Henry Cisneros, the former San Antonio mayor who was secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration, made the suggestion three years ago in an interview with the Spanish-language news service EFE.
“I don’t know if he or she’s in elementary school or in law school or is already elected … to public office, but I believe that that person is already alive, and we’re 20 years or less away from having a Latino or Latina president,” said Cisneros, whose own path to higher office may have been derailed by personal scandal and who today is executive chairman of CityView, an urban development investment firm.
When the day comes that Cisneros predicted, the man or woman behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office will represent an ever-increasing segment of the population. Latinos (or Hispanics, the official government term) made up 15.5% of the U.S. population in 2010, but by 2050 they’re projected to approach 25% of the population.
In case you were wondering why ethnic programs are getting canceled. In case you were wondering why the right is so desperate to eliminate immigration. In case you we’re wondering why the Spanish language is seen as “evil”. In case you were wondering why the Dream Act hasn’t passed. The right is scared of that 25%. Too bad those over 50 million latin@s currently living in the Unites States are virtually unstoppable now. I can’t wait to see the first Latino president.
Here’s something scary though: there’s George P. Bush, who is the son of Jeb Bush and Columba Garnica (a naturalized Mexican), is technically a Latino, and of course he comes from that long line of politicians, the Bush clan. He graduated from law school in 2003 and he’s out there (lurking) somewhere. Just sayin.
