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>> MARIA HINOJOSA, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND STOPPING
BY ON YOUR NATIONAL TOUR FOR THIS WONDERFUL SHOW ON "NEED
TO KNOW," THAT YOU'RE DISCOVERING ALL THESE THINGS
ABOUT THESE UNITED STATES THAT MOST PEOPLE WILL FIND
VERY SURPRISING IN THIS PROGRAM.
>> THE NEW AMERICAN MAINSTREAM, I'M CALLING IT.
IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN NEW MEXICO, ONE OF MY ALL-TIME
FAVORITE PLACES IN THE WORLD.
>> I LOVE IT, WELCOME BACK.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT VERY ISSUE.
WHAT, IN FACT, IS THE NEW AMERICAN MAINSTREAM, AS YOU
DESCRIBE IT IN THE SHOW? >> WELL, I THINK ACTUALLY
IT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL LIVING. IF WE OPENED OUR EYES AND
LOOKED AROUND US, WE WOULD SAY, YEAH, REALLY, THE
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE THAT WE SAW IN THE CENSUS NUMBERS IS
PART AND PARCEL OF MY REALITY.
AND I'M NOT AFRAID. IT DOESN'T MAKE ME FEARFUL
BECAUSE, IN FACT, I SEE THAT MY KIDS AND MY GRANDKIDS ARE
PLAYING WITH OTHER DIFFERENT LOOKING KIDS, AND IT'S ALL
GOOD. IT IS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT
INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THIS CHANGE OF THE NEW MAINSTREAM
WITH FEAR AND TREPIDATION, IT'S LOOKING AT IT LIKE,
THIS IS HAPPENING. IT'S ALREADY PART OF WHO WE
ARE, AND WHY FEAR WHAT WE'VE ALREADY BECOME.
>> IT SNUCK UP ON A LOT OF FOLKS, THOUGH.
IT'S INTERESTING, BECAUSE YOU CONCENTRATE IN AN AREA
OF THE COUNTRY, IN A VERY SPECIFIC TOWN IN GEORGIA,
WHERE THIS COULD ALMOST BE LIKE A GROUND ZERO CASE FOR
THE REST OF THE UNITED STATES.
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SAW THERE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
YOU STARTED TO DIG UNDER THE SURFACE AND STARTED TO
EXTRICATE. >> WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT'S FUNNY ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE YOU THINK ABOUT
DIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND YOU
SEE IT HAPPENING IN OTHER PARTS.
CERTAINLY HERE IN NEW MEXICO IT'S BEEN PART AND PARCEL
FROM THE MOMENT OF CREATION OF THIS SPOT.
BUT WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ONE OF THE PLACES THAT
IS MOST DIVERSE BY THE NUMBERS IN OUR COUNTRY IS A
SMALL TOWN JUST SOUTH OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
WHAT? >> RIGHT
>> IN FACT, THE SOUTH, THE AMERICAN SOUTH, IS THE
POLICE THAT'S SEEN THE MOST INTENSE AND HIGHEST
PERCENTAGE OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE IN TERMS OF A
MULTI-CULTURAL POPULATION. AND THEN WHAT WE DID IS, WE
LOOKED AT THE ENTIRE REGION, AND THEN WE ZEROED IN AT THE
SPOT WHERE IT'S KIND OF THE MOST INTENSE.
AS YOU SAID, GROUND ZERO. I KIND OF SAY THAT IT'S LIKE
THE FUTURE OF AMERICA ON STEROIDS.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IT WAS 40 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
AND 60 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES BEING SPOKEN IN ABOUT A MILE
SQUARE. NOT HUGE, WHICH MEANS PEOPLE
HAVE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO GET ALONG.
AND IT'S WHAT WE EXPECT FROM THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA. IT'S HOPEFUL.
PEOPLE CROSS PERSONAL BOUNDARIES IN WAYS THAT ARE
REALLY BEAUTIFUL. THERE'S RESISTANCE TO
CHANGE. THERE'S FEAR.
