Romney, Our First Hispanic President

J. writes:

Romney, first Hispanic president?

Hey, I took Spanish in high school; does that make me Hispanic? (Soy un hombre sincero.)

Ha! That’s funny! Actually, it hasn’t been until recently that the Mormons in their enclave in northern Mexico have stopped using English as their primary language. Technically they are in Mexico, but they see themselves as an offshoot from Utah.

The Mormon enclave in Chihuahua is under heavy pressure these days, with drug smuggling in all directions and no real protection. You would think Romney would want to help shore the enclave up, but that would require some kind of engagement with the problem, and maybe that’s too much to ask.

I don’t think Hispanics are under any illusion about U.S. politicians. They will support politicians who support them. Plain and simple.

Here is an excerpt from Ruben Navarrette's article:

Que? You didn't know that Mitt Romney was half-Mexican? It's true. In fact, if he makes it to the White House, in addition to becoming the first Mormon in the Oval Office, he could also be the nation's first Hispanic president.

...Yet, I would imagine that a lot of Americans aren't aware of this branch of the Romney family tree, and that's because it is not a detail that Romney usually talks about publicly -- and especially not on the campaign trail.

...Romney's great-grandfather, Miles Park Romney, fled the United States and crossed into Mexico in 1885 to escape religious persecution. He helped build the Mormon enclave of Colonia Juarez in Chihuahua.

Miles Park Romney never became a Mexican citizen, and neither did his son, Gaskell, or grandson, George. They were all denied Mexican citizenship because statutes on the books in Mexico denied that right to American settlers and their offspring.

Speaking to the crowd in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney compared his father's story to those of countless other immigrants who have come to this country seeking economic opportunity.

...This is ironic given that I've spent the last 20 years criticizing politicians who twist the facts, propose simple solutions and pick on those who don't have a voice.

And Romney has spent the last several months doing precisely that, just like he did during his failed 2008 presidential bid. He has used illegal immigration as a weapon against Republican opponents who propose reasonable solutions and in the process portrayed illegal immigrants, most of whom come from Mexico, as takers who come to the United States for free public benefits and ought not be rewarded with "amnesty."