.

Here is a n old story as we take a trip to memory lane with regard to anti-immigrant extremists when they were on full attack against Arizona Senator John McCain:

Election 2010

J.D. Hayworth Rejected by Hispanic Republican Group Over ALIPAC Endorsement; Apparently ALIPAC Supporters Used Words Like “Wetback” and “Pepper Belly”

By James King Thu., Mar. 11 2010 at 3:41 P

ALIPAC is a controversial organization for a few reasons: It has the support of cuddly organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and former “Grand Wizard” David Duke, which has prompted Hayworth’s primary opponent, Senator John McCain, to call for Hayworth to “disavow” the endorsement.  Somos Republicans isn’t thrilled with the whole Klan association, but its beef is more about some of the language ALIPAC supporters use on the organization’s Web site — namely “wetback,” “taco bender,” “wetback roundup,” and “pepper belly.”   …

Dee Dee Blase, founder of Somos Republicans, says, among other things, she doesn’t trust Hayworth because of his dealings with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff (it should be noted that Hayworth was never charged with any wrongdoing regarding his ties to Abramoff). She says she also doesn’t like his stance on immigration, naturally.

“We’re pissed,” says Blase. “We’re pissed at [Sheriff Joe ] Arpaio, we’re pissed at [state Senator] Russell Pearce, and we’re pissed at this lunatic [Hayworth].”  FULL STORY HERE>>>

Laura Ingraham using similar tactics JD Hawyworth used

We first heard the Boston Bombing rhetoric from the extremist Rep. Steve King you can read here,  and now we are hearing rhetoric spread via the Tea Party talking heads like Laura Ingraham.

Here is what she stated earlier today:

This, in my mind, raises all sorts of questions. I mean, again, we don’t know who did this, motivations, all of that. But it is interesting that at this moment — we are considering legalizing or giving regularized status to millions of people. Pretty much none of them have gone through any rigorous background checks, to have a temporary status in the United States. And we don’t — I just think that there are all sorts of security implications aside from the other arguments on immigration — national security implications that we don’t talk about with enough frankness and I think certitude here. We can’t stop every attack, but my goodness, if we had borders that were shut down and we actually had a proper screening process, maybe we could stop some of them.

As a former bomb dog handler and veteran of the United States Air Force, I want to underscore that the 2013 Legal immigration reform bill is a major step forward in securing our Nation because only after everyone is registered and documented will we know who is in our Nation and where we can find them. We know that once we fix the broken immigration system, and once we document all immigrants — then they can feel safe to help law enforcement agencies to target criminal activity without the fear of deportation when they report suspicious activity to the law enforcement authorities. Therefore, bringing the immigrants out of the shadows will only strengthen our Nation’s security.

Latina-led National Political Movement Welcomes Immigration Discussions / Slams Rep. Steve King

Lincoln, NE / Phoenix, AZ — Somos Independents (a national Latina-led political movement) believe that the introduction of a legal comprehensive bill that includes a pathway to citizenship is a big step forward. We must remember that the designated GOP Presidential candidate just last year was promising to veto the DREAM Act and encouraged self deportation. Thus, this is why we believe this bipartisan cooperation is a big step forward.

Shirl Mora James, a Civil Rights and Immigration Attorney who is also President of Somos Independents states:

This is a much needed step in the right direction for all our families who are aspiring Americans from across the world. We applaud the Gang of 8 U.S. Senators for their courage, foresight and their hard work which begins to address the much needed comprehensive immigration reform.

We look forward to reviewing the bill in its entirety as it relates to the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. We will be diligent in following all the immigration debates, proposed amendment changes and we will keep you updated as such.

It is our belief that our political leaders need to be prudent about this process. We are extremely dismayed and disappointed in the irresponsibility of Iowa Republican Representative Steve King’s xenophobic statements by attempting to use the Boston Marathon national tragedy to stop the forward progress in fixing the broken immigration system. For all King knows, this could be a home-grown domestic terrorist attack likened to the Oklahoma City Bombing or the Centennial Olympic Park Bombing.

The 2013 Legal immigration reform bill is a major step forward in securing our Nation because only after everyone is registered and documented will we know who is in our Nation and where we can find them. We know that once we fix the broken immigration system, and once we document all immigrants — then they can feel safe to help law enforcement agencies to target criminal activity without the fear of deportation when they report suspicious activity to the law enforcement authorities. Therefore, bringing the immigrants out of the shadows will only strengthen our Nation’s security.

###

SOMOS INDEPENDENTS (formerly known as the National Tequila Party Movement) is a woman-led political movement. It is our goal to communicatto women and Latina matriarchs across the nation with regard to the need in fixing the broken immigration system. We organize events, and college rallies that encourages a massive Latino Get Out The Vote and political participation. This movement is a non-partisan movement. We don’t care how people vote, we just want them to get on the early ballot system, become consistent primary and general election voters.