In her article, Suzanne Gamboa advances that racism and not assimilation is the problem plaguing Latinos. Although many levels of the government contest that Latinos have failed to assimilate in America, evidence of Latino socioeconomic mobility debunks this notion. Although many Latinos have family histories that stretch back centuries, many Latinos feel like “foreigners in their own land” as a result of current political dialogue which takes aim at their ethnicity, questions their citizenship status, among others. Moreover, a lack of assimilation is unfairly used to deny political rights to Latinos. In reality, many governments actively work against Latino assimilation through stricter voting laws and electoral redistricting. Gamboa accounts this incredulous irony to inherent racism against Latinos in some physical and ideological pockets of this country. The falsified narrative that Latinos are avoiding assimilation ultimately undermines their ability to contribute to the political narrative of the United States.

The charge that racism is the root problem, not assimilation, is in contrast to Andersen and other readings which maintain that political parties and support organizations are key to incorporation of immigrants into America. Through an analysis of six cities, Andersen forms a thesis around the fact that the lack of immigrant stake in politics is due to being left out by local politicians and not supported by local voting organizations. Failed assimilation into politics is a result of extenuating factors. The contrasting ideas beg the question: What is responsible for a lack of immigrant political agency? Failed political incorporation or racism?

Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/racism-not-lack-assimilation-real-problem-facing-latinos-america-n974021