Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, who also hosts the public affairs program Al Punto says that he believes the Republican Party “finally gets it” about the issue of immigration and the need for reform in terms of the growing power of the Hispanic vote.
With immigration the topic on everyone’s lips in the United States at the moment, Ramos says that he believes that the Republican Party can actually help itself by supporting immigration reform. “After the election, when they realized their candidate didn’t get 30 percent of the Hispanic vote, they understand that really they can’t make it without the Hispanic vote,” Ramos notes. “Actually, no one can make it to the White House without the Hispanic vote. And unless Republicans support immigration reform, it’s going to be impossible for them to get a high percentage of the Latino vote.”
Ramos adds that he thinks that if the Republican Party does put its shoulder behind supporting immigration reform, the Latino community will notice, but also points out that if a large proportion of the party continues to reject even the idea that immigration reform is a necessary thing, it will be all but impossible for them to get the Hispanic vote and they will end up losing election after election after election.
Ramos is an immigrant himself, being born in America and notes that while he is proud of his US citizenship it was a long and difficult process, and is even more so for immigrants today.