So what if Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman hired illegal immigrant Nicandra Santillan Diaz as her housekeeper years ago?Whether Whitman knew about her immigration status or not, why is that single issue so important?
One reason is that it shines a light on an economic system that officially discourages illegal immigration, but actually depends on the cheap labor undocumented workers are more than willing to provide.
"(Diaz) is becoming a national symbol."
Contrary to the stereotype, Hispanics don't consider immigration the only issue or even the most important one. Like most Americans, they ranked education, jobs and health more important in a recent survey conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center.
But here's the twist: The issue could motivate them to go to the polls, where Hispanics historically have supported the Democrats. The Pew survey also found that Latinos who discussed immigration with others were more motivated to vote than those who didn’t.
And that means that if the housekeeper issue resonates emotionally with Hispanic voters, it could have a major impact on the state gubernatorial election in November. According to data cited by the Chronicle, if Whitman does not capture at least 35 percent of the Latinos, she would lose.
Read more about the symbolic significance of this issue in a front-page Chronicle article available here:
Posts
In George Lopez's words FTP Meg Whitman. She doesn't care about Mexicans she is just exploiting an immigrant that will work for less money. I have cleaned houses for a living 15 yrs ago & I charge $20.00 bucks an hour. I wonder how much she pays her house keeper.. Meg Whitman is grimey & greedy. I will never vote for her, she is an evil bruja & I hate her. She can go to hell!
ReplyDeleteThanks Angelina.
ReplyDeleteI think many Americans are hypocritical about illegal immigration. They say it's a bad thing and should stop...as long as they get to keep their low-paid housekeepers, gardeners and farmworkers.
Leonel