LETTERS

Re “The generic Latino,” Opinion, June 1

Essential to the success of the United States as a nation and its attraction to millions of immigrants from all over is that here -- no matter where we come from -- we can all become Americans.

Gregory Rodriguez’s article concluding that Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court comes at the expense of Mexican Americans shows a lack of understanding of American ideals and, I believe, does not agree with the sentiments of the great majority of Mexican Americans.

Ricardo Nicol

San Clemente

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Lumping a group of people together as “generic Latino” is equally as absurd as suggesting all African Americans are generic -- but we do it anyway. They come from a continent with many different cultures. If it isn’t true for one such mass of humanity, it isn’t true for another.

Mary Overbey

Palos Verdes Estates

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Rodriguez writes that “national origin” is stronger self-identification for Latinos than the blanket terms “Hispanic” or “Latino.” He asserts that the “Latino community” is not monolithic in its politics. He laments that “the media and the political elites” make no distinction among Latino groups.

Polls show that the most important single agenda item to Latinos is “immigration reform.” The polling usually makes no distinction between Latino groups, as Rodriguez states. The blunt truth is that Latinos are a voting bloc, at least on the immigration issue. Puerto Ricans have no reason to be concerned about immigration enforcement; they are citizens by birth. But I believe they join with other groups because they are united by the fact of being Latinos.

Mike Burns

Bakersfield