New immigrants accounted for at least one-third of the increase in the number of New York City voters since 2004, while the number of Irish, Italian and Jewish voters, who together represent the traditional core of the city’s political establishment, decreased slightly, according to an analysis of voter registration records.The transformation of the voter rolls portends a momentous shift in the ethnic makeup of the city’s electorate that threatens to upend the balance of power that has governed local politics for decades.
Steven Choi, program director at an immigrant advocacy group, Empowering the Korean American Community, based in Flushing, Queens, said: “For us, the real question has been, ‘How do we, as immigrants, translate our demographic power into political power?’ But we see a real opportunity next year to upset the status quo.”
Upheaval Among New York’s Voting Blocs
Political campaigns in New York have historically targeted a small yet reliable class of voters — less diverse than the city’s overall population — who regularly participate in primaries. And even though candidates regularly appear at parades and other events organized by the city’s many ethnic groups, this kind of outreach is considered largely symbolic by political consultants.
24 comments:
What the politicians have to learn real quickly is how to play the old "divide and conquer" game that has allowed to lie, cheat and steal with impunity for so many years.
How is a new citizen from Haiti really any different from a new citizen from China?
No real difference. Until the politician fans the fears among people of different ethnicities, languages, cultures, and appearances.
How are those politicians any different from the KKK? No different.
@taxpayer: its racist comments like this that give the people of queens a bad rap... please go somewhere else with your bigotry, we don't need you round here
Taxpayer was pointing out the racism perpetuated by politicians. Sad that you were so ready to cast him as a racist. You need to read and understand better.
@queens crapper: 'You need to read and understand better'
lol, what world are you in? You must have slightly tinted sarcasm glasses welded to your face.
Sad that this blog has become the mouthpiece of the disaffected class.
What did Taxpayer say that was racist?
Dear Crapper,
That was a dues paying KKK Grand Outhouse politician who wrote that comment.
Any effort to unite different people is called "racist" to show the target groups that the politicians "love" all people and want peace.
Actually, lynching is their method of uniting any people. In the perverted view of Klanners, a good lynching unites the current lynched with those previously lynched.
And, modern lynching, as Justice Clarence Thomas pointed out so famously, lynching can be entirely without hemp. It can be "High-tech", as in a Blog. Done with a keyboard.
@queens crapper: "What the politicians have to learn real quickly is how to play the old "divide and conquer" game that has allowed to lie, cheat and steal with impunity for so many years." - You can't seen anything racist about that when it's said in the context of disenfranchising immigrants?
Also, your picture of women in the traditional hijab sporting clipboards is a non-too-subtle attempt to play the politics of fear.
@taxpayer: What is it with you and the KKK? The KKK is virtually non-existent in NY, they are a southern hate group with numbers in decline over the past 40 years. And why would you think I am a politician? I tend to agree with you guys but it would probably serve you best to shelve the paranoia.
"Any effort to unite different people is called "racist" to show the target groups that the politicians "love" all people and want peace." - I have never heard of efforts to unite people under a banner of multiculturalism referred to as racist. The goal is to bring new citizens into the political process.
It serves two goals:
1) Assimilation - the more new citizens interact with their neighbors the better they and their kids will become assimilated.
2) Representation - As they become part of the political process they learn how to organize themselves which means they'll appoint leaders that other groups can negotiate with.
That concludes Civics 101 - Next weeks edition: Can a local civic group learn how to stop hating and start loving to serve their member's interests?
"What the politicians have to learn real quickly is how to play the old "divide and conquer" game that has allowed to lie, cheat and steal with impunity for so many years." - You can't seen anything racist about that when it's said in the context of disenfranchising immigrants?
What Taxpayer was getting at is that it is the politicians who divide people by playing to their fears and by pitting ethnic groups against each other for attention, power and funding. There is no desire to disenfranchise anyone expressed in this statement.
Also, your picture of women in the traditional hijab sporting clipboards is a non-too-subtle attempt to play the politics of fear.
I had no such desire, this was the photo that accompanied the Times article that this post is about. Click on the link if you ndon't believe me. Time to pull your head out of your tweeding ass and admit that it's you who is the racist. Your mind sure works like one.
Tweeder logic:
NY Times prints photo of muslim woman with clipboard, that shows open-mindedness.
Crappy copies passage from article and exact same photo, that's racist.
What exactly is a tweeder?
ANONYMOUS: What exactly is a tweeder?
I've been wondering this for a long time myself. Near as I can tell it's any politician who appeals to poor people.
Nope, try again.
Well, then it's any politician who appeals to anyone poorer than one's self, with whom one does not agree.
As in, "these tweeders will promise anything to these no account people to get elected."
Basically, it's a cuss word on this blog, almost as meaningless as "Maoist," "fascist," "lib," "clubhouse," "machine," and "Pinky" - most of which I've been called.
