A Democratic campaign strategy memorandum told Democrats they must attract Hispanic voters, who have voted Republican in recent years, or they risk losing this year’s presidential election.  The memo told Democrats that Hispanic immigrants do not have the same loyalty to the Democratic Party that second and third generation Hispanic voters have. 

In the 2000 election Hispanics composed about 6% of the total vote: President Bush received 35% and Al Gore received 62%.  However, Democrat officials estimate that the Hispanic vote has grown to 9% of the total electorate, and they are concerned because President Bush and his brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush are especially popular among Hispanic voters.  Democrat Party officials told their party members that the President needs to increase his Hispanic vote by only 5 or 6 percent to be reelected.

Republican Party officials have been heavily targeting Hispanic voters and have used Spanish-language television as a vehicle to reach more voters.  Officials for the Republicans say that they will continue to aggressively communicate their message to Hispanic voters in Spanish and English on TV, radio, print media and on the Internet.

*****

The GOP candidates for Senate in California are all but outwardly criticizing Bush and his immigration proposal to legalize many undocumented workers.  The four candidates, Howard Kaloogian, Toni Casey, Rosario Marin and Bill Jones, are opposed to amnesty and interpret Bush’s plan as just that.

Kaloogian seems to be the most outspoken on the subject.  He has said that Bush’s proposal is bad for both California and the United States.  It is his opinion that the US should increase border security and government officials should deal with the source of the problem through pressuring Mexico to improve its conditions so that fewer people will want to come to the US.  Additionally, he would strengthen enforcement at the border.  He categorizes Bush’s plan as amnesty over time.

Casey also calls Bush’s plan an “amnesty.”  She intends to allow seasonal migrant workers to stay in the country less than one year.  Jones has yet to take an official position on the plan, as it is not a legislative bill.  He has, however, stated that he is opposed to amnesty.  Marin, who emigrated from Mexico when she was a teenager, also has not taken an official position on the president’s plan.  She has vowed to work with the Mexican government to reform its economic policies.

*****

A platform was announced by a coalition of organizations that represents Asian-Americans’ intentions to increase politicians’ involvement with this specific ethnic group.  The platform covers topics such as immigration changes, poverty and hate crimes and is planned to educate the parties and help Asian-Americans make educated voting choices.

Asian-American leaders have said recently that as opposed to the Latino community, comparatively little attention had been paid to the many people in their communities who had been detained, deported or delayed in applying for permanent residency as a result of stricter procedures.  New restrictions also have hampered family reunification for immigrants with family members threatened by ethnic, political and religious persecution in Asia.

Large-scale voter education and registration programs to improve civic involvement in Asian-American communities are planned for the months leading up to the presidential election.