CAP: The Top 10 Things you should know about Super Tuesday Primary States' Demographic Changes and Immigration Politics

March 6, 2012

Ahead of Super Tuesday, the busiest primary day of 2012, the Center for American Progress released the top 10 things you should know about the demographic changes and immigration politics in Ohio, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Georgia. All of these states have emerging communities of color and are thus representative of what many say is our nation’s demographic future. As a result, these facts offer an important context of the economic, cultural, and electoral power that communities of color have in these states.

“The numbers don’t lie and as the country’s demographics change so should the tune of candidates on many critical issues,” says Angela Kelley, Vice President for Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress. She explains that “Immigration reform is among the most salient issues in the Latino community, and candidates who demagogue and dehumanize the undocumented will find them themselves living in the dog house and not the White house.”

According to Vanessa Cardenas, Director of Progress 2050, communities of color will play a significant role in the upcoming primary contests and in the general election in November. She notes that “Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans are looking to hear candidates propose specific policies that address the urgent issues they face and also be recognized for the positive contributions they make."