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# What Would Los Angeles be Like Without Latinos?
July 20 2015
Written by Fred Mariscal.
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LATINO PERSPECTIVE-The melting pot that defines the United States as a land of opportunity is represented in the assortment of thoughts and ideas of many people, Latinos included. Last week I was reading a commentary on the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy in which the following question was asked: What Would America be like Without Hispanics?
In this article we are also reminded about the time when African American author Ralph Ellison asked: What would America be like without blacks? The commentary added that Ellison shows the socio-economic and cultural contribution of African Americans, but that he also questioned what America would have been if Africans and their descendants did not shape and define America.
Ellison not only showed that America’s historical, political, economic and cultural definition was contributed to by African Americans, but also reminded us that America has continued to evolve as a country of immigrants.
Recent debates now surround the ‘Browning of America’ … last year Latinos surpassed whites in the state of California and in the city of Los Angeles … but, what many of us fail to realize is that California and Los Angeles have always been Latino. Latino culture can be traced in the United States for more than 500 years when California, Mexican states, Florida and the Southwest were discovered by Spanish explorers.
New arguments now encircle the “Browning of California,” and it will be interesting to see how this continuous remaking of the Golden State will influence the rest of the country.
*What* would Los Angeles be like without Latinos? Or *where* would Los Angeles be without Latinos? – It may not have even been named Los Angeles!
California can do a better job at recognizing the contributions of Latinos in every aspect of our society, and as a result the rest of the country will notice.
We need to settle the contradictions that exist when we say we are a nation of immigrants because by continuing to do so we limit the number of highly-skilled, foreign-born employees who can come to work here.
We need to lift the cap on H-1B work visas for foreign nationals. The H-1B is the vehicle of choice for companies that want to retain highly-skilled, foreign-born employees. America’s openness to high-skilled immigrants has been a crucial component of California’s and LA’s success. Silicon Valley & Silicon Beach will greatly benefit from this lift.
I agree with the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy when it argues that the economic, political and social-cultural influence of current immigrants is far more beneficial to the nation than our media critics make them out to be.
Latinos are fast becoming the new foundation of our country’s economic, political and social-cultural power.
What would Los Angeles be without Latinos? We might argue that it would not exist.
Latinos have the potential to redefine America, and Los Angeles can continue to lead the way.
*(Fred Mariscal came to Los Angeles from Mexico City in 1992 to study at the University of Southern California and has been in LA ever since. He is a community leader who serves as Vice Chair of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition and sits on the board of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council representing Larchmont Village. He was a candidate for Los Angeles City Council in District 4. Fred writes Latino Perspective for CityWatch and can be reached at: )*
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 59
Pub: Jul 21, 2015
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