Jewish-Latin fusion seeks to kick democracy up a notch
The unlikely allies have teamed up in the defense of American pluralism — and Israel
Reporter at The Times of Israel
NEW YORK — For decades, American Jews and Latinos have lived largely parallel lives, each working to rise up and claim a stake in the American dream.
But in the past year, as the political discourse across the nation has deteriorated, the two communities have started to realize they need to do more than simply talk of shared tenets. It is time to act.
And so, from college campuses to the corridors of the US Congress, Latinos and Jews are coming together and advocating for issues of interest to both — from education and immigration to Israel and political empowerment.
“When the very ethos of American pluralism has been challenged by some, when hate crimes have increased, and when entire communities have been stigmatized, creation of this council reinforces the importance of our shared destiny, and the strength and resilience our nation derives from its diversity,” said Dina Siegel Vann, co-founder of the American Jewish Committee’s newly launched Latino Jewish Leadership Council (LJLC) and director of the Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs.
Although the American Jewish community, with its population of roughly 6 million, is a fraction of the nation’s 52 million Latinos, it represents a political powerhouse, Siegel Vann said. As such, Jews can support and teach Latinos how to amplify their voices, build coalitions and harness democratic institutions.
The LJLC expands upon previous AJC initiatives, including helping to launch the bipartisan Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus in 2011, and hosting in 2013 a National Conversation on the State of Latino-Jewish Relations in Washington, D.C.
Of course cementing relations between the two communities means deepening understanding between the two groups, said Siegel Vann, who was born in Mexico City to an American immigrant father and a Mexican mother.
An AJC survey of Latinos in the US showed that only 18% are highly familiar with Jews, while 31% aren’t familiar with them at all. The survey, conducted in 2011, is the most recent one of its kind, Siegel Vann said.
Nevertheless, the survey showed that more positive views in the Latino community about Jews on a wide range of issues tended to correlate with frequency of personal contacts, and levels of education, income and acculturation.
Most Latino-Jewish interaction happens in the workplace. While 50% of those without a high-school education have zero familiarity with Jews, 38% of college graduates have the highest rate of familiarity. Familiarity with Jews increases among children and grandchildren of immigrants; 38% of first-generation immigrants have no contact, 19% have low levels of contact, 29% medium levels, and 14% high levels of contact.
Additionally, 61% of Latinos believe Jews make positive cultural contributions to the US, while 17% disagree and 22% didn’t know. 53% agreed Jews are pro-civil rights, and 29% didn’t know.
This means there is ample opportunity to come together on social issues such as immigration reform and education, said Luis Ubiñas, a founding member of the LJLC and former president of the Ford Foundation.
“It is inevitable we will have immigration reform. The economy demands it. If you don’t have immigration our population will age and our demographics will suffer. You have to find a way to incorporate the young undocumented citizens of Asia and Latin America,” Ubiñas said.
‘We need to make sure the dreamers can stay. We will speak up’
The LJLC favors immigration reform and plans to fight the Trump Administration against repeal of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), Siegel Vann said.
“We need to make sure the dreamers can stay. We will speak up. This country is strengthened by its different waves of immigration. It’s high time for the new administration to see that,” said Siegel Vann, who has family on both sides of the border.
LJLC also supports the Bridge Act, a bipartisan bill put forward last December by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). The act would allow those who fulfill certain requirements to apply for and receive “provisional protected presence” and work authorization for a three-year period, which would end three years after the bill becomes law. The requirements people would have to meet are similar to those for DACA.
Yet, perhaps even more important than immigration reform is access to education, Ubiñas said.
“The path to prosperity in this country passes through college. Education occurs at all levels and we need to see coalitions working on all those levels, local as well as national,” Ubiñas said.
Israel advocacy is another area where Jews and Latinos are coming together. AIPAC has a Hispanic outreach branch to teach Latinos how to lobby congressmen for Israel support. There is also The David Project, a pro-Israel advocacy group founded in 2002 to combat anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activity on campuses across the US.
The David Project has recently redirected its focus to outreach.
“We decided it was much more important to be building ties outside the Jewish community with people who aren’t necessarily involved in the debate about Israel to build a culture that supports Israel,” Phillip Brodsky, the project’s executive director, said.
When it comes to Latino-Jewish relations, the project has a significant presence on several campuses including Princeton University, Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts and the University of Texas, where between 200 and 300 students, Jews and non-Jews alike, attend an annual Latino-Jewish Seder.
University of Miami Senior Corey Jaquez is an intern with the David Project. Born and raised in Miami, Jaquez visited Israel for the first time last year. Jaquez was so enamored with Israel that after graduation he will attend Tel Aviv University to pursue a Master’s Degree in Middle Eastern Studies.
With his remaining time on campus, Jaquez will continue his outreach work. One of the key elements in building bridges between the Latino and Jewish communities is keeping politics out of the discussion, said Jaquez, who is not Jewish.
“We share our narratives, we talk about things we have in common. One of the things both Jews and Latinos have in common is they are very family oriented. There is the Jewish Shabbat and in the Hispanic community the family table is very important to us,” said Jaquez, whose parents emigrated from the Dominican Republic.
“And, the way we approach life. Israelis appreciate life so much, no matter what age you are, whether you are nine or 90. Israel reminds me of where my family is from in the Dominican Republic, you just want to get the most out of life,” he said.
Also at the University of Miami, Latin American Jews frequent Hola Hillel.
‘Israel reminds me of where my family is from in the Dominican Republic’
Argentina-born and member of Miami Hillel Karem Sandgarten helped establish the center to provide a network for people who share Latin American and Jewish roots. It hosts a mix of leadership seminars, pro-Israel advocacy events, volunteering opportunities, and social activities such as Purim parties. This year, there are 20 members hailing from Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Uruguay and Guatemala.
Looking ahead, Brodsky said he hopes the David Project’s first Jewish-Latino summit, to be held this March at the University of Miami, will reinforce the benefits of working together. Organizers plan to tackle three main issues: hate crimes and prejudice, immigration and what it means to be part of a diaspora community.
“Being part of diaspora communities, we know what it is to be part of a people and how that can be expressed in our relation to other countries, like our connection to Israel or Central and South America, for example. It means having different attachments that we can express through our culture, celebrations and the food,” Brodsky said. He added that all of these provide stepping-stones to building long-lasting relationships.