THERE'S ANGER. BUT THEN THERE IS THE
REALITY THAT THIS, BY THE NUMBERS, THIS IS WHAT OUR
COUNTRY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO LET'S LEARN ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS BY TALKING TO
EACH OTHER AND THINKING OF NEW WAYS OF GETTING ALONG.
IT'S REALLY INSPIRING. >> YOU KNOW, I WANT TO
REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 40
DIFFERENT CULTURES, 60 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES IN A
SMALL TOWN IN GEORGIA. THAT BLEW ME AWAY.
I HAVE TO JUST CONFESS. I WAS REALLY QUITE SHOCKED
BY THAT. SO WHAT DOES THAT DO ON THE
GROUND? YOU HAVE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN
MAYOR, WHICH WAS VERY INTERESTING, AS WELL, THAT
WE'VE GOT TO THROW IN THERE. HOW DO FOLKS KIND OF
NEGOTIATE THIS NEW AMERICAN DREAM ONCE IT'S ON THE
GROUND? >> WELL, THERE ARE MANY
PEOPLE WHO LEFT IN THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN IT USED TO BE
ALL WHITE. 97% WHITE AND AMERICAN BORN.
AND THEN IT STARTED CHANGING, HAVING A MORE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESENCE. SOME PEOPLE LEFT.
THAT WAS THEIR REACTION. OTHERS HAVE STAYED FOR ALL
KINDS OF REASONS. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE
WORKING THROUGH OF THE FEAR, BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING IS
THESE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE RELATIONSHIPS IS
DIANNE AND AMINA. DIANNE IS A REPUBLICAN,
CHRISTIAN, PRO-LIFE, TEA PARTY SUPPORTING REPUBLICAN
WHO DECIDES SHE WANTS TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL.
HER BEST FRIEND IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN IN THE UNITED
STATES FOR ABOUT FIVE OR SO YEARS, THREE TO FIVE YEARS,
AND THEY MEET IN CHURCH AND BECOME BEST FRIENDS.
AMINA COULDN'T BE ANYMORE DIFFERENT THAN DIANNE.
AMINA IS FROM SOMALIA. SURVIVED A MASSACRE OF HER
ENTIRE FAMILY. IS AN ACTIVIST AT HEART.
LOVES OBAMA. CAN'T VOTE, BECAUSE SHE'S
NOT YET A CITIZEN. BUT BECOMES HER BEST FRIEND
DIANNE'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER WHEN SHE RUNS FOR CITY
COUNCIL, AND GETS HER ELECTED WITH THE MOST VOTES
OF ANY CANDIDATE IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY.
AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. AND THEY CALL THEMSELVES
SISTERS. THEY CALL EACH OTHER
SISTERS, EVEN THOUGH ONE LOVES OBAMA, BUT CAN'T VOTE,
AND THE OTHER ONE SUPPORTS THE TEA PARTY IN THE UNITED
STATES. THAT IS HOPEFUL FOR OUR
DEMOCRACY. AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE
AWAY THE -- THERE IS A PUNCHLINE WITH AMINA, BUT
YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE WHOLE SHOW TO SEE THAT.
>> THEY WERE ADORABLE. I JUST THOUGHT THE
FRIENDSHIP JUST REALLY COMES ACROSS.
BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL THAT, THAT ESPECIALLY WAS
INTERESTING, WATCHING THAT RELATIONSHIP PART OF THAT.
CAN I QUOTE YOU SOMETHING FROM THE SHOW, AS IF YOU
DON'T KNOW THESE WORDS, YOU SAID THESE WORDS, BY 2014,
DEMOGRAPHERS PROJECT THAT WE WILL BE A MULTI-CULTURAL
MAJORITY NATION. AND YOU ASK GUY GARCIA, WHO HELPS
YOU IN THIS PROGRAM, TO KIND OF SORT ALL THIS OUT.
