The Importance of Being Hispanic in the Bush Administration:

In this exclusive feature, Latino Leaders Magazine is proud to present historical political coverage.  Interviews with five senior Hispanic Bush appointees are presented.

by David Liss, 10/1/05

WITHOUT QUESTION, President George W. Bush has named Hispanics to some of the most significant appointed positions in his administration, resulting in a cabinet with the highest numbers of Hispanics in U.S. history...

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EXCERPT:

For perhaps the first time in American history, Hispanics hold some of THE most important cabinet level and appointed positions, sitting side by side with the President at the table to determine how to provide and serve all Americans. Still, the bottom line is that these growing numbers of Hispanics are there not because they are Hispanic, but because they are the most qualified individuals to do the job--period.

In this issue, Latino Leaders Magazine profiles some of the most important, emphasis on some, of the many Hispanics serving critical roles in the Bush Administration.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, these leaders and many others will have their abilities tested in addressing problems that no leader in the history of this country has ever had to face: millions made homeless, a regional economy in ruins, oil, gas and commodity resources in potential collapse, a region to rebuild, a nation's economy in the balance and hundreds of billions of dollars that must be spent effectively to solve these problems.

"In addition, we must not forget about the thousands of Latino elected officials heading municipalities and school boards that am also providing leadership by taking in hurricane survivors and leading school districts that will be enrolling children that have arrived in their communities," notes Erica Bernal, Director of Communications for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.

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HISPANIC POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FACTS:

• 5,129 Latinos currently serve in elected offices nationwide, in all levels of government.*

• U.S. Senate:
• Robert Menendez (D), New Jersey.
• Mel Martinez (R), Florida
• Ken Salazar (D), Colorado

•  U.S. House of Representatives:

• 24 Latinos serve in the 110th Congress.
• 20 are Democrats.
  
• 4 are Republican.
• 7 are Latina. 

• State Senates: 

• 58 Latino state senators serve in U.S. state legislatures.
  

• State Lower Houses:

• 180 Latinos state representatives serve in state legislatures across the country.

• 6 Hispanics serve in statewide offices, including the office of governor.

• Over 46.6 million Hispanics now live in the United States and Puerto Rico.

• Hispanics represent 14 percent of the population and one out of every eight employees in the labor force.

• The current value of the U.S. Hispanic population's purchasing power is $863.1 billion.

*Data as reported by: National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.