Latinos vote in hopes of finally being heard

The folks over at the Center of American Progress just released this kickin' interactive map. It demonstrates that despite all the hype about record high levels of Latino turnout in this year's primaries, they remain shut out from other fundamental Democratic processes such as being insured and having a decent paying job. I guess the idea is that in voting they hope to not only elect someone they trust will help the Latino community out once elected, but also to draw attention to their more pressing economic and social needs. Really, the trust that Latinos have in the democratic system--one that has many a time systematically excluded them from enjoying the same freedoms other US citizens enjoy--is refreshing. Hopefully Obama (I'm just being real) will fulfill his promise to them and all Americans to once again make ours a country in which substantial change can be achieved through well-established and mainstream channels.

Nation-wide, 15.3 million Hispanics were uninsured in 2006. That's 34.1 percent of the Hispanic population compared to only 10.8 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 20.5 percent of Blacks. What's more, 3.4 Million of these Latinos are children.

This December the unemployment rate for Latinos hit the highest rate in more than two years: 6.3 percent. And as of 2006, 9.2 million Hispanics were living in poverty. This represents 20.6 percent of the Latino population—far higher than the rate for whites (8.2 percent).

What I said above isn't to detract any legitimacy from other means that the Latinos have historically pursued in demanding equal opportunity to economic stability. Most recently, they demonstrated their ability to effectively organize themselves in the string of protests held in Spring 2006. They often point to the Senate's passage of the pro-immigration overhaul Bill 2611 as evidence of the movement's success. Soon after its introduction, however, the 109th Congressional session closed and the bill was effectively scrapped.