A few years ago, close to the end of the waves of super, mega marches for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR), I lamented the division among groups with conflicting self interests (e.g. labor vs. community groups willing to tolerate guest worker programs).  I hate to always point out the negative, but one of the other things to not fully materialize in the post-Sensenbrenner campaign was the awakening of the sleeping giant vis a vis the polls.  Yes, there were many new voter registrations.  And, yes, many of those voters came out for Barack Obama.  But there have been few if any decisive moves by this so-called giant to make anyone (especially the GOP) worried about Latino backlash.  Sure, there are many mad-as-hell Latinos (me included) who are going to do everything we can to get voters to the polls.  But we have to be able to deliver some tangible win very soon or else the awakened Giant will, well, go back to sleep.  In fact, when CIR died last time, many Latino voters threw their hands up in the air and said “¿para que, si nada cambió?”  Well, nothing did change as far as policy goes.  For people from other countries who are used to government doing nothing at all in their hometowns, this is a completely reasonable reaction to inaction and incompetence here in the U.S.  Latin-American fatalism seems to fit just right.

Of course, the mainstream media is already talking about the newly galvanized Latino voters in Arizona who are going to come out in droves.  They are sounding the alarm that the sleeping giant is once again on the move and soon, the old structures and habits will be toppled by this beast.  But, at this point, I think we know better.  There will be no dramatic, 5-point Palm Exploding Heart Move to entertain us.  The Latino Giant is a bit of a glacier.  Its power will be felt over time.  As the racists die off and Latino youth grow up, the populace will get browner.  There are enough of us that have been moving up in the ranks to make sure that we are not governed by a minority.  Success will be a new Latino majority that is civically engaged on a regular basis, not just in response to attacks such as the Sensenbrenner bill and SB-1070.  This success would be quaint and probably not noticeable except to historians and sociologists who would crunch the numbers.

Of course there is always the worst case scenario:  Latinos would continue to be ostracized and isolated to the point of setting up their own shop.  All the “illegal” haters would successfully convince us that Latino immigrants are unwanted and unwelcome.  But at that point, it would be too late.  Our huddled masses would have already developed a sense of entitlement equal to or greater than the haters.  Then, the American dream would become the Americano Dream as defined in Samuel Huntington’s nightmares.

We have a choice America.  We can choose to live with each other peacefully or risk bifurcation of this great country.  In any case, Latinos are certainly here stay–it’s time to deal with it.

Photo: Latina Lista