While illegal immigration has overshadowed virtually every issue in Arizona for years, it’s likely that the only universally known number involving Latino issues is 1070 — as in the state’s famous law.
But a new public policy group is forming this year to produce plenty of other numbers about Latinos as that population grows and eventually dominates Arizona politics in the coming decades.
The Morrison Institute Latino Public Policy Center will focus on studying the role of Hispanic voters in the future of Arizona’s politics, education, economy and more. Its first report this month projects Latinos will likely dominate politics in 20 to 30 years, and the findings generated national attention.
The Latino center is an offshoot of the 30-year-old Morrison Institute at Arizona State University. Researchers there found a need for more credible information about Latinos, said director Joseph Garcia.
“Too often we have Latino centers who preach to the choir or they have an advocacy role or they deal mostly with culture,” Garcia said. “We’re looking at it from a data/demographic projection, facts rather than opinions or rhetoric.”
Garcia expects the center will formally open later this year. It’s already planning projects such as how Latinos were affected by Arizona’s residential real estate crash, and how they can get back into the housing market. Another issue of concern is Latinos have a lower educational achievement level than the rest of the population, which has huge implications for the workforce and the economy if not addressed.
Garcia is the only employee so far, but he anticipates adding staff and having outside experts assist with studies based on their expertise.
The center’s inaugural voter study was meant to help bring facts to light that were overshadowed by SB 1070, Arizona’s anti-illegal immigration law that’s grabbed headlines since its approval in 2010.
“In many respects, I think we’re moving beyond the SB 1070 stage of the discussion, and perhaps that’s good,” Garcia said. “Now we can talk about other things like education, health care, workforce development, training.”
Garcia said there’s also a need for Arizona-specific research because the state’s Latino population isn’t the same as Latinos in other states.
The center’s voter study predicts Latinos will help Democratic voter registration catch up to Republican registration by 2025, and surpass the GOP by 2030. The study assumed Latinos will continue to register and vote at lower levels than the rest of the population, said Bill Hart, one of the report’s authors. One important finding is 99 percent of Latinos 4 and younger are U.S. citizens and will become a huge source of new voters as they mature even with no other future immigration.
Hart emphasized the study used the most conservative approach to Latino voter participation, adding that the impact could hit faster if Hispanics become more engaged than in the past.
“A key thing underlying the demographic trends we’re talking about is this is not something we made up or a theory we made up,” Hart said. “It’s a fact. It’s going to happen.”
Contact writer: (480) 898-6548 or ggroff@evtrib.com
august589 posted at 7:22 am on Mon, Aug 13, 2012.
All this means is that Arizona would become more like our neighbors to the east--New Mexico--rather than California or Nevada. Latino issues have been at the forefront of New Mexico politics for the better part of the last three decades. According to this article, Arizona will be headed the same way. Oh, well. Glad to live in Colorado, though the Rocky Mountain State will be headed the same way soon enough.
American Socialist posted at 11:25 am on Mon, Aug 13, 2012.
Huh...notice how New Mexico is not a national embarrassment like Arizona. [wink]
DavidNichols posted at 11:31 am on Mon, Aug 13, 2012.
This hopefully means that Arizona's "Anti-Immigrant Rant" is nearly over.
It has Crashed, and Divided our Nation!
It has Persecuted, Incarcerated, and Deported millions of Good, Hard working un-documented Christian Parents of our own legal Citizen Children!
It has Ruined the lives of millions of non-criminals, and Citizen Familie Members
For the Record: Since the January 2008 start of the E-verify Law, and the I.C.E. Incarceration/Deportation Programs began:
For every Immigrant Deported America has lost over Four times as many American Jobs.
Tens of thousands of Vacated immigrants homes triggered the entire "Foreclosure Crisis".
Over Five Thousand Hispanic Children are now in U.S. Foster Care.
Over One Hundred Non-criminal Immigrants have Died in Detention.
Over Thirteen Thousand Non-criminal Immigrants have been incarcerated for years with out even charges.
Over Forty-Two Thousand Hispanic "Human Beings" now lay dead at the harsh U.S. Mexico Border where I.C.E. has Deported/Dumped Hundreds of Thousands of "Humans" right into a known "Drug War" with nothing, not even water, to be killed, or to Die of the Harsh Elements!
"America is great because it is good, when it ceases to be good, it ceases to be great".
Alex De Tocqueville, a very wise 1840's French Historian.
This Great Nation of Immigrants was built on Far Better Principles, and Values than to rip Good, Hard working Parents away from their legal Citizen Children, and Families!
This is America's Darkest Hour.
This is our I.C.E'd Economy. "I.C.E. put the Car in the Ditch!"
The twenty-five year period prior to 2008/ I.C.E. was "The most Prosperous period in Total U.S. History!"
To: Good, and Brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
hillstreet posted at 11:33 am on Mon, Aug 13, 2012.
And this is necessarily a bad thing how? get over it.
And don't tell Arpaio or Pearce, they will probably grab their chests and drop dead....
VofReason posted at 12:33 pm on Mon, Aug 13, 2012.
More like New Mexico....and just checking their Governor is a......."Republican". Huh, how does that work? Interesting angle American Socialist, but I think the key here is that illegals don't even go to New Mexico in the same way they come here. That isn't a good thing, but if they were flocking to NM like they have to Phoenix for years, they would be the one with SB 1070. David Nichols- "Undocumented Christian parents of our own legal children". Nice, meaning they jumped over the border to drop their child (and cost of delivery) on American soil to make them a citizen based on a nonsense hole in policy. I believe that most Mexicans are good people in search of betterment for them and their families, but can you tell me how many people from other countries children become Mexican citizens because they were able to have them there? Yup- none.