Hillary ahead among Puerto Ricans in NY (On Obama and Hispanics) [View All]

[Colobo]

I hate to post this, but I do it so that I can illustrate the point I was making in terms of the problem Barack Obama has with Latinos, and because racial and ethnic relations are one of my topics of interest in my literary studies. This comes from El Nuevo Día, Puerto Rico's most important newspaper, who has just published the results of a poll they made among Puerto Ricans in New York, apart of some reports on the topic. It will come out tomorrow (Sunday) in the Island. I have translated some fragments of the report:

"El Barrio" stands with Hillary
by José A. Delgado for El Nuevo Día

New York- A significant majority of Puerto Ricans in New York will strongly support Hillary Clinton's presidential bid on Tuesday because they consider she has the right experience and they see her as an "ally".

In a campaign that has relied for the most part on the media, Barack Obama still seems to be an unknown for many Puerto Rican voters. A poll by the Hispanic Federation, along with several interviews with people on the streets of "El Barrio" confirm that the zone is "Clinton Territory".

The poll, which interviewed 280 Puerto Rican voters in the city, reflected that 63% of them support Clinton, while only 17% support Obama.

From 30 interviews done yesterday by El Nuevo Día, two voters rejected the idea of voting for Clinton. Only one stands with Obama. Most of them only have good things to say about the former First Lady and NY senator and consider she has much more experience than her rival Obama.

<...>

"I like 'Hilaria' Clinton a lot. People over here love her" said Emilio "Tito" Ruiz, who works at the Cuchifritos restaurant, in the heart of Manhattan's Latin neighborhood.

<...>

Obama, senator from Illinois, has ties with Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics from his state, but he is not know by Puerto Ricans in NYC. "I don't know much about that man" said Edgar Santiago, a barber from the Bronx.

His co-worker, Marisol Sánchez, thinks that "Hillary, as a former First Lady, knows the White House, she has walked on those shoes". Sánchez is one of the few interviewed Puerto Ricans who hinted at the racial tensions between Puerto Ricans and African-Americans. "Blacks think they own the streets, I can't imagine them if they have a black president", she said.

"I don't vote for blacks. With me being black it's enough" said Tita Dalmau, who at age 82 runs her daughter's store, Maria's Place, in El Barrio's "La Marketa". Dalmau said she always votes Democrat and that she will vote for Clinton on Tuesday because she is "a hardcore Democrat".

http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/portada/noticias/el_barrio_esta_con_hillary/356788

More stuff there, if you read Spanish. Racism among Hispanics is worse than what you think... I tell you from experience; I'm a black Puerto Rican myself. I know how it is... it's something Obama has to deal with.