Polarized Politics & Hispanic Identity: These Not So United States (TX Part 4)

The Purple Principle

The Purple Principle is visiting the Lone Star State throughout the month of March 2022 and wondering if the famously strong Texas identity is holding up under the powerful forces of red vs. blue throughout our nation. In Polarized Politics & Hispanic Identity, we focus the discussion on Hispanic Texans and, particularly, the large Tejano community (Texans of Mexican descent) in South Texas.

Two respected commentators weigh in on this and related issues. Former four-term San Antonio mayor, Henry Cisneros, provides an insightful critique of his own Democratic Party’s failings in Texas of late, as well the growing appeal of the GOP to specific groups of Hispanics, such as small business owners.

“If all of the invitations to you as a member of a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are to be with like-minded business people, and they're all Republicans,” observes Cisneros. “Then at some point you say to yourself, ‘well, maybe that's where I should be if I want to advance.’”

Dr. Sharon Navarro, political scientist at UT San Antonio and author of Latina Legislator, feels that the Tejano identity still runs stronger and deeper than political party affiliation in South Texas. But she also notes that the GOP has been successfully conflating the identities of Texan and Republican while wielding power to full advantage in the region.

Texas is not only as large as a good-sized European nation but more diverse as well, being 40% Hispanic statewide and 80% in the South Texas region. For a deeper dive into Texas diversity, tune into Polarized Politics & Hispanic Identity: These Not So United States (TX, Part 4), with original music by long-time Texas resident Ryan Adair Rooney.

SHOW NOTES

Our Guests

Dr. Henry Cisneros, former four-term Mayor of San Antonio, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and former President of Univision. Currently a board member of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Dr. Cisneros on Twitter.

Dr. Sharon Navarro, Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and editor of Latinas in American Politics: Changing and Embracing Political Tradition. Dr. Navarro’s Faculty page, Twitter, website

Additional Resources

Listen to our full Texas series: https://fluentknowledge.com/texas-series

• How Immigration Politics Drives Some Hispanic Voters to the G.O.P. in Texas (New York Times)
• The Good Wife (Texas Monthly)
• Secretary Henry G. Cisneros - US Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Juan Seguín - Humanities Texas
• Univision Chooses Cisneros As President, Operating Chief (Wall Street Journal, 1997)
• Carolina Malpica Munguia - Handbook of Texas
• HUD nominee gets bipartisan praise (UPI, 1993)
• Here are the Republican senators who voted for the infrastructure bill (New York Times)
• Here are the 13 House Republicans that defied Kevin McCarthy and voted for Biden's $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill (Business Insider)
• U.S. gets 'C-,' faces $2.59 trillion in infrastructure needs over 10 years: report (Reuters)
• Bill that would give the U.S. Postal Service a major overhaul moves to the Senate (NPR)
• Party affiliation among adults in Texas by race/ethnicity (Pew Research Center)
• Why Democrats Are Losing Texas Latinos
• The South Texas Region - 2020 Regional Report - Texas Comptroller
• Senator Lisa Murkowski - U.S. Senate
• Senator Mark Warner - U.S. Senate
• The left hates Joe Manchin. His fellow Senate Dems are staying quiet (Politico)

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