"@taxpayer: What is it with you and the KKK? The KKK is virtually non-existent in NY, they are a southern hate group with numbers in decline over the past 40 years. And why would you think I am a politician? I tend to agree with you guys but it would probably serve you best to shelve the paranoia."
Here's Civics 201:
The KKK never disappeared from anywhere. NYC is about as racist as any city down south ever was.
And, the KKK is NOT owned by whites. ANY people who band together to denigrate some other people, are KKK.
Liberals, leftist northerners are far more dangerous racists than the hooded night riders of the old south. They preach love and togetherness for all while simultaneously promoting division and fear.
Need another lesson? Write again. Real soon. Have facts.
Ridgewoodian: Wrong again!
"And, the KKK is NOT owned by whites. ANY people who band together to denigrate some other people, are KKK."
It is a statement like this that make you look like a knucklehead. The KKK is a specific group. Let's not use KKK as a synonym for a racist.
@taxpayer:
The KKK is a specific group. Just so you know, KKK stands for Ku Klux Klan. Here is an introductory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KKK
@queens crapper
Can you eliminate this guessing game and explain what 'tweeded' means? I mean, why use a word if only two or three people know it's meaning?
And duly noted, I was mistaken about the NYT photo.
But, it must be said: Readers of the NYT are more sophisticated and proud that new citizens are registering to vote and becoming part of the political process... but most of the readers on this site will look at that picture and feel a sense of fear and derision.
It has to do with level of education, you wouldn't understand... neither would taxpayer...
Context is everything.
TAXPAYER: And, the KKK is NOT owned by whites.
That might be news to the owners of kkk.com.
It's funny, they're selling a book on that site, The Camp of the Saints, that was recommended on another post a few weeks ago.
ANONYMOUS: About tweeding. I THOUGHT it was about pandering. But I see that they call Robert Moses the King of the Tweeders, and he NEVER pandered to anyone but Al Smith. So I think it really does mean whatever they want it to mean. Either that or we just unbellyfeel tweeding.
Those who do the work of the KKK are in the KKK, no matter their ethnicity, race, religion, nationality, etc.
The KKK was organized by the well-to-do and wealthier to pit people of one race or religion against another.
The typical fodder for this tactic were the recently emancipated blacks who were used to threaten the jobs and homes of poor and ignorant whites.
The beneficiaries of the strategy were the politicians and the local business owners. Politicians benefited by frightening whites that blacks were out to take their women and jobs.
Business benefited by constant threats to replace white workers with blacks, who were to be paid low wages. So, the ignorant white workers accepted low wages and refused unionization throughout the South.
When blacks were unavailable to use as threats, Jews, Catholics and "Commies" were substituted.
In the North, politicians were simply less openly crude. But, pitting group against group has always been the politician's primary tool. Look to the current national campaign for all the evidence. Pollsters for politicians love to publicize the divided votes for and against one politician or another. Why?
So that members of each group will fear the consequences of not voting "with" the group, or the advantages the group will have for voting one way or another.
Why else be obsessed with the leanings of one group or another?
Work for the KKK, you're in the KKK.
Write again real soon. Come equipped with facts.
@Ridgewoodian: I'm not sure what it means.... but it must have something to do with development. Urbandictionary doesn't have an entry for it and they have an entry for everything.
Does it take one to know one?
@taxpayer: You're talking about political history. I can tell from your post that you might be an older fella and maybe a little bitter over what you've seen over the past several decades.
What you describe is not the case anymore. According to your post, there would be no way for a man like Barack Obama to become the next president. Certainly the younger generations do not see skin color as something to fear and they do not see people that are different negatively, but just that different.
So let me get this straight, are you trying to say that you've been fooled by politicians for so many years? Did they take your vote by using fear and then go around and embrace the people you hate?
I'm not sure if I hit the nail on the head but if it's true then lol to you. I would totally use your fear against you, take your vote and make our city a better place for all. White, black, jew, latin, arab, european, asian and all others.
Don't hate the player, hate the game.
ANONYMOUS: I’ve been trying to figure out “tweeding” for a while myself. It’s not in any dictionary and I’ve only ever seen it on this site. I guess it has something to do with Boss Tweed. (Although he and Robert Moses, while both powerful, couldn’t really be more different.) There was a discussion of the term here, which basically became a Gangs of New York quotathon. I dunno, if I was going to derive my political philosophy from a movie I’d try to pick a better movie. (Maybe Birth of a Nation, since according to Taxpayer I’m more or less Klan anyway.)
@ridgewoodian: Add me to that category, I am a 'kkk', I am 'a people that band together to denigrate' people, like taxpayer, who hate people because of where they may come from.
Hey taxpayer, let me guess 'a Hitler' is a person that wants to genocide people they hate?
I can't believe the ignorance in my community.
Post a Comment