The DNC’s Hispanic Caucus has its problems, too

A couple of days ago, I blogged about the uproar from several women in the House Hispanic Caucus who were complaining that Rep. Joe Baca, Chair of the Caucus, was sexist and routinely disrepected the Hispanic women in the caucus.

In related news, Fox is reporting today that the DNC’s Hispanic Caucus is in the midst of a controversy of its own right now, specifically, of a racial nature:

WASHINGTON — A Democratic love-fest came to a screeching halt Friday after a high-ranking Hispanic party official abruptly resigned amid allegations he used a racial slur during a heated argument with a black aide to Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.

Alvaro Cifuentes was chairman of the DNC’s Hispanic Caucus and is well-known in national Hispanic Democratic circles.

Cifuentes was attending the DNC’s winter meeting in Washington, D.C., on Friday when he and the aide got into an argument.

It’s not clear what started the fight, but sources said Cifuentes called the aide, who is black, “boy” twice during the confrontation, and two conference attendees were alarmed enough to try and restrain Cifuentes.

Sources said they believed Cifuentes’ actions to be physically intimidating, and his words racially insensitive.

DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney confirmed the resignation Friday evening, saying it occurred after a meeting with Dean, the former governor of Vermont. She said that Cifuentes resigned his post as caucus chairman, but remains a member of the DNC.

Asked if Dean forced Cifuentes to resign his post, Finney said: “Gov. Dean and Alvaro had a private meeting this afternoon. Following that meeting, Alvaro attended the Hispanic Caucus meeting, [and] submitted his resignation. It was accepted by the caucus.”

Hat tip: ST reader Mwalimu Daudi

3 Responses to "The DNC’s Hispanic Caucus has its problems, too"

Steve Skubinna says:

February 3, 2007 at 12:38 am

It’s encouraging to see that Howlin’ Howie has finally hired a Black aide. Since he didn’t hire ANY at all during his tenure as governor.

Which if course was not at all relevant to his rib ticklin’ knee slappin’ ripsnorter about how Republicans couldn’t muster any minorities unless they brought in the janitorial staff.

Har har har! Snort, guffaw. Good one, Governor Whitebread! I bet Colin Powell and Condi Rice snorted their drinks through their nose at that one.
Lorica says:

February 3, 2007 at 11:56 am

Yet another racist comment brought to you by our friends in the Democrat party. My favorite part of the whole article?? Well it have to be this little diddy.

Sources said they believed Cifuentes’ actions to be physically intimidating, and his words racially insensitive.

Since when calling a Black Man a boy is to be considered racially insensitive?? I just love our friends in the drive by media. Yes Yes, I have said this once, I am going to say this again before it is all said and done. This election cycle could be the funniest on record. – Lorica
Myriam Fuentes says:

February 3, 2007 at 4:03 pm

I do not know Mr. Dean and I do not know Mr. Cifuentes. But looking at a distance and from the vintage point of a Puerto Rican living on the island, it is obvious that this incident was used as an excuse by Mr. Dean to remove Mr. Cifuentes from his position. Cifuentes happens to be an important voice speaking for politically disenfranchised citizens in Puerto Rico and had become an important voice, as well, for Hispanic groups in the states. Is it a coincidence that the media had previously reported a conflict between Cifuentes and Mr. Dean regarding Cifuentes opposition to concentration of party power in the hands of Washington politicians? I ignore the details or merits of the latter conflict, so I am unable to pass judgment on it. But suffice it to say that, from its inception, Mr. Cifuentes’ chairmanship of the Hispanic caucus has been under fire by a group of Democrats, the majority of them Puerto Ricans, who favor the island’s more than one-century-old colonial status. It is a shame that respect for human dignity can be used as an excuse to advance other agendas. Bus as the hero JosÃ© MartÃ said: ” In politics, reality is what you don’t see”.
As for the use of the “boy” word, anybody who has been raised in Puerto Rico can bear witness to the fact that in local Spanish it does not translate with a racial bias. “Boy” is “chico” or “muchacho” or the equivalent of “guy” and it is commonly used to address anyone regardless of their skin color. As a matter of fact, the word “negrito/a” (little black) is used with no pejorative undertone to address anyone, of any color, in an affectionate fashion. So, is it not taking into consideration the cultural and historical background of a non Anglo American also racist? The Anglo American establishment was responsible for the system of apartheid or racial segregation that lasted for too long in the USA. Working toward the total eradication of all present manifestations of that dreadful past is the right thing to do. All American citizens should do their best to become aware of their duty in this sense, which means, even us Puerto Ricans- having a different cultural background- should become sensitive to this need- even so more since we have also share in the history of black slavery and not everything has been made to amend that horrible sin against humanity. Yet, decades after the Civil Rights Movement and the mobilization of black people to force Anglo America to recognize equal rights for “colored” citizens and now when the political power of Afro Americans is a fact, it is easy for anyone to say you are an advocate of the dignity of the black people. It is more difficult to stand by the right of the people of an island that was taken as war bounty in a splendid little war, were granted a distorted American citizenship in order to retain the territory as a military base, and are still- one century later- deprived of the most basic rights of citizenship: the right to political representation and to vote for their rulers.
Finally, I have a suggestion for Mr. Dean if he really wants to play it politically correct. Ask Senator Byden to resign his position in Congress and his positions in the Democratic Party for asserting that eloquence and cleanliness are virtues related to a color of human skin and that “mainstreamism”, a white man ideological device, is a legitimate sieve for aspiring black activists.

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