The National Council of La Raza spends most of its time protecting and advancing the rights of Latinos through advocacy and community work. But as it wrapped up its convention in San Diego last week, it found itself defending its name.

That’s because activists who oppose illegal immigration are saying in e-mails, during street protests and through the media that “La Raza” means “The Race,” and have been calling the organization a hate group.

The accusations have prompted soul-searching among NCLR supporters as to what the name actually means and stands for. Most say the situation is the result of a word lost in translation.

In the past few days, organizers have addressed the issue at news conferences and on their Web site, where they explain their interpretation of the name.

“While it is true that one meaning of ‘raza’ in Spanish is indeed ‘race,’ . . . words can and do have multiple meanings,” reads the statement. “ ‘La raza’ means ‘the people’ or ‘the community.’

“Translating our name as ‘the race’ is not only inaccurate, it is factually incorrect. ‘Hispanic’ is an ethnicity, not a race. . . . Hispanics can be and are members of any and all races.”

Still, raza can mean different things to different people, even Spanish speakers. For some it means family and community, while for others it represents the language and customs of Latinos.

Read Full Article

Popularity: 8% [?]

Senator Barack Obama proposed a tax credit of up to 50-percent for small business owners who offer health insurance to their employees, borrowing an idea from his former rival in an effort to attract Latino voters to his presidential candidacy.

“Today, I’m announcing my plan to provide real relief for small business owners crushed by rising costs, an idea championed by my friend Hillary Clinton, who’s been leading the way in our battle to insure every American,” Mr. Obama said, adding: “We know that small businesses are the engines of economic prosperity in our communities, especially in Latino communities.”

At the mere mention of her name, the audience at the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza cheered enthusiastically. Mr. Obama is seeking to increase his appeal to Latino voters who he believes could hold considerable sway in the fall election against Senator John McCain.

With Mr. Obama addressing the group on Sunday and Mr. McCain scheduled to speak here on Monday, the importance of Latino voters once again was becoming clear. It is the third time in as many weeks that the competing presidential candidates have addressed a group of Latino officials.

“Make no mistake about it: The Latino community holds this election in your hands,” Mr. Obama said to booming applause from a few thousand people gathered at the San Diego Convention Center. “I am here today to make you this promise: I will be a president who stands with you and fights for you and walks with you every single step of the way.”

The importance of Latino voters, he said, was clear by looking at the results of the 2004 election. This year, several battlegrounds have significant Latino populations, particularly Florida, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico.

“If you have any doubt about whether you can make a difference, just remember how, back in 2004, 40,000 registered Latino voters in New Mexico didn’t turn out on Election Day,” Mr. Obama said. “Senator Kerry lost that state by fewer than 6,000 votes — 6,000 votes! Today, in 2008, an estimated 170,000 Latinos in New Mexico aren’t registered to vote.”

The small business health care proposal from Mr. Obama drew praise from Mrs. Clinton, with her spokesman, Mo Elleithee, issuing a statement saying that “she’s gratified that he is adding a proposal similar to hers.”

It was met with sharp criticism from Mr. McCain, who suggested through a spokesman that imposing health care coverage would have “a devastating impact” on small businesses.

“This is an obvious and crude effort to spackle together a quick political fix,” said Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for Mr. McCain.

Popularity: 4% [?]