SHOULD WHITE AMERICA BE AFRAID OF BECOMING A
MINORITY? HIS ANSWER WAS INTERESTING
TO ME. THEY SHOULD ONLY BE AFRAID
OF BECOMING A MINORITY IF THAT'S WITHIN THE OLD
DEFINITION OF WHAT A MINORITY MEANS;
MARGINALIZED, LEFT OUT, DISENFRANCHISED.
HE SAYS A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THOSE ARE INTERESTING
WAYS TO LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO BE STUCK IN
THOSE OLD THINGS, DO WE? >> EXACTLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE TRIED TO DO IN MY CAREER IS
TO UNDERSTAND -- TO PUT MYSELF IN OTHER PEOPLE'S
SHOES AND UNDERSTAND THEIR PAIN, THEIR FEAR, THEIR
CONCERNS. SO WHEN I ASKED THIS
QUESTION, REALLY WITH LOVE AS OPPOSED TO, LET ME THROW
FIRE, AND LET ME MAKE THIS BOILING, AND LET ME MAKE
PEOPLE FEEL EVEN MORE DIVIDED -- NO, NO, NO.
LET ME UNDERSTAND. SO PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL FEAR
ABOUT BECOMING A MINORITY IF YOU ARE WHITE IN THIS
COUNTRY. AND IT'S TRUE.
WE, THE NEW MAINSTREAM, HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CHANGE THESE
DEFINITIONS. WHY NOT?
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT A MINORITY MEANS THAT
YOU'RE DISENFRANCHISED AND DISEMPOWERED AND ISOLATED.
NO. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WHITE
MINORITY IN THIS UNITED STATES IN THE FUTURE.
MINORITY IS NOT GOING TO MEAN WHAT IT MEANT IN THE
PAST. BY THE WAY, I SHOULD SAY
THAT MINORITY IS A TERM THAT I HAVEN'T USED WITHIN MY OWN
FAMILY, AND EVEN AS A JOURNALIST, UNLESS I'VE HAD
TO. IT'S NOT A TERM THAT HAS
WORKED FOR ME, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT IN
THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, I DON'T WANT TO BE THINKING
OF MYSELF AS A MINORITY. I DON'T WANT MY KIDS TO BE
THINKING OF THEMSELVES AS MINORITY.
SO I GOT RID OF THAT TERM A LONG TIME AGO.
>> SURE, I JOIN YOU IN THAT.
GOOD FOR YOU. INTERESTINGLY, IN THIS SHOW,
ALSO, WE'VE GOT THE PROSPECT -- I WANT TO GO
BACK TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAYOR.
THERE WAS A VERY INTERESTING COMMENT, I DON'T WANT TO
GIVE IT AWAY FULLY, AT THE END OF IT WHERE YOU ACTUALLY
PRESSED HIM UP TO GIVE US MORE INNER THOUGHTS ABOUT
WHERE HE WAS ACTUALLY COMING FROM DURING ALL THESE
CHANGES. WHAT WAS YOUR SENSE OF THAT?
THIS MAN HAD TO COME TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PERSONAL
CONCLUSIONS VERY QUICKLY ABOUT HOW TO MANAGE OR BE A
MAYOR OF SUCH A HUGE MULTI-CULTURAL POT.
>> ESPECIALLY BECAUSE AT FIRST, WHEN HE MOVED THERE
ABOUT 50 YEARS AGO, HE WAS THE OUTSIDER AS A BLACK MAN
COMING FROM PENNSYLVANIA. HE WAS THE OUTSIDER.
AND THE *** WAS REALLY UPSET ABOUT HIM BEING THERE IN
CLARKSTON. BUT THEN HE STAYS IN
CLARKSTON, HE BECOMES A PART OF NEW MAJORITY THERE, THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAJORITY. THEN YOU HAVE THE RELOCATION
OF THE REFUGEES, AND HE'S LIKE, WAIT A SECOND, I DON'T
LIKE THIS. THAT'S WHAT INSPIRES HIM TO
BECOME A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, ACTUALLY, IS TO SAY, WE NEED
TO STOP WITH THIS REFUGEE RELOCATION.
