Hate is a four-letter word

Immigration swiftly becomes largest civil-rights issues of our generation

National Council of La Raza chief Janet Murguía warned that politicos are using immigration as a wedge issue for the 2008 elections, and that is making the issue “one of the largest civil-rights issues not only to the growing Latino vote but of our generation.”

She questioned the wisdom of politicos and candidates using rhetoric “demonizing” immigrants at the congressional, state, and local level. Murguía warns they will feel a backlash of the galvanizing effect of the vitriolic debate will have on the Latino vote.

“And as the primary season has demonstrated, Latinos will be a deciding factor in which candidate becomes president of the United States this fall,” Murguía said.

Murguía also expressed concern that the extreme rhetoric of the immigration debate is polarizing the country. “Voices better left on the fringe of political debate have moved front and center,” she said, “and it is breaking communities apart.” 

She cited an FBI report which showed that hate crimes against Latinos rose 35 percent over the last four years. In addition, Southern Poverty Law Center research reports that hate groups targeting Latinos have jumped 40 percent since 2000. NCLR has undertaken an educational effort through a website, www.wecanstopthehate.org to discourage the use of hate rhetoric.