Latino Officials’ ‘Fight for the Spoils’

I generally enjoy the columns from Prof. Rodolfo Acuna, and I read his Aug. 12 column (“Now the Fight for the Spoils,” Opinion) with great interest--and some disappointment.

Acuna correctly notes that there have been ongoing class divisions within the Latino community, and he might have added racial ones as well.

Acuna, however, spent more time discussing the sometimes political rivalries among some of the principal veteran Latino elected officials--Edward R. Roybal, Richard Alatorre, Art Torres, Esteban Torres and Gloria Molina--which reflect the emergence of the Latino community into its rightful role as an equal participant in the electoral and democratic processes.

What is unfortunate is that Acuna attempts to cast these competitions as meaningful ideological divisions when really they are not.

Notwithstanding the apparent harshness of the rivalry between Alatorre and Molina, for instance, there has been little or no real difference between them on the issues they have voted on in both the state Assembly and the Los Angeles City Council.

Alatorre, who is cast as an Establisment figure, has a well-established record in support of abortion funding for the poor, farm labor protection, low-income housing, bilingual services, minimum-wage equity and public financing of elections--a record that persisted even when some of these positions were minority viewpoints. Molina clearly differs little with Alatorre on these fundamental issues.

Alatorre and Molina represent differing views of how to accomplish essentially the same goals.

If there is within the Latino community an enemy to the struggle for economic, political and social justice for the vast majority of Latinos, it is the political views represented by Republican and conservative Sarah Flores. Considering that Flores felt no discomfiture over working for Pete Schabarum for more than 15 years, she cannot be expected to support the liberal-progressive agenda that has been the trademark of the other Latino leaders.

For more than three decades, Rep. Roybal has championed that liberal-progressive program. The record of considerable if not sufficient progress is part of his legacy to both the Latino community and the larger community of people who will pick up the torch and complete the struggle in coming years.

There is nothing to fear from electoral competition between even progressive Latino politicians. It is to be hoped, however, that Roybal and Acuna will use their substantial influence to prevent and heal fratricidal conflicts over the globally insignificant differences over how to restore Olvera Street, and instead promote healthy debate over how the Latino community can unify its progressive forces with other like-minded groups for mutual advantage, and thereby achieve the goals of political, economic and social justice.

MEIR J. WESTREICH

Glendale