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Hispanics Lack National Leadership, Report Says

Mary Slosson |
November 15, 2010 | 9:06 a.m. PST

Executive Producer

Courtesy Pew Hispanic Center
Courtesy Pew Hispanic Center
Nearly two-thirds of American Latinos do not know who they would consider "the most important Latino leader in the country today," and 10 percent say "no one" is the national leader, according to a poll released today.

The Pew Hispanic Center conducted a bilingual poll over one month from August to September 2010, asking Hispanic respondents to name the most important national leader.  Sixty-four respondents said they did not know.

Sonia Sotomayor, the Supreme Court justice who is of Puerto Rican descent, was the top named public figure, with seven percent of respondents naming her. 

Representative Luis Gutierrez of Chicago was named by five percent of respondents, then came Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with three percent and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos with two percent.

Latinos represent the nation's largest minority group, making up over 15 percent of the American population.

The leadership crisis reflects a similar situation in the Republican Party, in which half of respondents to a similar poll said that they could not name a definitive national leader, and 14 percent said that "nobody" lead the Republicans nationally.

The findings also signal a rift between foreign-born and native-born Hispanics.  While 45 percent of respondents said the two groups worked together, a higher 46 percent said that the two groups are not working together towards common political and social goals.

The full report can be read here.

Reach Executive Producer Mary Slosson here.  Follow here on Twitter @maryslosson.



 

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