For Jessica González-Rojas (*)
It is undeniable that the Hispanic vote had a tremendous impact in the election of November 4. Approximately 17,9 millions of Hispanics have right to vote, of which 9,1 million are women. And from 2004, the number of Hispanics registered to vote has doubled.
The exit surveys of Tuesday, the 4th of November pointed out that the Hispanics supported Obama of an overwhelming way, with 67 per cent voting for Obama and 30 per cent for McCain. According to the Center for women on politics and public order of the University of Massachussets, the Latin women have committed themselves more in the politics, and there are 5 per cent of the entire number of voters (the Latin males reached 4 per cent). The Hispanic support for Obama was of a lot of importance in the states where there freed a hard electoral battle, like Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Virginia; that have an increasing Latin population, and they all were gained by Obama. This statistics demonstrates that the Latin vote is more decisive than in the previous years.
The Latin vote has given place to big advances for women and the Hispanic candidates have increased his representation in the federal government. In 2008, the Hispanics postulated in more than 37 states in elections for federal and state legislative positions. 25 Hispanic members of the Congress added another companion the list of those who are going to serve in the United States House of Representatives. 111 Congress will include seven Latin legislators of Florida, New York and California. They will join 64 holders re-elected in the House of Representatives.
The profit did not limit itself to the Congress. State Legislative assemblies across the country never had Hispanics chosen in quantities earlier seen, especially in Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Since we have a new leadership, we the defenders, activists and organizers we must use this opportunity. We must take the impulse of this election for our organization and activism, putting the aptitude of the woman to take care and to support his family in the center of the platform.
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Although the economy showed to be the most important matter, the Hispanics also voted with the politics of migratory reform in mind. The xenophobic and divisive rhetoric of the Republicans demonstrated to be harmful to obtain support in the Hispanic community, which in the past supported some republican candidates. Senator McCain, who sponsored a legislative reform on immigration in the year 2006, gave the back to the immigrants' community during his campaign. The dijo publicly who would not vote for the same reform that had supported if it was submitted to voting in 2008. These harmful declarations set fire to the flames of the hate and they are considered to be culprits by the loss of the election.
The Hispanic women can say finally: Forward, our time has come! Now the questions that stay are: What does he say this new age?: what do we want for our families and communities?: how will the Hispanic agenda be to reach the justice and the rights of the immigrants? To begin, the National Institute for the Reproductive Health has three requests for the new administration:
1. - To Revoke the amendment Hyde, which denies access to services for the abortion to the women of low income;
2. - To Finish the discriminatory, militaristic and inhuman application of practices of immigration that are destroying our communities; and
3. - To Support a plan for medical care for all.
Like community, we remember the spring of 2006 when million Hispanic immigrants went with immigrants of other origins and Allied Forces, to protest against the harmful immigration politics that there were startings for the republican administration. We take signs and shout: "Today we go!...: tomorrow we vote!”. So, this "tomorrow" came and both the Latin ones and the immigrant voters gave his vote for the hope, the dignity and the justice, to bury the fear.
(*) Director of Politics and Defense for National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.
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