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The GOP and the Hispanic Vote (1998-12-03)
About this film
Mr. Garza, a Mexican-American from the border town of Brownsville, Texas, had been appointed Secretary of State in 1995 by newly elected Governor George W. Bush; in November he had been elected in his own right to one of the top posts in Texas government. A low-key but very informative look at Mr. Bush in particular and ethnic politics in general. TG: "What Bush did through his term was to say, 'Listen, we're going to enforce these [immigration] laws. We're going to enforce them in a respectful way, but a country has a right to enforce its borders.'..." WFB: "What were the Democrats saying at the same time?" TG: "Well, the national Democrat, I think, was trying to use it as an issue that separated Hispanics from the positions Republicans were taking. What is somewhat offensive is that it suggests that there are no distinctions between Hispanic-Americans--Mexican-Americans--and people who don't share the rights that accrue to citizens."
Directors & creators
Southern Educational Communications Association
Subjects
public broadcasting, AAPB, William F. Buckley Jr., George W. Bush, Antonio Garza, Hispanic politics, Texas state government, Brownsville Texas, Republican Party, Democratic Party, immigration policy, border enforcement, ethnic politics, voter demographics, Mexican-American relations
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