Poll: More Latinos pessimistic, worried

A nationwide pall conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center (PWC) found increased pessimism and anxiety among Latinos in the U.S. The survey of over 2000 people found that half of them feel that the country is worse off now than a year ago. The figure is slightly higher among Latino immigrants (63%) compared to the 42% of respondents in 2007 who said their situation had worsened.

The PWC argued that such findings come about since Latinos have been hit hard by the faltering economy and the immigration debate. It is the latter that has instilled fear in the Latino community according to the poll:

Nearly one in ten Hispanic adults say that the police or other authorities have stopped them and asked them about their immigration status…

The survey also found that 81 percent of Hispanic adults said that immigration enforcement should be left mainly to the federal authorities and not local police. In addition, 76 percent said they disapprove of workplace raids.

While Barack Obama and John McCain roll out oversimplified ads and repeat the same stump speeches millions of people in the U.S. find themselves having a harder time moving forward. As the survey shows the Latino community isn’t immune to the difficulties of the country and raises a red flag that out political and economic leaders cannot brush aside.

Image- MSNBC (“A Boston immigration rights rally (in 2005) is one of the emotional demonstrations Latino lawmakers hope to use as a springboard to a series of citizenship workshops.”)

Sources- The Latin Americanist, Washington Wire, On the Trail, The Desert Sun, The Border Line, UPI, Pew Hispanic Center