When I began the first book of my trilogy in 2004, some thought the premise was unrealistic. An uprising by Hispanics? The idea seemed far-fetched, they said. Today, the skeptics are no longer so certain. The heated debate over illegal immigration has spawned a series of events that threaten to widen an already growing gulf between the Latino community and mainstream America. Arizona’s controversial law SB 1070 along with the state’s attempt to ban ethnic studies and calls by some political leaders for the gutting of the 14th Amendment are the latest in a deepening nativist trend. As 2011 begins, over 20 states have plans for similar legislation -- laws that many Latinos see as motivated by racism.

Meanwhile, Latinos have become the number one victims of hate crimes. The Department of Homeland Security has warned local law enforcement groups of the growing threat of violent right-wing radical groups. Armed vigilantes patrol our southern border even as the violence of the drug cartels threaten to spill over into the United States. I posed the nightmare scenario of America Libre and House Divided as a wake up call to the dangers of extremism - on all sides of this explosive issue. Illegal immigration is a divisive topic between Latinos and the mainstream today. Yet it is only the tip of the iceberg. Over the next decade, three other factors will prove equally significant.

The bebé boom
Even if our borders were sealed tomorrow and not a single illegal immigrant entered the nation, nearly one in five people in the U.S. will still be classified as Hispanic by 2025. In less than a generation, we can expect a “bebé boom” of young Latinos entering the job market. Will our economy find work for them? Or will we have an unstable mass of restless, idle, and alienated youth?

What is a Hispanic?
This often-misused term first coined in the late seventies lumps all people of Latin American and Spanish origin into a single group. The term has morphed into a quasi-racial label that creates the illusion of a monolithic bloc among Spanish-surnamed people. In reality, people labeled Hispanic vary widely in politics, economic status, and race. But the specter of a racial conflict has already stirred a mainstream backlash. As the number of Latinos grows, mainstream fears will intensify. The presence of fringe separatist groups are fueling those fears.

The Gangs
The violent nature of Latino street gangs is no secret. Although their ruthless reign touches almost everyone in the barrios, they have remained apolitical—so far. Will barrio gangs, usually formed in a reaction to prejudice, remain on the sidelines in a growing ethnic conflict? As Hitler, Mussolini, the Sandinistas, the warlords of Somalia, and countless other demagogues have proven, street thugs can quickly become the shock troops of political upheaval.

A conflict in the making
In the eyes of the extremists, the battle lines are already drawn. The manifesto of La Voz de Aztlan says: “We do not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continent.” In the words of one Anglo activist interviewed by the author: “There WILL be civil war in this country and THEN all will finally discover what true patriotic Americans are REALLY like.”

The distortions and hate-filled rhetoric of the dividers are escalating daily. Sadly, history has often been on their side. READ MORE