Latinos In Pursuit Of Political Careers Take Pride In Their Roots

Latinos Take Pride In Their Roots
A Sun Valley resident votes at the polling station located at Our Lady of The Holy Church on election day at the Sun Valley's Latino district, Los Angeles County, on November 6, 2012 in California. AFP PHOTO /JOE KLAMAR (Photo credit should read JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)
A Sun Valley resident votes at the polling station located at Our Lady of The Holy Church on election day at the Sun Valley's Latino district, Los Angeles County, on November 6, 2012 in California. AFP PHOTO /JOE KLAMAR (Photo credit should read JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)

For immigrant political candidates, the campaign trail can bring unfortunate, and often awkward, questions.

“People would ask me, ‘You have an accent. How do you pronounce your name?’ ‘What does your name mean?’ ‘Where are you from?’ ” said West Harlem’s Dominican-born 70th Assembly District leader Marisol Alcantara.

In a weekend-long “Ready to Lead” training session with nonprofit New American Leaders Project, Alcantara learned how to deftly answer such questions.

“They taught us how to respond and go back to your message,” she said. “Better to say, ‘Oh, you mean my ethnic background?’ ”

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot