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
Hispanics 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 "Hispanics" grows, mainstream
fears will intensify. The presence of fringe separatist
groups are fueling those fears.
The
Gangs
The violent nature of Hispanic 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. Already, drug gangs
often outgun the officers on the U.S. border. Read
news article.
|
