How dumb is Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Florida)?Very.
Last week she issued a press release in which she referred to Puerto Ricans as "foreign citizens".
Calling her comments “infuriating and contradictory,” members of the U.S. Congress and the full Puerto Rican House of Representatives demanded “a public apology” from Brown-Waite for referring to Puerto Ricans as “foreign citizens.”
Puerto Ricans were made American citizens in 1917.
Ms Ginny has thus far refused to correct her mistake and apologize.
Ginny represents an area in Florida's Central Region, which is home to some 600,000 Floridians of Puerto Rican heritage. However, the 5th District that she represents is comprised largely of nonLatino retirees. Perhaps picking a fight with Puerto Ricans is smart politics there--but it can only be a short-term play.
Why?
The district's demographics are changing allowing Democrats to compete in the formerly solid Republican district. But even if Ms Ginny manages to hang on in 2008, 2010 will be more difficult--and we can expect that the post-2010 redistricting will surely rid Central Florida of this embarrassment. But it won't happen so enough.
But let's be clear. Ginny's assault on Puerto Ricans is simply another manifestion of the rightwing's anti-Latino nativism. As I've said before, it's not about the "immigration status" of some Latinos--it's simple bigotry against Latinos.
Related:
Political leaders criticize Brown-Waite's 'foreign' remark
Puerto Ricans to Brown-Waite: You're an insensitive ignoramus
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