America's 1st Freedom by Raul Mas June 25, 2023
As policies from the Biden administration have opened the southern border of the United States of America to more illegal immigration, much of the national debate about immigration has necessarily focused on border security. But that important issue is for other publications and news services to report on and investigate. Here, if we can, I’d like to put that aside to focus on a big question related to our Second Amendment freedom that is being overlooked.
First, so you know where I am coming from, I’d like to tell you that I came to America, legally, at the age of four. My family wasted no time in fleeing Cuba once Fidel Castro declared himself a communist. Given our political refugee status, it is no secret that Cuban-Americans of my generation are among the strongest defenders of democracy, freedom of speech and religion, free-market capitalism and the fulfillment of the American dream. While we preserve our Latin identity, including our language, food and music, we absolutely have come to love and cherish our adopted country. While most refer to us as hyphenated Cuban-Americans, there is no doubt in our minds that we are Americans, first and foremost.
America has given so much to me. I’ve had a long and successful career as a media commentator, editor, business development adviser and producer and host of news and business programming for legacy and digital media outlets. I graduated from Harvard Business School and Georgetown University and spent 30 years in the world of international finance and wealth management with firms such as Goldman Sachs, Chase and American Express. I’ve contributed political and economic commentary in both English and Spanish to many publications and networks. Had my parents stayed in Cuba, my life would have been very different, as poverty, not progress, would have defined it.
My late brother, Jorge Mas Canosa, was the quintessential example of the American dream. Sadly, he died of cancer in 1997 at the age 58. But by then he had achieved what many can only dream of, including a beautiful family, international recognition as the leader of his exiled Cuban community and the founder of a highly successful, publicly traded company known as MasTec. Today, MasTec is a Fortune 500 company with a market value of $7.4 billion that employs over 22,000 people throughout the United States.
Plenty of similar success stories exist in other Hispanic communities. Whether from the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, or from foreign countries like Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba and others, millions of Hispanics have woven themselves into the tapestry of our society.
So, let’s ask the big question: As America’s Hispanic population grows, are they embracing the freedom they, in many cases, have decided to join with their own two feet? There is no simple answer to this critical question, but I would like to start by saying that in my experience in Florida, and as I travel and speak to many, I am finding Hispanics from all socioeconomic backgrounds increasingly demonstrating a greater appreciation for traditional American values, including respect for the U.S. Constitution and, in particular, the Second Amendment.
The Number of Hispanic Gun Owners in America is GrowingThe National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade group representing firearms manufacturers, commissioned a retailer survey to gauge the interest of Hispanics in America in exercising their lawful right to keep and bear arms. The survey determined that law-abiding Hispanic-Americans purchased firearms in 2020 at a 49% higher rate than they did in 2019. This uptick in interest seemed to be reflected in the 2020 presidential election, as the former president got 10% more of the Hispanic vote than he did in 2016.
To me, this trend was especially evident during the COVID pandemic. Several Hispanics I know, some of them lifelong liberals, expressed concern with the spread of urban violence in the United States. Knowing I was a gun owner, they reached out to me for assistance in purchasing their first firearm. I accompanied many such individuals to a local gun shop to help them with the selection and the paperwork process. It was an enlightening experience for them, as they had to present identification, to fill out a lengthy form, to submit to a background investigation and, in our local community, to wait for three days before they could take possession of their handgun. The reality of legally purchasing a firearm in America clashed with their liberal indoctrination that buying a gun was as easy as buying a toaster. A lot of learning occurred.
But fear of violence is not the only reason that Hispanic men and women are learning to appreciate the Second Amendment. Although we come from different countries—and came to America for different reasons—Hispanics share a strong affinity for the same traits that characterized America’s founders. The majority of Hispanics are people of faith, maintain strong family bonds and values, have a strong work ethic, are independent and yes, we abhor criminal behavior.
Until recently, the political consensus (and reality) was that Hispanics were more likely to vote for politicians who back more gun-control laws, but this has begun to change in recent years. In the 2020 election, for example, Donald Trump proved successful at making significant inroads in capturing Latino votes. In South Florida, Cuban-American voters came out strongly for Trump, but so also did 30% of central Florida’s Puerto Rican population. In Texas, Trump did especially well with the Tejano vote in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. He also made significant inroads in Colorado, Nevada and Arizona. Even in places like Milwaukee, Wis., and Patterson, N.J., Trump gained significantly more Hispanic votes than he did in 2016.
More:
https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/content/hispanics-and-the-second-amendment/