AND THEN HE BECOMES MAYOR, AND THEN HE REALIZES THAT
THESE NUMBERS, AGAIN, OF REFUGEES, OF IMMIGRANTS, ARE
NOT GOING TO GO AWAY. HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS INTO A
WIN FOR THE TOWN? AND THERE'S ONE PART THAT
DIDN'T END UP IN THE SHOW, WHICH WE HAVE TO SAY IS
REALLY ADORABLE, BECAUSE AGAIN, HUMANS HAVE THE
CAPACITY TO CROSS BOUNDARIES.
LOVE CAN SOMETIMES BE THE REASON THAT WE DO THAT.
SO THE MAYOR, LAST WE HEARD, HAD VIETNAMESE GIRLFRIEND.
>> SERIOUSLY. >> SO FROM SOMEBODY WHO IS
LIKE FOREIGNERS, DIFFERENT, I DON'T WANT YOU HERE, NOW
CHANGING COMPLETELY AND SAYING, I UNDERSTAND THAT
THIS IS THE FUTURE, AND I'M FALLING IN LOVE WITH A
VIETNAMESE REFUGEE. >> A LOVELY STORY,
INTERESTING. LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME
ELECTION STUFF. VERY INTERESTING WHAT'S
GOING ON, SPECIFICALLY TO THE LATINO VOTE.
IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE, WITH 11%, IF I HAVE THAT
NUMBER CORRECT, OF THE ELECTORATE, SO TO SPEAK, IT
WOULDN'T TAKE A POLITICAL GENIUS TO FIGURE OUT THAT IF
MR. OBAMA CAN DO WELL WITH THE LATINO VOTE, HE'S GOING
TO DO WELL, BUT IF HE DOESN'T, HE'S NOT GOING TO
DO WELL. IS THAT AN ACCURATE
ASSESSMENT? >> I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
I'M NOT NECESSARILY SURE IF THE -- IF EVERYONE IN THE
CAMPAIGN HAS COMPLETELY WRAPPED THEIR ARMS AROUND
THAT, IN TERMS OF THE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN.
THE LATEST POLLS THAT I SAW HAVE OBAMA AT 70-20 IN TERMS
OF THE LATINO VOTE. THAT BODES VERY WELL FOR THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY. WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING A
HALF-HOUR "NEED TO KNOW" SPECIAL OCTOBER 19th
THAT'S FOCUSING ON THE LATINO VOTE, AND WE'RE GOING
INTO THE CENTRAL PART OF FLORIDA, BECAUSE FLORIDA
BEING A SWING STATE -- WE'RE IN THE SWING SECTOR OF THE
SWING STATE, AND IT'S LATINO VOTERS THAT HOLD THE KEY TO
THE STATE OF FLORIDA. NOT CUBAN AMERICAN LIFELONG
REPUBLICANS, BUT PUERTO RICANS WHO HAVE MOVED FROM
THE EAST COAST DOWN INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA.
SOME, YOU KNOW, MORE TENDENCY OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY
AFFILIATION, BUT THERE'S A VERY LARGE SPIRITUAL AND
RELIGIOUS TREND WITHIN LATINO VOTERS RIGHT NOW.
SO THE PRO-LIFE ISSUE WEIGHS HEAVILY.
IMMIGRATION WEIGHS HEAVILY. TOP LINE, EMPLOYMENT.
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING.
