Mitt Romney’s NCLR video is an insult to Latinos

Posted on July 9, 2012 By Julissa Bonfante Politics

Ann Romney narrates for Mitt Romney's video at NCLR.

Ann Romney narrates for Mitt Romney’s video at National Council of La Raza luncheon. (VOXXI)

The silence in the luncheon seemed deafening as the question seemed settled: would presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney address this week’s gathering of the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights group?

There, on video screens in a Las Vegas banquet hall was not the former governor of Massachusetts, but images of him and his family, with a narration by his wife, Ann.

And, instead of talking about issues relating to Latinos in front of a massive gathering of the National Council of La Raza, she was talking about — his leadership skills in handling the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

After a few minutes, the video was over and attendees were left to quietly contemplate — what? The snubbing by the Romney campaign? The disconnect between the video and the audience? The dearth of Hispanics in winter Olympic sports? Really?

Watch the sequence in 5:55
Perhaps none of those, but as the luncheon returned from campaign videography to present-day reality, I awaited a verdict from those at the podium. This wasn’t a Democratic versus a Republican thing. This was about respect, about addressing the concerns of the fastest growing voter bloc in the country.

The 2002 Winter Olympics? The Romney camp didn’t even bother to produce something special for the largest Hispanic organization in the country? Couldn’t they have even tried putting Mitt Romney on air to give us those traditional political greetings in broken Spanish?

Yes. This was a rallying moment for national Hispanics — at just the right place. Let the Latino leadership of this country rush to the podium to denounce this insult. Good, the lovely Maria Elena Salinas, of Univision, was the first live speaker after the video.

She could address what was on all of our minds, not by declaring or decrying anything that this video slap in the face represented. She could simply do what TV reporters and anchors do best: ask questions.

Questions like: what was the Romney camp thinking?

Y nada.

She went on as if this video did not exist, perhaps a fitting metaphor for the moment since the video treated Hispanics as if they didn’t exist.

It wasn’t until NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguia took the podium that she finally said something about the lack of Romney’s attendance. She called it ‘a missed opportunity’ but didn’t address the video.

But let’s not ignore what happen. Let’s address the elephant in the room. The Republican elephant. If the Hispanic leadership in this country could not use this forum to point out this insult, then perhaps the political empowerment of the Hispanic community isn’t as close as we have been led to believe.

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  • scasab

    Bravo Julissa!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=749085482 Natascha OS

    I second the BRAVO! Not only is it appalling the video but also, as you say, the NCLR response to it. You would think that after the NALEO – Orlando conference our politicians would be a bit more in-tune with the Hispanic community and the importance of their vote.

  • jtrailroad

    get a passport,work visa and a suporter.speak english,learn our constitution and then go in frront of a judgge when he assk you a question to become a USA citizen

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lou-R-Chavez/100003761062203 Lou R Chavez

    Emotional hysteria aside, Obama personally ignored the NCLR and sent in a surrogate. No comment or complains from the progressive element! Rather than an empty pander in the diminish manner of elitist progressives (traditional political greetings in broken Spanish); Romney’s video addresses a national organization that claims to represent the 50mil+ American Hispanics in the United States. The video’s focus is in the leadership skills in handling a BANKRUPTED 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The majority of the 50mil+ American Hispanics are concerned about the national economy & demonstrated leadership skills needed to help the economy & job growth! In-fact, I as many other Hispanics are insulted by Charlatans wearing colorful sombreros, holding a toco in one hand & giving the “traditional political greetings in broken Spanish”.
    Romney by way of his video, addressed the NCLR as an organization that represents over 50mil+ American Hispanics, the majority of which are registered voters or eligible to vote as citizens with common national concerns. Romney’s video respected NCLR as equals, however, apparently NCLR is so used to being catered to as disenfranchised victims by elitist progressive that you failed to recognized & appreciated to be treated as equals!
    Sincerely, Lou R. Chavez, MBA San Diego, CA

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chas-Holman/1333779011 Chas Holman

    Governor Mitt Romney’s dad, Governor George Romney, walked out of the 1964 Republican National Convention to protest the Republican platform plank against civil rights legislation.

    History has been very kind to Governor George Romney. Governor Mitt Romney might should do some reflecting and think about how history is going to look back at him. If that matters to him.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=639776798 Caro Verdugo

    This video was obviously in general addressing All
    Americans, not a “selected audience”. so I as a Latina do not feel
    insulted at all, I actually feel inspired that he is not taking sides
    with anyone, but embracing us all as ONE equally, (I appreciate that he
    does NOT have a divisive and hateful agenda like our current
    president)… so much for hope and change….

    Mitt is showing and proving his leadership skills, his ability as a
    decent and business man to revive a bankrupted organization such as the
    Olympics, and so many other entrepreneurial achievements such as jobs
    creation, steadfast consistency and hard work that pays off.

    We the Latino community are profoundly and rightfully concerned about
    the economy and all-time high unemployment levels, well, he seems to be
    the answer to our prayers and his proven track record shows it…..

    The answers we have seeing until today like the ever increasing welfare
    lines and snap food stamp cards, and all these entitlements to fully
    able people, I am sorry but those are NOT the answer to improve our
    economy and regain the status of superpower nation that we used to be…
    We need jobs, we need to improve our national rating, we need to
    celebrate ingenuity and creativity in jobs creation (not punish it with
    over-taxation and endless bureaucracy) we must recover our national
    pride, as proud Americans, as a Nation, as a real United States of
    America.