Since 1980, every election cycle has had the annual “sleeping giant” column about Latino political power. Today we have more media coverage and more Latinos/as in political positions my generation could only imagine. In fact there has been an increase of 63.6% in Latino/a elected officials from 1996(3,743) to 2015(6,124). But are we any different, better, than those we have replaced? Not much, sad to say.

I can remember marching against the Vietnam War in 1965, “riots” at my high school amongst Whites, Blacks and Chicanos in 1970/71, and Chicano and Black voices from 1968 to 1971 sharing and doing very inspirational things. These and many more such experiences helped form my belief that once Latinos gained a place at “the table” of decision-making we would do better than those before us. The life experiences my grandparents and parents had had in the US and those I had to deal with, underscored that I wanted to improve on the model. I didn’t want to repeat the mistakes of those in power before and during my young years. Because of these generational experiences, I believed mine would pursue a more inclusive, tolerant, understanding and egalitarian society.

Over my more than 30 years in the world of politics and public policy I have seen and dealt with too many Latino/a politicos who play the same games, have the same egos as those we complained ignored us and we have sought to replace. Many of these Latino/a politicos were taught by very poor teachers—Democrats and Republicans more interested in attaining and maintaining power than solving problems. We seem to ignore the reality that Democrats sound and act better because too many Republicans are so offensive and mean-spirited. We do not hold both parties accountable for their policies. We hold only one because they are so bad most of the time. In most instances this double standard has not brought the progress we were told, and too many Latinos believed and continue to do so, that Democrats would bring about.

One only needs to read the PEW Research Center studies to see that so many of yesterday’s problems are still with us. A prime example is education where another generation of Latino children attend poor performing public schools, the same school system that has long discriminated against us but is defended by Latino elected officials more often than not!

If you believe all of the media coverage by English and Spanish language media about our political power how is it possible that our existence in this phenomenal nation continues to be full of the same issues we had two generations ago? While Latinos voted in record numbers in the 2014 Congressional elections, 18 million eligible Latinos did not vote. A fact not shared by the media was that Latino non-voters outnumbered those who voted by 3 to 1. In 2016 we will have 27.3 million Latinos eligible to vote with 44% being millennials (born in 1981 or later). How many of us will vote? Will we vote with purpose and vision, or out of fear?

A great deal is at stake this election, but every election is vital to our community. We cannot continue to vote Democrat because Republicans are so bad. Republicans largely have given up seeking a partnership with us and Democrats have long ago taken this for granted as they have taken for granted the black vote. It is time that we become responsible for our plight, that we come together to develop ideas, policies, strategies for reaching what we all believe this nation offered the world—a fair chance at success in whatever manner we define it.

History keeps telling us that we must take more control and responsibility for making change. But we cannot ever ignore that our goal is not to be like those we seek to replace; their values, dishonesty and policies they have established. We cannot approach this mission with resentment, speak past those we want to hear us, insult those who have insulted us. We must be clear, factual in our discussions, creative with our ideas, cognizant that there is fear with the demographic change this country has been experiencing. This does not mean we apologize for wanting change, believing that a more inclusive society is a better society for all. It means that we speak with a strong and calm voice, a voice that reflects our experiences but not our bitterness, a voice and manner that has ideas and proposes solutions and does not repeat the treatment so many of us have seen, heard and felt for at least three generations. We must pursue a more inclusive, tolerant, understanding and egalitarian society.

#election #education