Biden Connects Irish Heritage with Latino Struggles

POLITICO

By Byron Tau

July 10, 2012

http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/07/biden-connects-irish-heritage-with-latino-struggles-128568.html

In a pitch to an audience of Hispanic activists, Vice President Joe Biden connected the struggles of Latino Americans to his own Irish heritage.

"There's always been a fight between the voices of inclusion and the voices of exclusion — between those pushing forward and those who continue to try to pull us back," Biden said in remarks to the civil rights group National Council of La Raza.

Biden recalled that Irish Americans too faced a wave of discrimination and bigotry when they arrived en masse in the 19th and 20th centuries, with signs like "No Irish allowed" or "No Irish need apply" greeting them in many major American cities.

"The same kind of backlash --— that kind of backlash --— is not new in American history; it is not new in American politics," Biden said.

"But then we in America prevailed because of the better angels of the American people," Biden said. "But even though the stakes are higher today and more consequential and more severe today, I am still convinced you — we — will prevail because of the better angels of the American people."

Biden also launched into a broadside attack on Mitt Romney's immigration policies — including his support for some hard-line immigration measures by and large opposed by many in the Hispanic community.

"Imagine what the Supreme Court will look like after 4 years of a Romney presidency," Biden said.

"Imagine the court with two more Scalias, or two more Roberts," Biden said, referring to Justice Antonin Scalia and Chief Justice John Roberts. The Supreme Court recently ruled that a provision allowing background checks for arrested criminals in Arizona's immigration law was legal.

"Romney wants you to show your papers, but he won't show us his. It's kind of fascinating," Biden said about Romney.

"This is your moment. This is the moment for your community," Biden told the crowd. "It's much much much too important to remain silent."