I KNOW THAT THE ROMNEY CAMPAIGN IS PUTTING A LOT OF
ATTENTION INTO THIS AREA. BUT I STILL THINK THAT IF I
HAD TO GENERALIZE ABOUT BOTH THE REPUBLICAN AND THE
DEMOCRAT PARTY VIS-A-VIS LATINO VOTERS, IT'S THAT
THEY DON'T QUITE YET UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF
COMPLEXITY OF THE LATINO VOTER, AND ALL OF THE
REPORTING THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS YEAR IS BASICALLY
POINTING TO THAT, WHICH IS, THIS NEW MAINSTREAM IS NOT
SIMPLY -- YOU CAN'T SIMPLIFY IT.
YOU CAN'T PUT IT INTO A PLOT.
AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO REACH THEM IS GOING TO
ENTAIL A LOT OF EFFORT TO UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE
VOTERS SEE THEMSELVES AS AMERICANS.
FOR ME, THE TAKE-AWAY IS THAT I SEE THIS, IN MY GOOD
DAYS WHEN I'M REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT OUR
SOCIETY AND OUR COUNTRY, IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO
REINVIGORATE OUR DEMOCRACY. PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW VOTERS,
WHO JUST WANT TO GO AND VOTE, AND HOPEFULLY THAT
WILL BE MORE PROMINENT THAN THE SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR
COUNTRY WHO JUST CAN'T VOTE; HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND
DON'T VOTE. WE NEED TO GET RID OF THAT
PERSPECTIVE. >> INTERESTING.
I HEARD A FRIEND OF MINE SAY, IT'S ONE CYCLE AWAY
FROM THE LATINO VOTE BEING THE ABSOLUTE MAKE OR BREAK
FOR ANY CANDIDATE, ANY SIDE, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS
GOT TO FIGURE IT OUT, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS TO
FIGURE IT OUT, IF YOU'RE INDEPENDENT YOU'VE GOT TO
FIGURE IT OUT. KNOWN CAN IGNORE IT ANYMORE.
>> AND THAT'S FOR ALL VOTERS ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT
FOR LATINO VOTERS IN PARTICULAR, IF YOU LOOK AT
THE NUMBERS AND THE FACT THAT OUR DEMOGRAPHIC IS
GROWING SO FAST, YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAVE A SITUATION
WHERE LATINO PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS ARE SAYING, I'M
NOT GOING TO VOTE. I TRIED LAST TIME, DIDN'T
WORK FOR ME, DIDN'T GET ANYTHING, I'M DONE, I'M NOT
VOTING, I'M JUST DONE. BECAUSE THE CHILDREN OR THE
GRANDCHILDREN IN THAT HOME WILL HEAR THAT, AND THAT
SETS US BACK IN TERMS OF WHAT A DEMOCRACY IS GOING TO
BE ALL ABOUT, WHICH IS GETTING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
ENGAGED IN THE SYSTEM. SO THAT'S MY BIG PUSH, WHICH
IS PEOPLE HAVE GOT TO VOTE. NO MATTER HOW UPSET YOU MAY
FEEL, OR HOW UNENTHUSIASTIC -- YOU KNOW,
IT'S DIFFICULT TO GO VOTE, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TAKE
THE TIME -- THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF DEMOCRACY.
SO THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAN VOTE MUST, AND MUST TAKE THEIR
CHILDREN TO WITNESS IT. AT THE SAME TIME, I'M VERY
CLEAR THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A CITIZEN TO BE PART
OF A DEMOCRACY, AND YOU CAN HAVE AN INFLUENCE IN THIS
COUNTRY. WHETHER YOU HAVE A GREEN
CARD OR WHETHER YOU'RE HERE WITHOUT ANY PAPERS, YOU CAN
STILL HAVE AN IMPACT IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT'S ABOUT
DEMOCRACY, TO VOTE IF YOU CAN, AND IF YOU CAN'T VOTE
TO GET INVOLVED IN OTHER WAYS.
>> MARIA HINOJOSA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, "NEED TO KNOW" IS A VERY STRONG SHOW
HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE. WE LOVE YOU HERE, AND WE
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THAT ELECTION SHOW YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT, AS WELL.